10 commandments of working from home
One of the ironies about job-hunting is that as soon as you start working in a new office, you begin devising ways to work from home. Not necessarily out of laziness, but because you realise that you can get a lot more done when you don’t have to deal with a long commute or overly chatty colleagues. And thanks to the conveniences afforded by digital technology, it’s entirely possible to finish a week’s worth of work without every stepping outside of your house.
Unfortunately, not all bosses would agree. Earlier this February, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer outlawed working from home, arousing the ire of telecommuters ‘round the web who fear that her command would inspire their managers to do the same. According to a leaked memo from HR head Jackie Reses to employees, the company higher-ups believe that “speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work at home.”
“We need to be one Yahoo!., and that starts with physically being together,” it said.
While your boss might refrain from making as harsh a measure, if he’s read this story, a seed’s been planted. Instead of thanking your lucky stars that you don’t work at Yahoo!, practice some foresight. Don’t give him or her a reason to ban you from telecommuting as well.
Need some advice on working more efficiently at home? Read on.
1. Thou shalt set an alarm in the morning
But of the privileges of working at home is being able to sleep in a little. But this is a privilege that is abused far too easily. Even though you can technically go a whole day without seeing anybody, we’d encouraging you to practice some integrity and discipline – lest you accidentally wake up at noon and have to work till 10 pm just to catch up.
2. Thou shalt force thyself to exercise
Spending more than two days a week working at home can send your fitness level into a tailspin. Once again, you can technically stay in bed on your laptop the entire day, getting up only to use the restroom or grab a snack. Aside from impeding your health, this level of idleness can ultimately influence your productivity while doing work. Your job might not require any physical labour, but if it can’t even rouse you out of bed, then you’re probably not taking it as seriously as you should. So turn on the lights, open the windows, and sit at a desk – we promise you that you’ll feel more alert.
Unfortunately, not all bosses would agree. Earlier this February, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer outlawed working from home, arousing the ire of telecommuters ‘round the web who fear that her command would inspire their managers to do the same. According to a leaked memo from HR head Jackie Reses to employees, the company higher-ups believe that “speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work at home.”
“We need to be one Yahoo!., and that starts with physically being together,” it said.
While your boss might refrain from making as harsh a measure, if he’s read this story, a seed’s been planted. Instead of thanking your lucky stars that you don’t work at Yahoo!, practice some foresight. Don’t give him or her a reason to ban you from telecommuting as well.
Need some advice on working more efficiently at home? Read on.
1. Thou shalt set an alarm in the morning
But of the privileges of working at home is being able to sleep in a little. But this is a privilege that is abused far too easily. Even though you can technically go a whole day without seeing anybody, we’d encouraging you to practice some integrity and discipline – lest you accidentally wake up at noon and have to work till 10 pm just to catch up.
2. Thou shalt force thyself to exercise
Spending more than two days a week working at home can send your fitness level into a tailspin. Once again, you can technically stay in bed on your laptop the entire day, getting up only to use the restroom or grab a snack. Aside from impeding your health, this level of idleness can ultimately influence your productivity while doing work. Your job might not require any physical labour, but if it can’t even rouse you out of bed, then you’re probably not taking it as seriously as you should. So turn on the lights, open the windows, and sit at a desk – we promise you that you’ll feel more alert.
Working at home takes a tremendous amount of self-discipline, which is rare given the number of distractions available online. Without external pressure, such as a boss breathing down your neck, it’s easy to leave tasks unattended. As tedious as it sounds, you need to write down a list of goals and a timeline for the day ahead. This will not only keep you on track, but it will show your boss that you’re self-motivated and responsible enough to make your deadlines without anyone telling you to.
