When I started working for Headscape I also started working from home. Our office is a 3 hour drive form where I live so commuting isn’t an option and as a family we were not looking to relocate.
In the past few years I’ve learnt a lot from home working and how to make it work for me and our team. Here are some tips that I have found smooth the process.
Be Sociable #
We’ve used various chat tools to communicate over the years and I always ensure that I’m signed in and active.
A simple “Good morning” to everyone lets your team know you are at work and instantly opens up the opportunity for any dialogue. I like to think of it in the same way you would see someone is at their desk in a shared office.
On the flip side of this if you need to be left alone to really dig into something just let everyone know and either turn off communication tools or set yourself to away.
Be Consistent #
It helps that I have a young family so keeping consistent work hours is good for family life. I find it’s also good for work life balance. I have clear start and end times and this stops work bleeding over into my outside work time.
I’m sure it would be very easy to start a bit late, have a longer lunch, then keep working into the evening. This could easily feel like you had actually worked all day long.
Be Available #
Similar to being sociable I, nearly, always like to have some form of communication open. A quick response in Slack or a 5 minute chat on Skype can really help out another member of the team.
This is the sort of thing that can help a team be at it’s most productive and reduce any negative impacts of not being in the same physical space.
Be Grateful #
Working from home is a great benefit for me and I feel very lucky that I have a job that can so easily allow me this privilege. It’s very easy to get caught up in the day to day of work, but every so often I remember how nice it is that I have that extra time each day saved by not commuting and the fact I’m there to see my children as they head off to school and when they return home.
Be Whatever #
These are my experiences from the past few years and I appreciate everyone has different ways of working. Overall I would encourage individuals or companies to try home working and make it work for you.