The Freedom to Never Stop Working
Many people that have never worked from home envision telecommuters as unshaven (women too), pajama-clad hucksters who wake at ten each day to ensure they don’t miss Court TV. Those who have worked from home for any extended period of time often have a much different view. They know that telecommuting is often like having a cot at work to which they have voluntarily chained themselves. They know a life often spent pining away for simpler times when they worked twelve-hour days and left for a magical place called home. There is no doubt that working from home is a productivity killer for some but for most professionals the opposite is true. Therefore learning to create a work environment in the same place where children come to be hugged is often a tightrope of competing objectives.
Working from home often reveals individuals to be incredibly demanding tyrants who rarely allow breaks. The long hours of self imposed indentured servitude is a hazard that is hard to avoid. The trick is to set a schedule and keep to that schedule. Being disciplined not only about work but also about breaks is important especially during the early stages of telecommuting. Without such requirements many professionals work unceasingly only leaving their home office in dire bathroom related emergencies.
Telecommuters must be demanding of themselves while being careful not to be unrealistic. They must understand the ebb and flow of productivity and recognize that the work cycle is different in the home office than it is in the workplace. Keeping track of accomplishments is a key component to overcoming that sick feeling that often accompanies times when a lull occurs in the work cycle often caused by decision makers at the office. Another valuable tool is a list of “Value Added Extras” that can be done in those lulls. Such lists are comprised of things that never seem to get done but are productivity enhancers such as file organization, contact list updating and cleaning, sending complimentary emails, and other important tasks that office work precludes.
But success is as much a function of the right tools as it is the right approach. Home offices must be places of utility and organization. They must also help the telecommuter maintain professionalism and enable them to excel at their work. Offices must be separate and distinct parts of the home. They must have all of the technology that is needed and must be off limits to family during work hours. Home offices must be treated as though they are located in another building and those boundaries must be respected. It can be tempting for loved ones to “ask a quick question” and thereby destroy the momentum of the telecommuter. This is another crucial aspect particularly at the beginning of the process.
The rigidity of this schedule can ease up a bit once a natural flow has been established where the benefits of working at home can be enjoyed. But until that time it is important to hold off on the twelve-hour days and ease in to the change. In a short amount of time it may be acceptable to break out the bunny slippers and blast the iTunes player. Organized days and a professional office will yield an unexpected level of uninterrupted productivity. When that happens telecommuters quickly realize why the company was willing to let them work from home.
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