4. Thou shalt ban thyself from G-chat
G-chat, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, that is. The more fun sites your workplace blocks, the more work you actually do. And if you’ve ever done work on your own laptop, you’ll know how easily a “five minute social media break” can mushroom into a three-hours-spent-stalking-my-old-classmates-on-Facebook break. There are plenty of apps and software available that will forcibly ban you from certain sites during a predetermined portion of the day. If you know that you’re powerless to resist the lure of social media, get thee to the App Store immediately.
5. Thou shalt take naps
Ha! You thought we’d spend this entire article telling you to stop being a lazy bum, right? Well, we’re here to tell you that there’s lots of evidence that a short siesta can do a body good. Because really, how productive can you be between the hours of 12 pm – 3pm, where you recovering from morning fatigue and the consequent lunchtime food coma? It’s better to take a half-hour nap and wake up ready to go, than to spend three hours slogging through work at a snail’s pace because you can’t stay alert. So go ahead – spend an hour of the regular two-hour lunch break eating something delicious, and spend the remainder of it dreaming sweet dreams.
6. Thou shalt Skype into meetings and meet colleagues in person when possible
We have to agree with Yahoo! on one thing – and that’s that it’s extremely difficult to feel like you’re a part of a team if you haven’t met any of its members in person, let alone bonded with them. If you telecommute part time, make an effort on the days that you’re in the office to lunch with your colleagues or catch up with them. If you’re feeling really up to it, come to the office during a tough night and stick out the overtime hours so that you can bond a little over your shared trials. And as impossible as it sounds, it can actually be pretty fun to order fast food and coffee at midnight while you’re all going crazy together. Don’t miss out on the chance of friendships and genuine affection for one’s teammates, just because you’re rather do work in your pajamas at home.
7. Thou shalt force thyself to talk face-to-face to a real human being at least once a day
Talking on G-chat for 12 hours straight does not compensate for a whole day gone by without seeing another human being – even if it’s just to say “thank you” to the barista who is making your coffee. Telecommuting full-time makes it far too easy to become a recluse – to become so wrapped up in your busyness that you use it as an excuse to not nurture significant relationships. Just because you prefer working into solitude doesn’t mean your social life needs to lose its momentum. Nor should your ability to relate with others suffer. Like the proverbial frog that lets itself boil in a pot of hot water, it’s possible to become afflicted with cabin fever and not even know it.
8. Thou shalt set office hours
This is especially important if you live with other people. You need to set aside a chunk of the day just for work so that they will know not to interrupt you. It also sets boundaries for your remote bosses and colleagues so that they won’t expect you to do random late-night tasks (or to check your emails after-hours). Just because you have a home office doesn’t mean there’s no line between your work life and your personal life.
9. Thou shalt work outside of the house on occasion
Yeah, we know it’s a cliché to do work in a café, but it’s also true that getting out of the house will help clear your head and refresh your perspective. You don’t have to be overly sentimental about it, just understand that if you have the freedom to work in an environment more dynamic than a sterile corporate office, you should enjoy it (just don’t bankrupt yourself on those $7 lattes).
10. Thou shalt sustain a purpose in telecommuting
There’s a reason that people who work from home are stereotyped for being socially awkward or lazy. Before committing to a regular telecommuting schedule, test your motivation to see if it’s really the right thing for you. Are you doing it because you work better uninterrupted? Because you have children at home who need your attention? Because you enjoy freelancing for a variety of remote clients rather than being tied to one? Or is it because you’re desperately intimidated by people and would rather avoid being around them? It’s easy to let the allure of telecommuting keep you from getting over your shyness. Or to let it be an excuse for you to indulge in your laziness. If working from home is a means to avoid something that you hate – be it socialising or discipline – then eventually, work will become nothing more a method of procrastination, a way to delay working on the personal areas in which you can really grow. Ultimately, your boss won’t care as long as you get along okay with people and can get things done. At the end of the day, you’ll be the one who suffers in your career if it only enables your worst tendencies.
