By Toni Grundstrom
You are now approved to work from your home either part or full-time. You feel the freedom, already, but you need to know some basic telecommuting skills to made your work-at-home option successful. You also have to set up your office so you remain a professional working at home.
Establish your workspace in a part of the house that is well lit and has good air circulation, is not in the busy area of your home, and can be dedicated as 'your work area only'. Check with your tax preparer to see what guidelines need to be met for tax write-offs. You have the freedom to arrange your hardware, supplies, and desk any way you wish but easy access to everything allows you to function smoothly. Turn your chair away from the door to avoid distractions and hide supplies that aren't used often to keep your office un-cluttered. Realize that you are now responsible for security of the equipment, backup of your online files, your personal ergonomics, and managing stress.
There are two types of stress at your home office - stress from the job and stress in maintaining a work/life balance. Creating this balance requires your dedication to making the telecommuting opportunity successful and your entire family's support in the lifestyle change. You have set performance standards with your boss. A telecommuter may feel the need to perform miracles to exceed those or you will be returned to the office. That is self imposed stress. You will automatically increase your output because of less interruptions and non-commuting. Learn to determine what is or is not urgent, have a set beginning and ending time for your day, turn the ringer on your phone/fax off when you are not working, and avoid using the extra time gained by not commuting to complete more work. Keep your performance standards in mind so you don't feel the need to take on extra work to prove yourself and justify what some of your co-workers may see as a special perk.
Your home life may have played a large role in asking for the telecommuting option. This said your home life will change when you move your work home, which could cause stress. Talk with your family members to let them know what your work goals are and how each of them can contribute to your success. Let your friends know what your work hours are and encourage them not to call during those hours. Distractions such as personal phone calls, reading, lounging, cleaning, laundry, and errands need to be managed and worked in to your work/home life schedule. Snacking is now easier. Keep your eating under control by staying with the same schedule you had at work. What you choose to wear during your work hours is a personal choice yet keep this in mind. Casual clothes are fine but doing a professional job in your pajamas or a torn sweatshirt with sweatpants may not put you in the correct frame of mind to do quality work.
Staying Visable
Are you concerned about out-of-mind meaning no promotion or being overlooked for that one assignment you've been waiting for? To overcome this make sure you attend weekly and/or monthly meetings, organize a lunch with co-workers or your boss, and stay in touch daily with the office.
There are psychological issues of working alone. Isolation is the most prominent. This new working arrangement means that you left behind the network of friends and coworkers who provided a very important social and interactive part of your day. This is where the lines of communication, you arranged while negotiating the telecommuting option, play a very important role. Make sure that you contact your coworkers so you stay in touch with each other. They need to know that you are still part of the team and you do, too. Isolation, after a period of time, may also affect your creativity and professionalism. Join an online group of other individuals who are working from home. This opportunity creates a different type of social activity and you will learn from others who know exactly what you are going through or trying to avoid. Joining a telecommuter association opens the door to receiving information about the pros and cons of telecommuting or what to pursue or avoid. Working from home gives you the freedom of managing your own time. Understand the life/work style changes and use them to make you an effective telecommuter.
Maintaining visibility is a very important aspect of telecommuting and arresting the resentment some coworkers may feel towards you for working from home. Encourage people to contact you at home, post a note on your office desk reminding people of the days and hours you are working at home, stay on the routing lists for magazines and journals, and develop a buddy system. This buddy can keep you posted on what is happening at work and send you your mail or critical information in a timely manner. Attend meetings and other work related gatherings (such as an in-office retirement party) and always attend social functions. You don't want to be 'out-of-sight out-of-mind'.
There are unique skills needed to succeed in your 'virtual office'. Some of these will be learned over time yet you can be aware of others and prepare for them. Telecommuting is appealing because your professional goals do not have to be sacrificed for personal goals, or visa versa. Working just like you would in the office with set hours, using effective communication, and continued professionalism will help this new lifestyle create less stress, more flexibility, and more time for you.
Showing posts with label working away from the office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label working away from the office. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Telecommuting - Part 2 The Journey
By Toni Grundstrom
Telecommuting has become a cost effective way for both large and small companies. The employee enjoys the reprieve from the daily commute and they become a more productive employee. That said, is this work option right for you and your company?
Understanding your 'virtual office' skills and how telecommuting will work for your company will prepare you for presenting a detailed proposal to your boss. Any person may be able to perform their job duties at home but is this right for you? According to The Virtual Office Survival Handbook by Alice Bredin, you need to understand your working habits. You should consider your ability to: resist distractions, manage your time, set limits on work, and deal with challenges. You also need to determine if you are internally or externally motivated and if you are an over- or underachiever. Know what your virtual office skills are before you try to sell the concept to your employer. To survey your employee habits and how they can be transferred into a telecommuting employee visit www.langhoff.com/test.html.
