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Working at Home April 2000
A Monthly Newsletter From Balanced Life Design Written by Annaliese Furnas, Success Coach, Speaker, and Trainer
In This Issue: Dealing with Coworker Jealousy
Last month a reader asked, "Every since I started Telecommuting, my coworkers seem more aloof and I'm having trouble feeling part of the team. They occasionally make cutting remarks about my working at home. What can I do to get things back on track?" This is a common situation for the new teleworker. A key worry for new teleworkers is that they will lose rapport with their coworkers. Teleworking is somehow "different or special." Some people will find their coworkers making comments like "I hate to call you at home but‰Ď." These comments can further the impression that you no longer are part of the team. To combat these feelings, stay positive, not defensive about telecommuting. Admit that you're having a great time, are more productive, and finally have time to exercise or participate in your favorite hobby during your breaks. Be an advocate to your other coworkers for the telecommuting life. Soon, they'll be lobbying the boss for the chance to telecommute too. Another way to ward off any ill feelings between you and your non-telecommuting coworkers is to be as professional as you were in the office. This means returning all calls in a timely manner, finishing projects on time, and keeping the lines of communication open. Be sensitive and responsive to their requests for information. In fact, as we discussed in last month's issue, the real secret to making this work is communication. Email and phone calls help keep communication flowing, and you might even find it useful to touch base with coworkers more frequently than you would have if you were in the office. If possible, try to be in the office at least one to two days per week for crucial planning meetings or other office functions. And when in the office, make it a point to touch base with coworkers by going out to lunch together or getting together after work for drinks or dinner. By making the extra effort to show you are still a productive and valuable part of the team, your coworkers should soon realize that nothing has changed except your location. Check out next month's article - Managing a Virtual Staff
Working at Home March 2000
A Monthly Newsletter From Balanced Life Design Written by Annaliese Furnas, Success Coach, Speaker, and Trainer
In This Issue: Solving Distance Communication Problems
A reader asks, "Since I've begun telecommuting, I've found my manager and I seem to be having communication problems. He's either constantly checking up on me, or very aloof, as if my contributions don't matter. What can I do to get back in his good graces?" Communication is the key to making a telecommuting program work. Many managers are steeped in the "management by walking around" mode and making the transition to distant managing is a challenge. The good news is, there are several things you can do to repair the situation. What scares managers most is the thought that you are goofing off, rather than working. This is exacerbated if they call mid-afternoon to find you out of the office, or hear Oprah playing on the TV in the background. When you're in the office they have a false sense of control - if it looks like you're working, you must be getting things done. When they can't see that you're working, how do they know that you are? The key to overcoming their fears is quality communication and mutual trust. Since they will be shifting from managing you based on activity to managing your performance and output, it's critical to have these perimeters set up before you start telecommuting. For each project, work out these issues with your manager in advance: * What is the scope of the project This is the first step to reestablishing your former rapport and communication level with your manager. Second, communicate with your manager in the method he/she most prefers. For example, when someone needs to communicate complex information to me, I prefer email to voicemail. However, when there is a last minute change in a project and it's going to have a big impact on the work I've completed so far, I prefer to hear that person-to-person on the phone. Every person has preferred methods of communication for different situations. Ask what your manager prefers. Reestablishing trust and lines of communication won't happen overnight. But the work required to repair the breach in your relationship is crucial in making your telecommuting experience successful. Check out next month's article (suggested by one of our readers) - Dealing with Coworker Jealousy
Working at Home February 2000
A Monthly Newsletter From Balanced Life Design Written by Annaliese Furnas, Success Coach, Speaker, and Trainer
In This Issue: Dealing With Isolation
