5 KEYS TO SUCCESS WHEN WORKING FROM HOME By Rob Reaugh
So, you are running your project while being “Sheltered in Place”? By request, preference or mandate, you may be working from home in a real way for the first time. As of the March 17th “Shelter in Place” order, those of us in the San Francisco Bay Area had our work environment change considerably. I now have three new “officemates”—my wife and two young kids. They need support, relief and also just may want to hang with dad. You may be able to set up a home office, take over an area in your bedroom (like me!), or designate a small desk in a common room. I wanted to share five keys to success gathered from personal experience and Virtual Business expert Chris Ducker to help you maximize productivity and maintain your sanity through the transition:
1. SET YOUR SCHEDULE. • Is your day going to be 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. or 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.? Set it up and make your schedule visible. • Get up, shower and get dressed for work. • Define your start time, your end time and your lunch time. Inform your family/roommates, and follow the plan. Remember, if you don’t schedule it, you don’t do it. • Schedule lunch – this may be a time you can connect with your family. Give yourself 30 minutes or the full hour. • Set alarms. By setting the expectations and communicating about it, your family and friends become a part of your smooth transition.
2. ESTABLISH GROUND RULES. • Define your work area. Ideally you have a locking door. This helps prevent little visitors from asking for emergency LEGO design assistance. • If your new “office” doesn’t lock, set up a visual cue (like a Red Post-it on your door or on the back of your chair) to inform everyone else that you are working. Green dot/unlocked means they can interrupt you. • If you are in a common area, negotiate a plan for conference calls/video chats. Bribe officemates with mini-ice cream cones or screen time as needed. • Also, recognize that you may not be able to do certain things in the moment. Communicate your limitations with your colleagues, they will understand.
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California Asphalt Magazine • 2020 Special Emergency Response Issue