Today we have on-demand services, apps and the entire internet in our pocket. Technology is enabling us to work more flexibly than ever before and we’re constantly on the go both at home and in our professional lives. We can take our phone, a tablet or a laptop anywhere and turn everywhere into an office.
Thus mobile working is not going to abolish the office. Instead, it’s driving its total reconceptualisation. It’s about optimising productivity and business agility: 83% of us believe that greater mobility brings competitive advantages in business, whilst more than half of managers think that it improves employees’ quality of life.
To ensure that you can maximise these benefits, below are five tips to make the most of working on the go.
1. Keep everything electronically
It might feel unnatural to get rid of “hard” copies, but digital files can not only be remotely accessed, updated and shared between devices and colleagues but are far more securely stored.
Forgetting, losing or spilling coffee over important papers will become a thing of the past, as well as having to drag heavy folders around with you.
2. Equipment: less is more
Bringing a laptop is now one option of many. Most people carry a smartphone anyway and bigger screens/phablets or tablets are great alternatives, particularly as Office 365 and other business apps are increasingly optimised for mobile devices.
What’s more, staying connected on the go is only getting easier, with free WiFi available almost everywhere in cities and mobile connections becoming increasingly ubiquitous. You can even use your phone as a hotspot to work on the device of your choice.
3. Passwords: the more the better
A ten-inch-thick steel door is useless without a lock. The biggest threat to security is ineffective passwords, both for devices and accounts. It is unsurprising yet abysmal that duplicated passwords are used on 73% of online accounts and we don’t want to know how many people are using their birth date, ‘password’ or their pet’s name to guard important data.
Don’t leave your devices and accounts vulnerable, use two-factor authentication when available and long passwords without patterns to access the cloud and everything in it.
On the go, it is especially important to always log out of active sessions so that if a device is lost or stolen, your data won’t be.
4. Power up!
Make sure you’re switched on about keeping your devices on, too. Laptops have a “Power Saver” mode to minimise battery usage. After this, it’s easiest to simply turn stuff off, like sound, Bluetooth, keyboard backlighting or any external hardware, e.g. a USB mouse. Lowering screen resolution and brightness also helps save power.
In the long-run, people and laptops actually, have a lot in common. For example, breathing is important, so make sure to optimise airflow and cooling to prevent burning out. Likewise, your laptop needs an occasional complete power down to keep it refreshed and maintained. For long journeys, you can buy external power packs for backup (though unfortunately the same can’t be said for you).
5. Good posture breeds productivity
Don’t just reread advice on good posture and regular breaks. Reduce strain on the neck and back by sitting back in your chair and making sure you’re set up at a comfortable viewing height, distance and font size. If necessary, you can get portable keyboards and stands to set up more comfortably, whether you’re on a train, plane or crane.
Working in this way with greater security and mobility, businesses can stop measuring working hours and instead start seeing results, with better communication, collaboration and productivity. Equally, the individual can enjoy a far better working lifestyle that reflects the demands and opportunities of the modern world.
