Some people find it easier to focus on their work at home than in the office. Others are constantly getting distracted because there's no one there to keep an eye on them. But there are tricks for staying disciplined at home.

Picture this scene: Dozens of people are concentrating on their work in an open-plan office. Then someone just leans back and starts watching YouTube videos.

Cheeky? Unlikely? Grounds for tough chat? And yet scenes like this are taking place in remote workplaces all over the world during the pandemic.

Not having people around means some people lose their focus. But there are things you can do, says Teresa Hertwig, a consultant for remote working, who suggests a method she calls "silent work".

The concept is simple: Team members all log on to the same video conference. At the beginning there is a short chat and some small talk, then everyone gets to work on a task and focuses on what they need to get done. The camera stays on, but the sound off.

"This is a way of creating a 'virtual office' for two to three hours," says Hertwig, who has written a book on the subject of remote working.

If you have a question, you can simply ask it in this digital office space. Anyone who needs to let off steam for a moment can do so. Hertwig recommends taking part in silent work once or several times a week for a set period of time.

"It works like a mini-team-building exercise, because unlike in meetings, informal conversations can also arise." Especially when everyone's getting cabin fever at home, it's a good way of counteracting the loneliness and isolation a little.

Alongside the team building aspect, productivity can also be increased by teams additionally using the "Pomodoro Technique". This is a well-known time management method created by the entrepreneur and consultant Francesco Cirillo. 

Basically, the technique involves dividing work into 25-minute intervals, during which one concentrates on a task - followed by a short break. The name - pomodoro is Italian for tomato - comes from a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato.

Hertwig suggests two Pomodoro sprints of 50 minutes each for a two-hour silent work session, with the team members taking a 10-minute break in between. "Everyone thinks about what they want to get done and enters it in a document. During the break they then share what they've achieved."

It's important not to see this as a control mechanism for managers, says Hertwig. "Rather, employees learn to be able to better assess and manage their time."

According to Teresa Hertwig, who should take part in a silent work session varies from team to team. For example, the manager and the entire team might be present, but smaller groups are also possible.

This can be useful for cross-departmental projects, for example, in which small working groups can exchange information about their work on a regular basis. "Without the mood of an official meeting," says Hertwig.

However, the working-from-home expert emphasises that participation should always be voluntary. "If employees really do not want to take part, they should not be forced to do so. Formats like this should connect people, and not put them under pressure. Because, at the end of the day, there are also many people who like the seclusion of working from home."

 - dpa