Most Effective Ways to Impress Your Boss While Working Remotely

by Kelsey Arrington on Mar 17, 2023

Working remotely offers a plethora of benefits for employees across the world. There’s no doubt about that. However, making connections among your colleagues or with your supervisor can be rather difficult to achieve across a computer screen. The good news is that it is possible. In this post, we’ll review some of the most effective ways you can impress your boss and connect more with your colleagues from the comfort of your home. Keep reading!

In this post:

• Best Tips to Establish Connections with Remote Colleagues
• Most Effective Ways to Impress Your Boss while WFH

Best Tips to Establish Connections with Remote Colleagues

Working remotely can often mean working in a silo by oneself. If you are a remote worker or hybrid employee, surely you know what we mean by that. But, we’re here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way. After all, your fellow remote workers want to feel connected too. Like many of us, they may not know how to foster those connections. But, don’t fret! Here are some tips to help you connect with colleagues in the virtual work environment.

• Remember that respect goes a long way. So, help to foster a healthy company culture by being respectful to everyone you work with – no matter what their position is in the company. 
• Active listening skills help folks stay connected. You can’t connect with anyone if you aren’t listening or if you’re always doing the talking. To make sure your colleagues feel heard and are able to express their ideas to you, actively listen during your brainstorming sessions and team meetings. 
• Avoid distractions when discussing projects. Let your colleagues have your undivided attention when you’re working together. This is important in a traditional office setting but can be even more detrimental for folks who work on distributed teams. 
• Be yourself. We are all flawed humans who are just trying our best every day. Don’t forget that. Despite working remotely and relying on technology all day; there are humans that are impacted by your work. So, be considerate of that, and don’t forget to connect with others on a humanistic level. 
• Express gratitude. When someone aids you on a project or your boss goes the extra mile, it is important to show your appreciation. If you need tips on how to do that, read our post on expressing gratitude. 

Most Effective Ways to Impress Your Boss while WFH

Impressing your supervisor can help cement your commitment to the company and achieving its business goals. But, how exactly do you impress your boss? It can be tricky to figure out for many people. But, just keep reading. The list below offers 20 ideas that can help you make a good impression in a remote work environment. 

• Communicate often. Keep your boss informed of your sick days, requested time off work, and your progress on projects. Use video conference calls, emails, phone calls, or chat threads to stay in touch. 
• Meet deadlines. Make sure you are delivering your tasks in a timely matter and communicating with your boss if any extensions are needed. 
• Take the lead. Share your new ideas in team meetings and volunteer to take the lead on projects that you are passionate about. This will show your boss that you are proactive and can be trusted to work independently without a lot of oversight. 
• Maintain professionalism at all times. Your demeanor is important. So, during video calls, adhere to the company’s dress code and use correct grammar and punctuation in written communication. 
• Showcase your skills. You were hired for a reason. So, take opportunities to flex your skills, knowledge, and areas of expertise to your boss and fellow remote workers. This will demonstrate the ways in which you bring value to the team. 
• Be adaptable. Flexibility and a willingness to change go a long way, especially when working remotely. 
• Participate in team activities and events. While it may be impossible to attend everything, do your best to show up to some work events, even the ones hosted virtually. Attending company events will help you build stronger relationships with your coworkers and it will send a message to your boss that you are engaged in the company. 
• Celebrate team wins. Show that you are a team player by giving your coworkers feedback on their projects and celebrating the success they experience. Remember, a success story for one team member is a success story for the entire team – you are all in this together. 
• Strive to exceed performance metrics. Make sure you are aware of the metrics your boss uses to gauge your work performance. Then strive to meet or exceed them. This may include revenue targets, user ratings, or other key performance indicators (KPIs) outlined by your team. 
• Keep up with the industry. Stay informed about what’s going on in your particular field and how that may impact the company you work for. When appropriate, share your insights and ideas that are inspired by the latest changes in the industry. 
• Be considerate of your supervisor’s time. Do your best to keep communication concise and focused on the tasks at hand. And avoid scheduling excessive meetings or sending unnecessary emails. Instead of constantly checking in, just stay productive and send updates as you make progress and hit project milestones. 
• Speak positively about projects and people. Work can be daunting sometimes. Everyone knows that. However, it doesn’t help to be negative or cynical. So, try to see things from a more positive perspective – even when working hard gets a bit overwhelming. 
• Be honest about productivity levels. You are a human, not a robot or AI. So, naturally, your productivity levels will vary from week to week. That’s okay. However, it is extremely important that you communicate with your boss – particularly during times when you are not able to perform at your normal pace. Work with your supervisor or manager to figure out how to get through challenging times while remaining focused on the company’s goals. 

Conclusion

Being a remote worker can require a shift in perspective, especially if you just started working from home. However, if you implement these tips; you will be able to impress your boss, strengthen your communication skills, and build stronger connections with your coworkers over time.