Creative Work Options by Valerie Wells
4IPS FOR 0RODUCTIVE 7ORK AT (OME
*OB 3HARING
eirdre M. Danahar of Jackson-based InMotion Consulting and Coaching has operated her company from home successfully for eight years. She offers these tips for being productive while working from home. 7UHDW \RXU GD\ OLNH \RX DUH JRLQJ WR WKH RIĂ€ FH Have a dedicated space for work, ideally a separate room with a door. ,I D VHSDUDWH URRP LV QRW DQ RSWLRQ Ă€ QG D GHVLJQDWHG VHFWLRQ RI WKH URRP DQG GHFODUH LW \RXU ZRUN VSDFH That room should not be your bedroom. Your work space is where you think, create and solve problems. “That doesn’t always lead to a restful slumber,â€? Danahar says. 6HW \RXUVHOI D Ă€ UP ZRUN VFKHGXOH DQG VWLFN WR LW “I’m in my office early in the morning,â€? Danahar says. She stays there from about 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day. “Condition yourself that those are your hours.â€? She suggests avoiding the temptation of washing a pile of dirty dishes, folding laundry or sneaking in a Netflix session. 5HPLQG RWKHU SHRSOH ZKDW \RXU ERXQGDU LHV DUH ERWK LQ VSDFH DQG LQ WLPH Danahar recalls a time when neighbors had a last-minute request to watch children. She’s not saying never help out. If it’s an emergency, of course you would help, just as you would if you commuted to a brick-andmortar job site. The key things are that it can’t become a regular thing and to know the difference. %H DFFHVVLEOH If you take a telecommuting job or if you are working on a large project, make sure your boss or your client knows how to reach you. “Designate times to check emails,â€? Danahar says. Let key people know when you are available to return phone calls or emails. 'UHVV IRU WKH RIĂ€ FH It might be tempting to leave your PJs on, but dressing the part of a professional affects your attitude. “At least put on clean jeans and a top,â€? Danahar advises. For more tips and other advice, visit Danahar’s website at inmotioncc.com. Contact her at Deirdre@inmotioncc.com.
nother creative work structure allows two people to share one job and one salary. It’s a part-time job with long-range goals. • About 13 percent of companies allow some form of job sharing. • Small companies are four times more likely than large ones to offer job-sharing options, 15 percent vs. 4 percent.
P
80%
fe
r ou
r se h t work 80% Woul
rk h ours
i ex fl e d li k
SOURCE: WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY 2010, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER
! 7HITE "OARD ! $ESK AND 4HOU
O
. \RXÂśUH ZRUNLQJ IURP KRPH HLWKHU RXW RI QHFHVVLW\ RU EHFDXVH \RX Âż QDOO\ FXW WKH FRUSRUDWH FRUG %XW OHWÂśV EH KRQHVW \RX JHW ORQHO\ DQG PLVV DOO WKH RIÂż FH DFFRXWUH PHQW OLNH FRSLHUV DQG PHHWLQJ URRPV :KDW WR GR" 7U\ FR ZRUNLQJ -XVW WKLV PRQWK WKH Âż UVW FR ZRUNLQJ VSDFH RSHQHG LQ -DFNVRQ RQ WKH WKLUG Ă&#x20AC; RRU RI %DQQHU +DOO &UHDWLYH 'LVWLOOHU\ D EUDQGLQJ DQG GHVLJQ Âż UP WKDW MXVW PRYHG LQWR %DQQHU +DOO LV RIIHULQJ D VHJPHQW RI WKHLU VSDFH WR IUHHODQFHUV DQG RWKHU ZRUNHUV ZKRÂśG OLNH D SURIHVVLRQDO VSDFH FUHGLELOLW\ DQG DQ DGGUHVV WKDW ORRNV HQWLFLQJ RQ D EXVLQHVV FDUG <RX FDQ UHQW WKH GHVNV VSDFHG HYHQO\ DJDLQVW WKH ZDOOV LQ D EULJKW EOXH URRP RQ D PRQWKO\ EDVLV <RX FDQ XVH WKH PHHWLQJ VSDFH WR PHHW ZLWK FOLHQWV DQG KROG EUDLQVWRUPLQJ VHVVLRQV <RX DOVR VKDUH NLWFKHQ VSDFH SULQWHUV DQG DFFHVV WR WKH