Dedicated space for remote working
When the decision is made to work from home or remotely as part of your career, there is a period of time getting into the “zone”… I have had leaders in companies spout how they couldn’t trust themselves working from home, this of course had nothing to do with their own self trust, just a more politically correct way of saying they don’t trust anyone working from home. In some ways, though, there is merit to truly asking yourself if it will be suitable for you.
For me I had to make two defining decisions from the start. How many days a week and where would I work? One day a week was of no great value, it did not cut down enough on unnecessary transport nor would it put a dent in the family/work balance piece. Three days a week, on the other hand, seemed like too long away from colleagues (For me of course, talking personally). So I settled on two. I also made sure they were on Tue/Wed or Thurs. This avoided the impression I was extending my weekend and allowed me to bookend my week with the company.
The second game changer was a dedicated office space. Not only did I ensure I had an office at home I made sure the technology setup was identical to that at work. Same kit etc. This is far more doable these days with the far lower cost of hardware.
I’m extremely fortunate these days of not only having a dedicated office space but one that is separate from the house as well. I absolutely love the experience and couldn’t possibly sit at a kitchen table with a tablet or laptop and feel I am properly working. The lack of distractions and properly setting the environment is so very important to me.
With my main work colleagues located in Auckland (I’m Wellington based) the majority of work I do regardless of where I physically sit is technically remote working anyway and as I remind people who are in the office, they are working remotely too, because they are working with me and I’m not there.
Sitting in a modern personally designed space geared up for uninterrupted deep work is a real privilege. To check a white board with intermingled personal and professional tasks for the day, priceless…
What’s your must haves for work?
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