 One of the key items is the presence of fast broadband Internet. It
keeps us connected to headquarters, connected to our work in the
cloud and connected to each other. But the presence of Internet and
connected computers is only half the formula for successfully making
this transition to working from home.
We usually think of what working from home can save us. Working
from home can help save us the daily money for transportation, money
for meals, a special work wardrobe and daily time for the commute.
Working from home can even get us away from some of the most
annoying people on the planet -- our co-workers. Working from home
can allow us to work in comfort and privacy, to concentrate on the
job, and actually accomplish something. We can even work in our
pajamas if we like.
But to successfully make this move, we should also consider the
downsides. There are many distractions at home that aren't present
at the centralized office. The space wasn't designed for doing work,
let alone meeting with clients and colleagues, and most home
environments are designed for the relaxation of a home life rather
than the accomplishments of a work life.
Although the work-at-home trend continues to grow, Yahoo, a major
Internet news and information portal, announced three weeks ago that
it is ending its experimental program of allowing employees to work
from home, primarily because work-at-home employees weren't getting
the job done. CEO Marissa Mayer called hundreds of remote Yahoo
employees back to the centralized office because the home workspace
culture was hurting her organization rather than helping it.
So here are some things to consider as you plan and implement
your work-at-home strategy:
1.
Working at home can either turn into being at work all the time or
never being at work at all. Giving your employer an honest day of
work is important, and drawing the line fairly on work vs. life
might be the difference between career success and self-destruction.
Suggestions:
-
Pre-define the
daily hours that belong to your employer and the hours that
belong to you and your family. If your employer is paying you
for eight hours of work, then decide when it is your employer's
time and when it is your time.
-
Determine and list
the tasks you should accomplish each day. Some people resist
lists, but without any organization, there is usually less work
accomplished.
-
Purchase a special
clock that rings or chimes or dongs or makes some special sound
in your workspace at each hour, helping you to mentally meter
out the passing of time and what still needs to be accomplished.
Your special clock will also help remind you when it is time to
stop working.
2. Your
workspace must be carved out of your living space and dedicated to
inspiring you to work. You will be less inspired and dedicated if
the workspace is too casual or too cozy.
Suggestions:
Many people make the mistake of just
using their home space as it is, without modification. Using the
existing couch and coffee table will likely lure us to turn on the
television, and the next thing we know, we are no longer at work but
instead are at home.
Our workspace needs to serve our work
needs rather than lure us to distraction. It needs to remind us
constantly that we are in this space getting stuff done. And when it
is done, we leave the workspace and go back to the comfort of our
home.
When there are no boundaries, there is
only home. We need to cordon off a space that is dedicated to
working for our employer. This space should be dedicated to our work
tasks. It should be respected by other family members as the place
where we do our job. Our work computer and work desk should not
become the play area for our children when we are not occupying that
space.
Many employers provide funding to
design and decorate your workspace to transform it from home space
to workspace, which brings productive results. Local interior
designers can lend special expertise that inspires you to get work
done. Local contractors can make those construction alterations for
you. And, a dedicated workspace can be deducted on your income
taxes.
3. We
are social people, and we are leaving the social workplace to do our
work in the isolation of home. So the workspace must not become a
dungeon where we are shut away from humanity, but instead needs to
be a place where there may be some socializing with family members
and friends that does not compromise our ability to concentrate and
accomplish our daily work regimen.
[to top of second
column] |
Suggestions:
Many who work at home transform a
bedroom into their home workspace. The bedroom is usually less open
and expansive than needed, has a door that closes, and tends to
leave us disconnected from everyone else on the planet. People have
to invade our space to connect with us: they are either out there or
in here. There are times when this disconnectedness helps us, and
there are times when it hinders us.
Rather than using the contained space
of a bedroom as our home workspace, a partitioned or screened-off
part of a larger living room or other open area can allow us to
claim our workspace but not be completely disconnected from the most
important people in our life. We maintain the feeling of intimacy
because they are "right over there!" We need the privacy and
concentration of our workspace but not the total isolation of the
dungeon.
4.
Space and ergonomics, workspace and storage, color and layout should
be considerations when we are designing our space. Our workspace
should reflect our personalities, accommodate our job, provide
functionality and inspire us.
Suggestions:
-
A workspace should
have some personal touches that are not too distracting but help
us to feel ownership and belonging in our home workspace.
Creating a sterile workspace might push us out of the workspace
back into distraction rather than welcome us and create the
right vibe. Select decorating items that will aid in the comfort
of the task and inspire you in the work. Inspiring posters with
encouraging messages often bring about good work results.
-
Choose
comfortable, spacious office equipment. If you will be occupying
your home office on a full-time basis, you will likely be
occupying your chair and desk for eight hours a day, five days a
week. A poorly designed workstation and chair will cause you to
have bad posture and develop chronic health problems. Many
employers provide funding and sources for obtaining the right
office equipment for your home workspace to keep you comfortably
working and healthy.
-
You need all the
things you needed at the centralized office. You need the means
of creating paper copies, filing, storage and printing. All the
office supplies, office machines and office stuff you needed at
the centralized office, you will need at your home workspace.
Sometimes copying can be done at Kinko's, but going out every
time you need a copy can be a bad use of time. Your employer
should help cover your costs for needed supplies and equipment.
-
Have a place for
everything and everything in its place. Nothing kills your
spirit faster than creating a mess and trying to work in it.
Time should be afforded to maintaining your office space, filing
things away and straightening the clutter. Everyone has a
healthy level of mess maintenance. Avoid depression by
maintaining your space.
-
Choose paint
colors for your workspace that inspire you to get work done.
Maybe it's green for money; maybe it's blue because the endless
sky is blue. Don't choose your most comforting colors, because
you are at work, not at home. The selection of color can help
you make the daily transition to work from home.
-
Although you are
in the privacy of your home, wearing your pajamas every day may
inspire you to relax too much and achieve too little. I think
it's important to do it once in a while to have bragging rights.
But, the rest of the time, have a work outfit that is
comfortable but helps you get to work.
5.
Invite your boss or employer to see you in your successful home
workspace. You don't need to keep it hidden or secret, and you can
be encouraged as he or she recognizes your efforts on the company's
behalf.
___
Online resources:
http://www.thedailymuse.com/health/
design-a-home-office-youll-actually-work-in/#
http://www.forbes.com/sites/houzz/2012/08/15/
how-to-design-a-home-workspace-for-two/
http://www.hgtv.com/specialty-rooms/
10-tips-for-designing-your-home-office/index.html
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/202566
[By JIM YOUNGQUIST with some special help from
NILA SMITH]
LDN 2013 Spring Home Improvement
Magazine
|
