Working from Home

May 7, 2010

We have talked about managing workers that are not in the office, but with “virtual” offices on the rise, it’s likely that many managers are also working from home. Working from home is still new to a lot of people and while it does sound relaxing in a way, its presents a lot of new challenges. You may not realize it, but home has a lot of distractions. A dirty dish in the sink may seem like nothing when you are trying to relax after a day at the office, but it becomes an urgent matter that needs to be taken care of immediately if you are attempting work from home. Don’t let working from home affect your efficiency! Here are some tips:

Create a Workspace that Reduces Distractions
If you already have a home office, GREAT! Use it and make sure you close the door! If you don’t, set up a workspace in a quiet, tidied-up area of the house without a TV or radio. If you have a non-work cell phone, put it on silent. Also, before you go to your workspace, dress like you are going to work. Working in your pajamas seems like a comfortable idea, but it will be hard to get into the “work” mindset.

Create Schedule
Set a schedule and stick to it. Give yourself specific work hours, but also take time for breaks to make sure you can maintain your focus. I recommend going out for lunch if you are working from home. You may go stir-crazy from being in your house for too long!

Enjoy it
Enjoy all of the great things about working from home. There is no commute, you can make fresh snacks in your kitchen and you can clean dishes on your break so you won’t have to deal with them when the workday is over!

For more tips on working from home, check out this article.