Work From Home: 20+years and counting

It seems like I have seen a zillion articles on work from home and read really good advice from the best. This one is a share from the heart and my personal experience of working remote for 20+ years. I have loved it and honestly, coffee and pajamas are a lethal combination.

Breaking that Myth: Social Personality

While I agree there are some people who can work remote and some who can't (many will learn) it has nothing to do with social skills or being shy or being a loner. None apply to me. In fact, in person conversations are my absolute favorite.

Creating Space: This one has really worked for me:

Over the years I have been through all kinds of chairs that work for posture, to ones that help you find your sitting bones, to one that enabled a perpetual yoga pose to a standing desk. However what really mattered is to feel good in my work space. To want to work. (quite like you might hang your teen photo in your workout place for inspiration:)) I surround myself with some moments of pride (my favorite is the diary and pen for significance. Thank you Brian Brault). Books that inspire. Books I love that have my thoughts written all over them. I have blinds on the window and not curtains, That gift from my boys and so on.

Using your Calendar: Works 100%

If there was one, I would get the prize for using my calendar and choking it! Everything on my to do list goes on my calendar. If its reminder to call someone, if it’s a deadline for my team, if it’s my client’s special day, a match that matters to a prospect (I once got an appointment I had been seeking for months, because I watched a particular football match and this person's secretary loved that conversation. Used to be secretaries were common:)) Sometimes I cheat, I know it will take me 60 mins to churn out those slides, I mark it for 90. Helps me review or just go take that break, without work on my mind. The work is delegated to my calendar.

Setting Boundaries: Very Important at Home

I started working from home way before, but this gained urgency once our twins were born. By the time they were crawling they literally knew that if mum has gone to her work room, we can’t follow! This helped me focus.

Stay Connected: In the Real Sense

Set aside meetings with zero work. These were great fun. Have that virtual wine together, get silly sometimes. Or those meaningful 1-1s. Not those on your weekly calendar with your team or colleagues. Just random let’s get together meetings. Completely breaks the distance barrier. If your colleagues know you care, you are half way home.

Know Yourself: Focus on the Meaningful

All work needs to get done. Within those jobs are tasks that get you involved…that consume you. Do some of these every day. You can make this happen through your calendar too. These are jobs you could lose sense of time on and just love diving deep into. I never did mind these eating into my personal time or stealing time from other blocks. Your discretion on how this would work for you.

Build Free Time: Leverage the 80/20

Google’s 80 20 rule I think has become a world favorite. It works in so many different ways for so many different teams. When we work from home there is flexibility to work this into your time. Not always, there are days and days when you work long hours. There are also those times when the 80 20 works great. My 20’s are usually about myself and personal growth. Mostly spent reading. Used to be books. Its often content on ‘Medium’ these days. Great articles to learn from.  

As we are in a 21 day lockdown. I am seeing great benefits. The biggest one on my mind is the environment. And yes as the world changes in the aftermath, working from home must be used creatively across organizations. Agility in this could save companies in these difficult times.

Will soon share more on hiring right and remote working, I learnt much from a company that has mastered it over 30 years. ‘Entrepreneurs’ Organization’.

Direct message me for a virtual coffee conversation. I am happy to connect and help or learn from you. I love startups and everything to do with growth excites me to burn midnight oil.

#workfromhome #WFH