Did You Know?
The number of telecommuters is increasing worldwide. Canadian telecommuters, for example, can recoup up to six full work weeks yearly -- an average hour a day -- by eliminating their daily commute, according to Bernard Brodie, an InnoVisions Canada consultant.
While it may seem that telecommuters trade off career progress for the opportunity to telecommute, the experienced telecommuters and their managers show just the opposite to be true. Telecommuters in well-managed programs have a chance to act independently, make more decisions, solve more problems, do better planning - and otherwise demonstrate the kinds of skills and traits sought when looking for promotable employees. If you are this type of an employee consider this information and use it to strengthen your proposal.
-Telecommuting is not appropriate for every job. Analyze your job activity, not the job title, to determine suitability to telecommuting. Is there a portion of your job that can be done, as well or better, away from the office?
-Details that need to be discussed and agreed upon include ownership of remote equipment, compensation and insurance for work-provided equipment including all office supplies, compensation for worker expenses (additional telephone, lines, long-distance charges, etc.) criteria or performance standards for workers' evaluations, frequency and travel reimbursement of an occasional required office attendance, etc. A telecommuter may perform all or almost all of his/her work remotely, or may work remotely only a certain number of days per week or per month, attending his/her employer's office on the other days for meetings, customer/client contacts, or just to "keep in touch".
-Staying in touch with co-workers is essential to continuing the 'team' affect needed to keep a well-oiled department running. Suggest creating a chat area or listserve where workers can start up discussion or pose questions of a professional or personal nature. Start an on-line 'Wall of Fame" to display awards, trophies, certificates, or other professional or personal successes or to show off individual or team achievement. Peer pats allow co-workers to recognize another co-worker for successes, a job well done, or an award her/she won. Post personal messages on a certain day every week. This encourages team members to communicate with each other on a personal basis including favorite restaurants, hobbies, travel arrangements, a child's accomplishment, etc. This type of message board does not need to create any type of discussions. This is a way of staying in touch on a personal level.
If your company already allows flexible work options like telecommuting, it may be relatively easy to convince you supervisor to let you telecommute. The main issue will involve proving your reliability and the appropriateness of your job for distance working. However, if you're hoping to be the first telecommuter in your organization you face a larger task. First you have to convince the company telecommuting makes business sense. Once you know that your work habits and telecommuting is a match you need to translate that knowledge into a proposal that will convince your boss. Here are some methods that work: Drop occasional tidbits about telecommuting and how you would like to start doing some of your work from home. Collect articles about telecommuting to become educated on the highlights and drawbacks of this working relationship - become an in-house expert.
Many articles can be found on the Internet. Some sites include www.gilgordon.com/resources/reports.htm, www.gilgordon.com/resources/howto.htm, www.nwfusion.com/net.worker/columnists/zbar.html. Two subject related Associations can be found on the Internet - International Telework Association & Council (ITAC) at www.telecommute.org and the American Telecommuting Association at www.knowledgetree.com. Show how telecommuting can save the company money. Visit www.langhoff.com/analysis.html to help you crunch the numbers.
Ensure your written proposal contains all the important information but more importantly, know what you are going to say. Practice in front of a mirror or to another person. You must feel comfortable for the presentation to be professional. Concentrate on what the company can achieve, not on your own needs. A well-researched plan will serve to help with the approval and success of this mutually beneficial working relationship.
Toni Grundstrom's expertise is in Marketing. Working for a professional association, government entity, and small business as a Telecommuter provides understanding of the concept and the issues surrounding this working option. She advocates for, informs and educates people who telecommute, work at home, or own a home based business. They are Professionals Working At Home.
This article may be distributed freely on your website, as long as
this entire article, including links and this resource box are unchanged.
Copyright 2008 Toni Grundstrom All Rights Reserved.
Small Business - Dream To Reality
Telecommuting has become a cost effective way for both large and small companies. The employee enjoys the reprieve from the daily commute and they become a more productive employee. That said, is this work option right for you and your company?
Understanding your 'virtual office' skills and how telecommuting will work for your company will prepare you for presenting a detailed proposal to your boss. Any person may be able to perform their job duties at home but is this right for you? According to The Virtual Office Survival Handbook by Alice Bredin, you need to understand your working habits. You should consider your ability to: resist distractions, manage your time, set limits on work, and deal with challenges. You also need to determine if you are internally or externally motivated and if you are an over- or underachiever. Know what your virtual office skills are before you try to sell the concept to your employer. To survey your employee habits and how they can be transferred into a telecommuting employee visit www.langhoff.com/test.html.
Did You Know?
The number of telecommuters is increasing worldwide. Canadian telecommuters, for example, can recoup up to six full work weeks yearly -- an average hour a day -- by eliminating their daily commute, according to Bernard Brodie, an InnoVisions Canada consultant.
