{"id":36215,"date":"2020-04-24T06:42:07","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T13:42:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sqlrus.com\/?p=6416"},"modified":"2020-04-24T06:42:07","modified_gmt":"2020-04-24T13:42:07","slug":"working-from-home-effectively","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dcac.com\/2020\/04\/24\/working-from-home-effectively\/","title":{"rendered":"Working from Home Effectively"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some of us have been lucky enough to have\u00a0 already been working from home<\/a> (WFH) prior to the world events.\u00a0 This has allowed most of us the ability to easily ready \u00a0our homes fit our needs of family members whom now must also work from home\u00a0 For those that have suddenly been thrusted over the past weeks into the working from home lifestyle, here are some tips that I\u2019ve learned over the last 2.5 years being home 100% of the time.\u00a0\u00a0 I blogged <\/a>about this a few years ago when I started with Denny Cherry & Associates Consulting<\/a> so some of these are updates.<\/p>\n

Keep a Schedule & Routine<\/h2>\n

This is still probably one of the most important aspects of working from home.\u00a0 Prior to coming into the WFH realm I worked a normal 8-5 job. It required me to be in the office before 8, so I decided when I switched I would keep to the same schedule. I continue to wake up at the same time and report to my desk at the same time ready to tackle the day every day. \u00a0Now, depending on what I have going on, it\u2019s nice to be able \u00a0to wake up earlier \u00a0(like 5:30AM) so that I have some extra time to focus on things.\u00a0\u00a0 If I have my sons with me (for those that might be co-parenting), that also allows me to focus without having to tend to their needs. My advice is to keep whatever schedule best works for you and your employer.\u00a0 Thankfully, my employer allows me to set my own schedule and manage my own time which is helpful.\u00a0 Having that flexibility makes things easier on me as a work from home employee.<\/p>\n

Beyond keeping a consistent schedule, keep a consistent routine as well.\u00a0 As I mentioned, I get up about the same time.\u00a0 While I *could<\/em>* wear pajamas or whatever I wanted to work, I choose not to.\u00a0 I get up, get showered, shave, brush teeth, etc and get fully dressed so that I\u2019m ready for the day.\u00a0 I find this makes me more productive. Once ready, I go downstairs for my coffee and usually for some breakfast.\u00a0 Sometimes I\u2019ll take food to my desk but usually I sit at my kitchen table and watch the world wake up while I enjoy my first cup of coffee.\u00a0 Then it\u2019s time to go to the \u201coffice\u201d.\u00a0 Warning the commute can be horrible so watch out for traffic jams (kids or pets) in the hallways and stairwell.\u00a0 13 seconds later, I\u2019m at my desk ready to get started.\u00a0 Once there, I\u2019ll start on any daily tasks that I need to get done and then continue on any project work I might have on my plate.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to lunch. It\u2019s a 50\/50 chance that I\u2019ll eat lunch at my desk.\u00a0 Some days I do, others I don\u2019t.\u00a0 It\u2019s important to take breaks away from your desk as it\u2019s really easy to get sucked into working all the time.\u00a0 My advice is to make sure to take a break for lunch and try to disconnect as much as possible.\u00a0 Some days, for me, I\u2019ll make lunch and play Xbox (Titan Fall 2), or \u00a0go for a walk, or just read a book while eating.<\/p>\n

Come evening time, I wrap things up somewhere between 4-5PM.\u00a0\u00a0 Some days it\u2019s later and some days it\u2019s earlier usually because of kid responsibilities.\u00a0 Some Due to the nature of my job some evenings I must work later due to time zones and sometimes even on the weekends due to system availability. \u00a0I recognize that it is all part of the job, however, I\u2019m able to find a balance that works for me while maintain any responsibilities I might have.<\/p>\n

Workspace<\/h2>\n

When I joined with Denny Cherry & Associates Consulting (DCAC), I invested some cash into my workspace.\u00a0 I tend to like a clean and clutter free desk, so I invested in a good quality standing desk from Uplift Desk.\u00a0 I started out with 2-27\u201d monitors and operated with that for quite a long time.\u00a0 Within the past 6 months I further invested in an additional 27\u201d monitor so now I have three.\u00a0 I have found that having three monitors (actually 4 if I used the laptop itself) allows me to have a better workflow in my daily tasks.\u00a0 You might have to play with configurations or ideas, but don\u2019t be afraid to invest (if you can) in things that help you work from home.<\/p>\n

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Of course, you can invest a lot of money into your workspace.\u00a0 I know people have to walls of monitors, expensive desk chairs, extreme web camera setups, and the list goes on.\u00a0 Do what you can to make it your space.\u00a0 At times I’ll even work on my secondary machine standing at my kitchen bar because it works.\u00a0 You don’t have to drop a ton of money and there are ways to make it work with minimal amounts of money.<\/p>\n

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Here I am just using a laptop tray<\/a> that I bought off of Amazon to allow me to have a “mobile standing point” on just about any flat surface.\u00a0 I find that mixing up my location from time to time help to get my mind focused on the task at hand.<\/p>\n

Communications<\/h2>\n

Maintaining communication with your colleagues as well as your family is important, especially during this time of chaos. Without it the self-isolation feeling can be overwhelming. For me this means I check up on my family (they all live at least 6 hours away) on a semi-weekly basis to ensure that they are healthy and are doing as best as possible. Having peace of mind that they are doing well helps me better focus on work, and keeps me from getting distracted by worrying about them. Thankfully with my work I am able to take breaks and have a phone conversation, or I\u2019ll even have a video call with them via Skype or FaceTime.<\/p>\n

Beyond just family, make sure to have open dialogs with your managers on your status.\u00a0 If you are struggling with things, let them know.\u00a0 They cannot help resolve any issues if they don\u2019t know they even exist.\u00a0 I have a check-in with Denny once or twice a month just to see how things are going.\u00a0 Now, at DCAC, we chat constantly via Teams.\u00a0 During the day, evenings, weekends, or even holidays usually someone on the team is talking.\u00a0 This makes is much easier to have some interaction and feel connected to the team.<\/p>\n

Distractions<\/h2>\n

Working from home comes with a whole new set of distractions, namely the television.\u00a0 I have found that, thankfully, the television remains off during my working time (I have a TV in my office) and I can count on one hand the number of times it\u2019s been on while I\u2019m working.\u00a0 When I first started working from home, I had a real feeling that TV would be a huge distraction for me.\u00a0 Turns out that wasn\u2019t my distraction.\u00a0 My distraction normally is the internet.\u00a0 Twitter, social media, blogs, news, etc.\u00a0 For me, it can be a quicksand place to get lost in and the next thing you know 3 hours have gone by.<\/p>\n

Here are some things I use to help keep those in check:<\/p>\n

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