Once upon a time, in a land not too far away, people drove to work every day, poured cups of coffee in their favorite mugs, rifled through file cabinets and talked to Jan and Jim by the water cooler. They made telephone calls on landlines to customers in “far-off” places, like Roanoke, Virginia, and dreamed about working from home or while travelling.
Their dream is now a reality.
Employees are no longer always confined to their office walls and it has become easier than ever for workers to have virtual office spaces that free them from workplace norms. However, to ensure their success, these virtual office warriors and digital nomads must be armed with the right tools.
The most important tools for the virtual office warrior are: 
- Video and/or web conferencing software (with toll-free numbers and VoIP)
- Secure, dependable Wi-Fi service
- Smartphone or cell phone with internet access
- Laptop(s) with all of the software that you need to complete your work
- Cloud computing or share drives with easy access
- A space where you can get things done
It’s also important to:
Stay Connected
- Having distance between you and your coworkers or boss may be a good thing in many cases, but it is extremely important to keep the lines of communication open. Keep in contact with your associates with email, calls, video conferences and chat. Remember that face-to-face time is essential to communicating with colleagues and warding off negative isolation.
Be Organized and Available
- Organization is key to any worker’s success, so get your projects in order and manage your time wisely. While working from home or on vacation, you may be susceptible to distractions that you wouldn’t normally have at the office, so it is imperative to manage all of your to-dos with calendars (I use Outlook probably 50 times a day), schedules and lists. Set reminders for yourself to keep on track, but also know that your schedule should be flexible, because you want to be as available as possible when working remotely. Be ready to jump on a call, video conference or ”step into” a meeting. Stay on that ball!