Source: 10 commandments of working from home
4. Thou shalt ban thyself from G-chat
G-chat, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram, that is. The more fun sites your workplace blocks, the more work you actually do. And if you’ve ever done work on your own laptop, you’ll know how easily a “five minute social media break” can mushroom into a three-hours-spent-stalking-my-old-classmates-on-Facebook break. There are plenty of apps and software available that will forcibly ban you from certain sites during a predetermined portion of the day. If you know that you’re powerless to resist the lure of social media, get thee to the App Store immediately.
5. Thou shalt take naps
Ha! You thought we’d spend this entire article telling you to stop being a lazy bum, right? Well, we’re here to tell you that there’s lots of evidence that a short siesta can do a body good. Because really, how productive can you be between the hours of 12 pm – 3pm, where you recovering from morning fatigue and the consequent lunchtime food coma? It’s better to take a half-hour nap and wake up ready to go, than to spend three hours slogging through work at a snail’s pace because you can’t stay alert. So go ahead – spend an hour of the regular two-hour lunch break eating something delicious, and spend the remainder of it dreaming sweet dreams.
6. Thou shalt Skype into meetings and meet colleagues in person when possible
We have to agree with Yahoo! on one thing – and that’s that it’s extremely difficult to feel like you’re a part of a team if you haven’t met any of its members in person, let alone bonded with them. If you telecommute part time, make an effort on the days that you’re in the office to lunch with your colleagues or catch up with them. If you’re feeling really up to it, come to the office during a tough night and stick out the overtime hours so that you can bond a little over your shared trials. And as impossible as it sounds, it can actually be pretty fun to order fast food and coffee at midnight while you’re all going crazy together. Don’t miss out on the chance of friendships and genuine affection for one’s teammates, just because you’re rather do work in your pajamas at home.
7. Thou shalt force thyself to talk face-to-face to a real human being at least once a day
Talking on G-chat for 12 hours straight does not compensate for a whole day gone by without seeing another human being – even if it’s just to say “thank you” to the barista who is making your coffee. Telecommuting full-time makes it far too easy to become a recluse – to become so wrapped up in your busyness that you use it as an excuse to not nurture significant relationships. Just because you prefer working into solitude doesn’t mean your social life needs to lose its momentum. Nor should your ability to relate with others suffer. Like the proverbial frog that lets itself boil in a pot of hot water, it’s possible to become afflicted with cabin fever and not even know it.
8. Thou shalt set office hours
This is especially important if you live with other people. You need to set aside a chunk of the day just for work so that they will know not to interrupt you. It also sets boundaries for your remote bosses and colleagues so that they won’t expect you to do random late-night tasks (or to check your emails after-hours). Just because you have a home office doesn’t mean there’s no line between your work life and your personal life.
9. Thou shalt work outside of the house on occasion
Yeah, we know it’s a cliché to do work in a café, but it’s also true that getting out of the house will help clear your head and refresh your perspective. You don’t have to be overly sentimental about it, just understand that if you have the freedom to work in an environment more dynamic than a sterile corporate office, you should enjoy it (just don’t bankrupt yourself on those $7 lattes).
10. Thou shalt sustain a purpose in telecommuting
There’s a reason that people who work from home are stereotyped for being socially awkward or lazy. Before committing to a regular telecommuting schedule, test your motivation to see if it’s really the right thing for you. Are you doing it because you work better uninterrupted? Because you have children at home who need your attention? Because you enjoy freelancing for a variety of remote clients rather than being tied to one? Or is it because you’re desperately intimidated by people and would rather avoid being around them? It’s easy to let the allure of telecommuting keep you from getting over your shyness. Or to let it be an excuse for you to indulge in your laziness. If working from home is a means to avoid something that you hate – be it socialising or discipline – then eventually, work will become nothing more a method of procrastination, a way to delay working on the personal areas in which you can really grow. Ultimately, your boss won’t care as long as you get along okay with people and can get things done. At the end of the day, you’ll be the one who suffers in your career if it only enables your worst tendencies.
Source: 10 commandments of working from home