For teleworkers, dealing with isolation can be a challenge. While the social interactions in the office may distract from actual productivity, for many it is essential for building connections. Email and phone calls serve well for informational communication, but how do you develop a bond with co-workers without face-to-face communication? And how do you keep from being distracted by feelings of loneliness and disconnection? Some corporate teleworkers have a built in solution. Many offices require that teleworkers be on-site at least once per week. It that is your situation, then make sure that day counts. Schedule key meetings and something social, such as going out to lunch, or celebrating a co-worker's birthday, on the day you are in the office. Don't let these face-to-face occasions be the day you decide to eat lunch while checking email. Consciously work on strengthening your connections when you have the opportunity. For the self-employed, isolation can be an even greater challenge. One way to feel connected while working at home is to join an online community. Do a search on the web for possibilities in your field. An online community can be a great place to talk about business issues you can't share with clients, a place to complain and get feedback about that problem contract, a place to get ideas on ways to improve your business. Take advantage of the wealth of business connections on the Internet. Another way to feel connected is to get on the mailing list of your LOCAL professional organization, volunteer organization, or university. Take as many opportunities as appropriate for your schedule to actually get out of the office and attend functions arranged by these organizations. Work at food bank, learn Italian, or go to a networking meeting. You'll connect with other people, have some fun, and expand your business at the same time. And don't forget one of the most valuable resources you have, friends and family. Many people start telecommuting as a way to have more time to spend with those they care about. Yet, some people exacerbate their isolation by working excessive hours. Don't let the pressures of business cut into the time you spend with those you care about. Ask a friend or family member to gently remind you when you're unconsciously working too many hours. The isolation of working at home can overwhelm some people. But by taking proactive steps you can meet this challenge and develop telecommuting into the perfect fit for you. Check out next month's article (suggested by one of our readers) - Solving Distance Communication Problems
Working at Home January 2000
A Monthly Newsletter From Balanced Life Design Written by Annaliese Furnas, Success Coach, Speaker, and Trainer
In This Issue: Setting Boundaries
People often think that when you work at home, you aren't REALLY working. Friends feel free to call and chat, children want you to play games in the afternoon, and your spouse calls to ask you to pick up the dry cleaning. To circumvent these types of issues, set clear boundaries before you begin to work at home. Let your friends and family know that, although you are home, you wish them to treat you just as they would if you were physically at another location. That means no unnecessary chats with friends during your set working hours. Tossing a load of laundry in on the way to lunch is one thing, but taking an hour off to clean the kitchen is another. And running errands must be done on your time, not "company" time. A tough boundary setting issue for many home-based workers is how to deal with childcare. If you are telecommuting for a corporation, you must remember that for most companies, telecommuting is NOT a substitute for day care. If you have your own home-based business, you must decide how much having your children at home could disrupt your ability to conduct business. If you do have children at home, try arranging your schedule around the time your children need your attention. For example, you may be able to split your day and work from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Then you can pick up the kids from school, spend the afternoon and early evening with them, and work two more hours from 8:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Depending on the work you do and how you interact with others, this could be the perfect fit for you. If that's not possible, try to have activities planned for your children that will not require intensive interaction on your part. Watching an educational video or having reading material or homework set up for them when they get home from school may help ease the hours of transition until you are fully there for them again. Explain your situation and work out the details with your manager or clients so you can implement a schedule that works for everyone. While being a home-based worker has many advantages, you will also experience challenges you never faced working in the office. Setting boundaries with friends and family is just one way to make your experience a more positive one. Check out next month's article - Dealing with Isolation 
Feel free to suggest topics for this newsletter to cover. Also, please send any tips that you feel would be helpful for other home-based workers and I'll incorporate them into the newsletter. If you don't already have a telecommuting program in place, Annaliese can help design and implement an effective policy. If you already have a telecommuting program, let Annaliese help improve the performance of the managers and employees involved. Annaliese also conducts corporate training programs on topics such as Supervising the Telecommuter, Balancing Work and Life, Time Management, and Peak Performance. Articles copyright 2000, by Annaliese Furnas. May be freely copied and/or retransmitted with this notice. To SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE, send an email with the words "subscribe (or unsubscribe) Working At Home."
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