It’s been a long time since I published anything here. On a good note, I am happy to see that people are still finding use in the timesavers I wrote way back in the day (I think some of the early ones came pre-classic edition of Salesforce…). I have decided to come back and write a post here, as working from home is in the news quite greatly, due to the most unfortunate of circumstances – COVID-19. To all, keep safe, stay vigilant, and wash your hands hourly.
But I am writing a post for a reason. I have had the pleasure of working from home pretty much full time for the past 11 years. And I have seen a tonne of posts, medium articles and Facebook messages about ways to work from home. They all are pretty good, but I want to add five more tips that I haven’t seen very much in other places. If it helps anyone out there who happens to stumble upon this, then great! So here goes!
- Define Your Work Space: The absolute freedom that comes from working from home is great, but that freedom can affect your capacity to work, your productivity in work, and your comfort with working. Make sure to take the time to think about where you wish to, and how you will set up a work area in your house. As an example, I have two separate work areas plotted out in the house. The basement is my main work area (it always has been, thus the title of this old site), and there I have a small area where I have a work desk (IKEA Bekant sit/stand desk) set up. I also have a curtain set up that I let down, as well as two room dividers (those who have been on calls with me have seen the double-decker buses from London that are on my three-column room divider). I also have my kitchen table, which I use mostly as the main room of our house is mostly window, and I like having the ability to get some daylight in, and previously to watch the construction going on. However, by having this in place, the rest of the house knows that when I am sitting at either spot in front of the laptop, I am working. And it lets my brain know that I need to focus on work, because I am in the work area.
Along with the definition of space, make sure that you have the tools to work in these areas efficiently and safely. On my IKEA desk (I cannot say how much I love that desk enough here!), I have an old Apple monitor, along with keyboard and mouse, a good chair, and know exactly the right height to set to be ergometric for me. I also have a Jabra Pro 9460 headset – USB (it is old – the new one by Jabra that I will get next is the Jabra Engage 75) so that I can talk to employees and clients with ease through Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, Go To Meeting – whatever the application is. I cannot stress enough how useful the headset is, so that I not tethered to my laptop. Your workstation should be a tool, not a ball and chain.
- Commute To Work: When you work in the same place you play, sometimes you need to play little tricks on yourself so that when you are ready to work, you’re ready! And commuting is one way that your brain unconsciously readies itself for the day ahead. You can still commute if you need to, and I recommend you do so. Simply get your backpack, or jacket (or, if you’re like me and live in Canada in the harsh winters, toque, mitts, boots, parka and scarf!) and walk around the block. When you enter the door, you are at work; simply head for your workspace, start the workday, and do your thing! At the end of the day, collect your belongings, and repeat the commute. As you grow accustomed to working from home, this commute can get smaller and smaller; I find my commute is now helping Steph get to her car, say goodbye for the day, take a few moments to grab some fresh air, and then enter the workspace. By doing this, you are delineating the time spent between work and home, and this is very important to do as a remote worker.
- Say Cheese!: Oh Nelly, this point is the hardest for people to grab on to and the most important for people to utilize. In my experience, the number one reason people leave positions where they are working from home/remotely working is that they feel too much isolation. “I feel like an island” is a warning that every manager should listen for when dealing with remote workers. And one simple way to fix this is to have all internal meetings using your camera. Now, I understand for new remote workers, this sounds downright scary. Here’s a few simple facts though. 1) Everyone knows what you look like, but the face you see the least during the day is your own. It is hard getting used to seeing your mug on a hangout, but it’s not hard for the rest of the world. So, you need to work on getting over that. 2) People don’t care, and truly have seen you in a natural setting before; they get it every day when you are at work. You don’t have to get ready for an online hangout any more than you would have to get ready when someone stops by your cubicle. And 3) It is not hard to set up a web meeting. In 2020, almost every traditional conferencing tool has web camera functionality, such as WebEx and GoTo Meeting. Newer conferencing such as Zoom, join.me or LogMeIn are web first. And then there’s the standby of Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams or even Slack that has video conferencing functions built-in. Use them. It is absolutely amazing how much seeing other people during the day will assist in your day to day efforts in working from home. Bonus points if you build in a fifteen-minute virtual coffee with friends. Use these for water cooler meetings just like you do at the office are wonderful ways to get your social fill. If your coworkers do not join, keep at it. Just keep going online; someone else will join (hot tip – talk with a manager to get them to turn on as well). Maybe we need to make a new viral video where people react to themselves on internal hangouts as this sweet woman does.
- Take Your Breaks: Just like while being in an office, all work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Just because you’re working remotely doesn’t mean you can’t step away and break. Have a lunch break. Go for a quick coffee break. Get some fresh air. These are important and needed. The consideration you have when working from home is not to take these, but just making sure that you don’t extend your breaks to do home stuff. Remember the delineation I spoke of up above? When you work, you work…Although I will say, one of the best things about working from home is siestas; I have made naps part of my lunch breaks, and it is glorious!
- Be Patient: Working from home is not a simple thing to do. It is a cultural shift for companies to make; one that is being forced upon people now due to the global pandemic. As such, be patient with yourself. Just because you have one day where you have a hard time splitting your work and home life, or you have a day where a meeting is not as productive, don’t give up. Just like anything else, working from home is a learned value, and it takes time.
And, there are my five more ideas. Did I miss anything that you haven’t seen elsewhere, but want to share? Feel free to post in the messages below!