While it may seem that telecommuters trade off career progress for the opportunity to telecommute, the experienced telecommuters and their managers show just the opposite to be true. Telecommuters in well-managed programs have a chance to act independently, make more decisions, solve more problems, do better planning - and otherwise demonstrate the kinds of skills and traits sought when looking for promotable employees. If you are this type of an employee consider this information and use it to strengthen your proposal.
-Telecommuting is not appropriate for every job. Analyze your job activity, not the job title, to determine suitability to telecommuting. Is there a portion of your job that can be done, as well or better, away from the office?
-Details that need to be discussed and agreed upon include ownership of remote equipment, compensation and insurance for work-provided equipment including all office supplies, compensation for worker expenses (additional telephone, lines, long-distance charges, etc.) criteria or performance standards for workers' evaluations, frequency and travel reimbursement of an occasional required office attendance, etc. A telecommuter may perform all or almost all of his/her work remotely, or may work remotely only a certain number of days per week or per month, attending his/her employer's office on the other days for meetings, customer/client contacts, or just to "keep in touch".
-Staying in touch with co-workers is essential to continuing the 'team' affect needed to keep a well-oiled department running. Suggest creating a chat area or listserve where workers can start up discussion or pose questions of a professional or personal nature. Start an on-line 'Wall of Fame" to display awards, trophies, certificates, or other professional or personal successes or to show off individual or team achievement. Peer pats allow co-workers to recognize another co-worker for successes, a job well done, or an award her/she won. Post personal messages on a certain day every week. This encourages team members to communicate with each other on a personal basis including favorite restaurants, hobbies, travel arrangements, a child's accomplishment, etc. This type of message board does not need to create any type of discussions. This is a way of staying in touch on a personal level.
If your company already allows flexible work options like telecommuting, it may be relatively easy to convince you supervisor to let you telecommute. The main issue will involve proving your reliability and the appropriateness of your job for distance working. However, if you're hoping to be the first telecommuter in your organization you face a larger task. First you have to convince the company telecommuting makes business sense. Once you know that your work habits and telecommuting is a match you need to translate that knowledge into a proposal that will convince your boss. Here are some methods that work: Drop occasional tidbits about telecommuting and how you would like to start doing some of your work from home. Collect articles about telecommuting to become educated on the highlights and drawbacks of this working relationship - become an in-house expert.
Many articles can be found on the Internet. Some sites include www.gilgordon.com/resources/reports.htm, www.gilgordon.com/resources/howto.htm, www.nwfusion.com/net.worker/columnists/zbar.html. Two subject related Associations can be found on the Internet - International Telework Association & Council (ITAC) at www.telecommute.org and the American Telecommuting Association at www.knowledgetree.com. Show how telecommuting can save the company money. Visit www.langhoff.com/analysis.html to help you crunch the numbers.
Ensure your written proposal contains all the important information but more importantly, know what you are going to say. Practice in front of a mirror or to another person. You must feel comfortable for the presentation to be professional. Concentrate on what the company can achieve, not on your own needs. A well-researched plan will serve to help with the approval and success of this mutually beneficial working relationship.
Toni Grundstrom's expertise is in Marketing. Working for a professional association, government entity, and small business as a Telecommuter provides understanding of the concept and the issues surrounding this working option. She advocates for, informs and educates people who telecommute, work at home, or own a home based business. They are Professionals Working At Home.
This article may be distributed freely on your website, as long as
this entire article, including links and this resource box are unchanged.
Copyright 2008 Toni Grundstrom All Rights Reserved.
Small Business - Dream To Reality
Monday, February 25, 2008
Telecommuting: It takes discipline to work from home
It may take discipline to work from home but it is worth it. This article discusses if telecommuting is the correct choice.
Your Success Is Our Success.
Toni
TelecommutingPro
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Telecommuting: It takes discipline to work from home
When one telecommutes, boundaries dissolve and distractions abound. When I do have some work to do at home, I'm tempted to clean out my closet, bake brownies, take a nap, walk the dogs — just about anything can distract me from the task at hand. I guess I don't have the discipline required to be a successful telecommuter.But perhaps I could develop the discipline.
I believe what I would miss most is the social interaction.
Your Success Is Our Success.
Toni
TelecommutingPro
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Telecommuting: It takes discipline to work from home
When one telecommutes, boundaries dissolve and distractions abound. When I do have some work to do at home, I'm tempted to clean out my closet, bake brownies, take a nap, walk the dogs — just about anything can distract me from the task at hand. I guess I don't have the discipline required to be a successful telecommuter.But perhaps I could develop the discipline.
I believe what I would miss most is the social interaction.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
WOW, Telecommuting approved and under fire!!!