URRI &R RZQHU 0HOLD 'LFNHU VD\V FR ZRUNLQJ KDV WDNHQ RII LQ FLWLHV VXFK DV 1HZ <RUN DQG 6DQ )UDQFLVFR DQG LWÂśV D FUHDWLYH FRQFHSW WKDW -DFNVRQ QHHGV Âł,WÂśV D FROODERUDWLYH LQVSLULQJ HQYLURQPHQW ´ 'LFNHU VDLG &R ZRUNLQJ LV VR SRSXODU WKDW LW KDV LWV RZQ PDJD]LQH DQG ZHEVLWH²DQG ZDUQLQJV DERXW FROODERUDWLYH SLWIDOOV Â&#x2021; 'RQÂśW DVVXPH \RXU FR ZRUNHU EXGG\ LV ULJKW IRU \RXU MRE Â&#x2021; *HW VLJQHG FRQWUDFWV HYHQ IURP IHOORZ FR ZRUNHUV Â&#x2021; 'RQÂśW EH D SXVKRYHU <RXÂśUH D EXVLQHVVSHUVRQ GRQÂśW ZDVWH \RXU WLPH ZLWK VODFNHUV RU FR ZRUNLQJ JRVVLSV DQG SROLWLFV Â&#x2021; 'HDGOLQHV VWLOO PDWWHU QR PDWWHU KRZ FRRO WKH VSDFH SOURCE: DESKMAG.COM
Manufacturing 24%
Education and health services 25.6%
Transportation and utilities 25.7%
,Q WKH SULYDWH VHFWRU SHUFHQW RI DOO IXOO WLPH HPSOR\HHV XVH Ă&#x20AC; H[LEOH ZRUN VFKHGXOHV +HUHÂśV KRZ LW EUHDNV GRZQ DFURVV GLIIHUHQW LQGXVWULHV
Lowest rate in construction, 20%
Information industry 34.9%
Professional & business services, 37.6%
Financial services, 37.7 %
private sector, 28.9%
December 21 - 27, 2011
7HO 5SES &LEX 4IME
30
SOURCE: WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY 2010, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER
wo
40%
re
s
40%
A bl e
D
)OH[ <RXU :RUN
SOURCE: WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY 2010, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER
3NOWED )N
T
he Congressional Budget Office estimates the cost allowing federal employees to telecommute is $30 million over five years. But the cost-benefit might balance out. In 2010, John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management, claimed the government actually saved $30 million in estimated productivity during last winterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s snowstorms. Workers who were snowed in were able to get the job done at home. SOURCE: FEDERAL COMPUTER WEEK, MAY 25, 2010.
1UIZ 3HOULD YOU TELECOMMUTE %ULH 5H\QROGV RQ WKH EORJ )OH[-REV RIIHUV WKLV VHOI H[DP IRU WKRVH FRQVLGHULQJ D WHOHFRPPXWH WR ZRUN $UH \RX DEOH WR ZRUN ZLWKRXW DQ\ GLUHFWLRQ VHWWLQJ \RXU RZQ VFKHGXOH GHFLGLQJ RQ \RXU WDVNV NHHSLQJ \RXUVHOI LQ FKHFN DQG XOWLPDWHO\ EHLQJ KLJKO\ SURGXFWLYH" 'RHV WKH LGHD RI ZRUNLQJ DORQH LQ \RXU KRPH ZLWKRXW KXPDQ FRQWDFW DOO GD\ 127 PDNH \RX IUHDN RXW" 'R \RX NQRZ KRZ WR FRPPXQLFDWH ZHOO RYHU SKRQH ,0 HPDLO UDWKHU WKDQ IDFH WR IDFH" $UH \RX FRQÂż GHQW WKDW \RX FDQ VWD\ RQ \RXU ERVVÂś UDGDU VR \RX GRQÂśW PLVV RXW RQ SURPRWLRQV UDLVHV DQG RWKHU DGYDQFHPHQW RSSRUWXQLWLHV" ,I \RX KDYH NLGV GR \RX KDYH DGHTXDWH FKLOG FDUH DQG GR \RX XQGHUVWDQG WKDW WHOHFRPPXWLQJ DQG ZDWFKLQJ \RXU NLGV GRQÂśW PL[" 'R \RX XQGHUVWDQG ZKDW PRWLYDWHV RU GLVWUDFWV \RX" 0DNH D OLVW IRU HDFK DQG FRPSDUH WKH WZR &DQ \RX SXVK \RXUVHOI WRZDUG WKH PRWLYDWLRQDO DFWLYLWLHV DQG DZD\ IURP WKH GLVWUDFWLRQV" &RQVLGHU WKLV VFHQDULR <RXÂśUH ZRUNLQJ DW KRPH DQG \RXU IULHQG FDOOV WR DVN \RX WR JR WR WKH EHDFK IRU WKH DIWHUQRRQ <RX KDYH D WRQ RI ZRUN WR JHW GRQH DQG \RX VKRXOG VWD\ ZRUNLQJ EXW LI \RX ZHQW WR WKH EHDFK \RXU ERVV ZRXOG QHYHU NQRZ :RXOG \RX VWD\ ZRUNLQJ" ,I \RX DQVZHUHG PRVW RI WKH TXHVWLRQV \HV WKHQ WHOHFRPPXWH LQ SHDFH
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
4)0 ,I \RX KDYH WURXEOH IRFXVLQJ RQ WKH WDVN DW KDQG RQ WKH MRE LW ZLOO SUREDEO\ EH HYHQ PRUH GLIÂż FXOW WR PDLQWDLQ VHOI GLVFLSOLQH DW KRPH SOURCE: FLEXJOBS.COM