Monday, July 12, 2010

What am I getting into?

Working from home takes some serious adjusting and getting used to if you have never done it before. When you are used to working in a traditional office environment and being around tons of people all day, going home to work can be quite a shock to your routine and your productivity levels. Not to mention what it does to your social life. Activities such as getting lunch with co-workers, meeting up after work for happy hour and other social gatherings tend reduce significantly. Many people find themselves getting left off of invites or left out because they no longer have a physical presence.  For some, this is not entirely a bad thing – for others, it can be a really difficult thing to cope with or get used to. Often times, these and many other aspects of working from home are the things that people overlook when considering the option of working from home. The adjustments go beyond just the social aspects – there are things that you need to do to ensure that you are getting the most out of your workday – things that may not seem like they are that important, but make a serious difference in actuality. Many people jump into working from home without considering or understanding the things that could mean the difference between failing and succeeding from home. Having been down this path before, we have put together a few tips for those that may be struggling with their work at home experience or that may be considering it…

1. Be honest with yourself. Understand what it is that you want out of working from home and think about what you will be sacrificing to make working from home possible. Ask yourself if it is worth the sacrifice and if you are willing to make the appropriate and take all of the steps to make it work right.

2. Get organized. Working from home can be less structured than working in a traditional office environment, which means that you may have create your own structure. Organization is critical to being able to stay focused and on track.

3. Set yourself up to succeed. Ergonomics is more than just a funny buzz word – knowing how to set up your workspace to maximize your productivity, comfort, and health is important. Take some time to get set up right with enough space and easy access to the essential tools and supplies that you need to complete your. Having a clean and distraction free work environment is also essential to being successful working from home. This means that you may need to let other people that might be around your house know that your workspace is off limits for certain hours of the day and that background noise and other distractions need to be kept under control and to a minimum.

4. Draw boundaries. One of the common challenges that comes from working from home is being able to delineate work time from life time. Setting work boundaries comes needs to be done on a personal level with yourself and your family as much as does with your employer. Setting limits on how many hours you work every day can help you from becoming too consumed with work because you never leave it. Conversely, just because you work from home doesn’t mean that you should have to at your boss’ beckon call 24 hours a day. Be sure to set clear expectations with your employer about when you can be reached and called upon and when you can’t.

5. Get out of the house. Taking breaks is important. Your productivity levels will increase by stepping away periodically and allowing you to hit the reset button. Doing this allows you to gain perspective on tasks and projects when you might otherwise miss something obvious because you have been buried in the weeds for too long. Getting out of your house on a regular basis helps your mental health.

6. Dress for success and keep it professional. Help yourself maintain a level of professionalism and responsibility by keeping a normal routine of getting ready for work each day. Working in your pajamas sounds like a good idea, but getting yourself ready for the day helps get you mentally prepared just as much as it does hygienically prepared, and just because nobody is around to physically see you, they will notice it through your work and other interactions.

7. Make yourself heard and stay involved. One of the hardest things to adjust to in working from home is how differently you need to manage your interactions and communications with others. You may be at a disadvantage in instances where hallway and ad hoc meetings take place with those that are in the office. Be sure to let others know that you expect to be included and are available to attend through conferencing and other means. Also, be sure to use the appropriate communication channels for different situations. Although, it would be well documented, having a review with your boss through e-mail doesn’t have the same effect.

8. Be socially proactive. You may need to be more proactive about being involved in the social interactions. Find ways to interact with others remotely through things like social networking sites. Be the one to send out the invite to after work gatherings. Just don’t let your lack of physical presence in the office translate into being anti-social or sending the message that you don’t want to be included.

There are many things that can be done to improve the remote working experience, however, these are some of the big difference makers. It does take time to adjust, so allowing yourself enough time to make all of the necessary changes is a critical piece of success.

-Tadd