How to Telecommute - 5 Tips for Success
If you are here reading Green Gigs , you understand the environmental and personal benefits of telecommuting. However, many people are reluctant to telecommute and many employers are reluctant to let their employees work from home. Even though telecommuting has gained popularity and become more common over the last several years, many people are leery to leave the office and employers are tentative to relinquish control of their workers locations. I recently read an interesting U.S. News & World Report article covering this issue which got me thinking, “How does one successfully telecommute?”.
As a freelancer, I obviously work from home. Until recently that has meant that I sit at the kitchen table with my laptop and work while one or more of my kids buzz around me. For particularly big or thought consuming projects, I would hide in the guest bedroom and work when my husband was home and able to tend to our offspring. But several months back, when gas prices were skyrocketing, my husband made the switch and began telecommuting three days a week. Of course, the set-up I had been using was not going to work for my hubby – somehow we did not think his co-workers and clients would appreciate the roar of our herd in the background during business phone calls. Some changes had to be made.
5 Musts for Successful Telecommuting:
TIP #1: Location, Location, Location – THE most important factor in our household for successful telecommuting, has been the creation a dedicated office space. We converted the aforementioned guest room into an office (sorry guests – it’s the pull-out sofa for you!). There are a couple key components for this office space: a door and its second floor location. Obviously, if there are other people in the house while you are working, you need a space that is quiet and set apart from the hubbub. Even if there are no other living creatures in your abode during working hours, having an office space sets the mood – you wander in, get settled, then work – hopefully undistracted by your significant other, kids, pets, refrigerator, television or lawn mower. If you do not have a room that can be used solely for an office, try creating a space in a remote corner of a bedroom or other low-traffic area.
TIP #2: Technical Stuff - Let’s face it, an office comes with technical stuff you need to work. Most of us require more than a pencil and paper to complete our jobs and our employers supply these things. That might not necessarily be the case if you work from home. If you are fortunate, your employer may help cover the cost of setting up your home office, but most likely you are going to have to improvise and shell out some of your own money to get started. Consider what you need in your home office in order to perform your job well – Desk? High-speed internet? Second phone line? Computer? Printer/fax/copier/scanner? Next, see what you already have and what you need to purchase. Look into what costs, if any, your employer will for your home office. In our case my husband’s employer pays for the second phone line and although we had to purchase a desktop on our own for his use, we were able to get it through his company at a discount. Finally, do some calculations. Total your out-of-pocket expenses required to set-up your home office and weigh them against the money you save by not commuting (gas, wear-and-tear on your car, travel time). How long will it take you to recoup the money you will need to invest in order to telecommute? Is this acceptable to you? In our case, it took about six months to recover our money, which was an acceptable amount of time for us. However, look carefully at your numbers and make sure it really makes sense for you to work from home before making the switch.
TIP #3: Sane Boss or Employer – Okay, we have all had crazy controlling bosses or employers at some point in our lives. You know them: They are the ones that chastise you for leaving five minutes early to make a doctor’s appointment, even though you worked late the last three days. Or, for freelancers: These are the employers that insist you install spy software on your home computer so they can monitor the exact number of hours a day you work and during what time of day you complete your work. If this sounds like your current boss or employer, seriously consider whether telecommuting is the best option for you. You do not want to make your life more miserable and possibly jeopardize your position because of your control-freak boss.
TIP #4: Work As If... - You are in the office! The assumptions of your boss, employer, co-workers and clients is that while you are telecommuting you are lounging by the pool (be it kiddie or otherwise) eating ice cream, and occasionally taking phone calls. The benefits of working from home are great - my husband mows the lawn or goes for a run during lunch, helps get the kids on and off the bus, and gains almost two hours a day by not having to drive to-and-from work. While it is nice that hubby can come with me to occasional school events, he still uses his personal or flex time, just as he would if he was working at his company’s office. So be in your home office during business hours – answer the phone when it rings, return emails, and meet deadlines on time or ahead of schedule. As much as you may hate to admit it, people think you are not working when you telecommute, so prove to them you are!
TIP #5: Maintain Contact – Staying in touch with your boss, co-workers, and clients is essential when you work from home. You know the old saying, “out of sight – out of mind”? Do not let that hold true for you! Attend important meetings in person, show-up for those wonderful company functions (team-building anyone?), and call your boss and clients occasionally just to check-in and see if there is anything else you can be doing for them. In our case, my husband still goes into the corporate office two days a week, attends meetings, and occasionally travels to see clients. If you are a freelancer, follow-up with clients, check if they are satisfied with your work, and let them know you are available for other projects that come along.
Telecommuting is viable and valuable, but make sure you do it well. In the end, consider what is best for both your career and personal life and strive to find a healthy balance between the two.
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