This article talks about OSHA regulations employers must adhere to even if the employeeis working at home as well as a list of other topice. You should not miss reading this.
Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
TelecommutingPro.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Old law vs. the new economy
In August 1997, a certain Mr. T. Trahan of CSC Credit Service wanted to let his sales executives work out of their home offices. He was uncertain about his possible obligations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, so he wrote to OSHA, the agency that administers the act.
Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
TelecommutingPro.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Old law vs. the new economy
In August 1997, a certain Mr. T. Trahan of CSC Credit Service wanted to let his sales executives work out of their home offices. He was uncertain about his possible obligations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, so he wrote to OSHA, the agency that administers the act.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Telecommuting Can Half U.S. Gulf Oil Dependency
If this is really the case, why is there such a lag in businesses and governments to push for telecommuting. Are we willing to have dependency on oil because of the lack trust business has for its employees?
Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
Telecommuting Pro
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Telecommuting Can Half U.S. Gulf Oil Dependency
Thirty-three million American's could work from home. If they did, the U.S. could make major cuts in oil dependency and significantly reduce global warming.
Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
Telecommuting Pro
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Telecommuting Can Half U.S. Gulf Oil Dependency
Thirty-three million American's could work from home. If they did, the U.S. could make major cuts in oil dependency and significantly reduce global warming.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Telecommuting - Managing a Virtual Staff
As more individuals want to do some of their work at home the issue of managing virtual workers become front and foremost. This article discusses some of the issues Managers and Telecommuters face and deal with. Good info!
Toni
TelecommutingPro
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Trend 2008: Telecommuting and Managing a Virtual Staff
Advances in technology and cultural responses to it mean that more people want to work from home and more companies want to outsource.
Toni
TelecommutingPro
=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Trend 2008: Telecommuting and Managing a Virtual Staff
Advances in technology and cultural responses to it mean that more people want to work from home and more companies want to outsource.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Telecommuting Information and Videos
Here are some great articles and information regarding Telecommuting. Please see my new RSS Feed from YouTube regarding Telecommuting.
Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
TelecommutingPro
=-=-=-=-=-
Flexibility can boost employee moraleNashua Telegraph - Nashua,NH,USA... it may be time to consider instituting family-friendly workplace policies such as flextime and telecommuting, say human resource experts.
Ecommerce saves the planetInquirer - Harrow,England,UKTop "carbon savers" are ecommerce, Telecommuting, Teleconferencing, ematerialization (that'sa new one!) and Telemedicine - ecommerce alone will save the US ...
Telecommuting top work choice for small business ownersTelecommunications Magazine - Norwood,MA,USAby Telecommunications staff, from news reports Small business owners in the US are more likely than employees to conduct business away from the traditional...
Flexible work life good for your health: studyReuters India - Mumbai,IndiaA flexible work life, including telecommuting and job shares, is good for your health, researchers said on Tuesday. They found that if people have the ...
Why Workforce Innovation Pays OffBroadcast Newsroom - Newport Beach,CA,USAEmployees get back time spent commuting and gain the flexibility telecommuting provides. Operators find they have more productive employees and also realize ...
Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
TelecommutingPro
=-=-=-=-=-
Flexibility can boost employee moraleNashua Telegraph - Nashua,NH,USA... it may be time to consider instituting family-friendly workplace policies such as flextime and telecommuting, say human resource experts.
Ecommerce saves the planetInquirer - Harrow,England,UKTop "carbon savers" are ecommerce, Telecommuting, Teleconferencing, ematerialization (that'sa new one!) and Telemedicine - ecommerce alone will save the US ...
Telecommuting top work choice for small business ownersTelecommunications Magazine - Norwood,MA,USAby Telecommunications staff, from news reports Small business owners in the US are more likely than employees to conduct business away from the traditional...
Flexible work life good for your health: studyReuters India - Mumbai,IndiaA flexible work life, including telecommuting and job shares, is good for your health, researchers said on Tuesday. They found that if people have the ...
Why Workforce Innovation Pays OffBroadcast Newsroom - Newport Beach,CA,USAEmployees get back time spent commuting and gain the flexibility telecommuting provides. Operators find they have more productive employees and also realize ...
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Telecommuting Is Good For You
Telecommuting is catching on in the workplace. Emaployers continue to understand the significance of giving employees freedom to do their work away from the office. There are several articles involved with this post, each one talking about how telecommuting is good for you.
Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
TelecommutingPro
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Telecommuting Catches Up Here
Telecommuting Is Good For You
Researchers Give Telecommuting A Thumbs Up
Morale Boosts All Around Through Teleworking
Your Success Is Our Success
Toni
TelecommutingPro
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Telecommuting Catches Up Here
Telecommuting Is Good For You
Researchers Give Telecommuting A Thumbs Up
Morale Boosts All Around Through Teleworking
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
