Re:Working from Home a Guide to Successfully Working from Ho...
by rcarmo on Wednesday October 30, 2019 @04:12AM
(#21395512)
I regularly work remotely (whenever I’m not at a client) and have occasionally had stints where I would be 3-4 full days in a row fully remote (usually around Summer or other holidays when clients take breaks), and every single one of the points in the article ring true:
- My home office is, by far, the most productive place I’ve ever worked in (large monitors, relative quiet, decent natural light, a desk and chair that suit me, etc.)
- Investing in a decent conferencing setup is a must (my iMac has excellent speakers and mics, but I added a 4K webcam because the one that ships with it is atrocious in low light). I also have a headset and a Plantronics portable speaker for when I decide to do a little work elsewhere.
- Time management and sticking to a schedule are critical. When I finish dressing for the day I switch on my machines, brew a cup and am at my desk and available at 9AM sharp (often earlier). I make it a point of taking proper lunch breaks (most of the time) and often leave the house to have lunch near (or with) my clients, which minimizes the hassles of dealing with traffic or the risk of being late.
- I always dress for leaving the house even if I don’t have scheduled appointments or do actual VC (most of my business conferences are actually audio and screen sharing). It’s both about setting the mood and also because I might have to leave and go to a client at a moment’s notice.
- Finishing work has to be a physical action. I shut down everything at the end of a working day, sit with the kids, have dinner and _then_ I might noodle about in the evenings (usually on my laptop and not the office).
- Even though I have a lot of hobbies and use my office for those as well, that only happens on weekends (unless I really need a bigger screen). Again, work, “play work” and pure play need to happen in different settings/contexts.
Big benefits for me:
- I have a very stable, ergonomic work setup (I need a higher desk than usual, love my dual monitors, have a decent keyboard and mouse, etc.)
- I am insanely more productive because interrupting me (via Teams, call, etc.) requires a lot more effort and requires forethought from other people.
- Meetings tend to be very focused (company culture in some parts is completely aligned in this point - great respect between teams since we all coordinate this way at some point)
(I’m at Microsoft, by the way, and work as an Azure Architect)
- I get to work and listen to music (a HUGE mood booster, especially Bach) without headphones (which give me headaches) whenever I want.
- When I’m really lucky, I am home when the kids return from school (disciplining them is also a big part of being able to work remotely after mid-afternoon, but entirely feasible).
Caveats:
- Some people (clients or your own peers) still think “being on-site” is the only way to show commitment or deliver quality work (especially old-school consulting and sales folk who prioritize “face time” and “touching the flesh”), and often there is no real way around that kind of charade.
- If you work remote in any capacity, you’re off a number of social loops. I minimize that by visiting the office regularly, having lunch or dinner with friends/colleagues and being available for questions (which invariably turn into chit chat) every now and then.
- My home office is, by far, the most productive place I’ve ever worked in (large monitors, relative quiet, decent natural light, a desk and chair that suit me, etc.)
- Investing in a decent conferencing setup is a must (my iMac has excellent speakers and mics, but I added a 4K webcam because the one that ships with it is atrocious in low light). I also have a headset and a Plantronics portable speaker for when I decide to do a little work elsewhere.
- Time management and sticking to a schedule are critical. When I finish dressing for the day I switch on my machines, brew a cup and am at my desk and available at 9AM sharp (often earlier). I make it a point of taking proper lunch breaks (most of the time) and often leave the house to have lunch near (or with) my clients, which minimizes the hassles of dealing with traffic or the risk of being late.
- I always dress for leaving the house even if I don’t have scheduled appointments or do actual VC (most of my business conferences are actually audio and screen sharing). It’s both about setting the mood and also because I might have to leave and go to a client at a moment’s notice.
- Finishing work has to be a physical action. I shut down everything at the end of a working day, sit with the kids, have dinner and _then_ I might noodle about in the evenings (usually on my laptop and not the office).
- Even though I have a lot of hobbies and use my office for those as well, that only happens on weekends (unless I really need a bigger screen). Again, work, “play work” and pure play need to happen in different settings/contexts.
Big benefits for me:
- I have a very stable, ergonomic work setup (I need a higher desk than usual, love my dual monitors, have a decent keyboard and mouse, etc.)
- I am insanely more productive because interrupting me (via Teams, call, etc.) requires a lot more effort and requires forethought from other people.
- Meetings tend to be very focused (company culture in some parts is completely aligned in this point - great respect between teams since we all coordinate this way at some point)
(I’m at Microsoft, by the way, and work as an Azure Architect)
- I get to work and listen to music (a HUGE mood booster, especially Bach) without headphones (which give me headaches) whenever I want.
- When I’m really lucky, I am home when the kids return from school (disciplining them is also a big part of being able to work remotely after mid-afternoon, but entirely feasible).
Caveats:
- Some people (clients or your own peers) still think “being on-site” is the only way to show commitment or deliver quality work (especially old-school consulting and sales folk who prioritize “face time” and “touching the flesh”), and often there is no real way around that kind of charade.
- If you work remote in any capacity, you’re off a number of social loops. I minimize that by visiting the office regularly, having lunch or dinner with friends/colleagues and being available for questions (which invariably turn into chit chat) every now and then.