How to work from home: Six steps to success

Today, more and more people are opting to telework—to work from home. Whether you are an independent contractor with your own business, a freelancer, or a regular nine-to-five employee, the option to work from home is more prevalent than ever, and more and more people are taking advantage of this opportunity.

Teleworking offers many advantages, like more flexibility, no commute, no dress code, and more time with the family. Sounds like a win-win, right? Well, yes and no. There are plusses and pitfalls to working from home, but you can easily structure your teleworking to be productive and meaningful.

The pros of working from home

Many of the benefits to working from home are “fun.” You can work in your pajamas, your dog can sit in your lap, you can go without a shower, you can listen to whatever music you want. Other benefits are very real, in terms of the bottom line. For example, your commute is however long it takes to get to your computer, so you save time, money and the stress of having to get to the office every day. There are also no unwanted interruptions from office mates or office drama to distract you. This offers more potential for increased focus, concentration and productivity.

For the employer, the benefits are many, as well. Increasingly, many people want to telework, so this is a great perk to offer your employees and a great recruitment tool. Working from home can increase employee satisfaction and morale, and both of those can contribute to increased productivity. The employer’s overhead also goes down, which adds up to a substantial savings. Teleworking can be a win-win for both employer and employee.

If you’re a freelancer or consultant you’re on your own here, but if you are a company employee, your firm may provide assistance or equipment for your home office. Don’t expect much, though. Teleworking is still new enough that most companies don’t provide assistance, but you can always ask. You never know. Your company may be willing to offset the cost of or even provide a smart phone, a phone line, a computer or other necessities for your home office, so you can be as productive as possible and communicate effectively. Just ask them what they are willing to provide.

The cons of working from home

There is a downside to working from home. Remember that the workplace is s social organization, and when you work from home that social fabric is missing. Person-to-person interaction is gone. You can feel disconnected. This can hurt you emotionally, especially if you are social person, but it can also hurt teamwork and workplace relationships, both of which are crucial to getting things done. You may also miss out on the political “game” of the office, which is actually a crucial component of networking.

Conversely, even if you like to be separate and out of the mix, you can feel as if they don’t trust you, especially if they ask you to attend meetings, check in, or call to check up on your work. And if you are not a self-motivated person or if you need a lot of instruction or supervision, working from home may not be right for you.

Setting yourself up for success

If you do choose to work from home, it is imperative that you set yourself up for success. Many people think working from home would be heaven. In reality, lots of people flail when they telework because they are distracted by their homes. They forget that working from home has to emphasis the work, not the home.

In order to be successful, you have to take it seriously and set clear boundaries in your home. Whether you are a consultant, a freelancer, or a full-time employee, if you are going to work from home successfully, it all boils down to self-motivation and self-control. You’ve got to be able to set boundaries, minimize distractions, and focus on the work. Here’s how:

First, carve out a home office. You need to have a dedicated space for your work. The living room couch won’t cut it. You have to take teleworking seriously, and this is best achieved if you take your workspace seriously. You need a place to work without distraction, a place that is recognized by your family as your workspace and a place where you can keep your work materials safe and separate from your home life.

Second, create boundaries, not just with a clearly defined workspace but also with your family and friends. Establish a protocol, make clear when you are working and when you can and can’t be disturbed.

Third, equip yourself properly and professionally. Get a computer just for you and your work. Get the proper supplies. And get a dedicated phone line for your work. You can’t be taken seriously if your husband answers the phone in his usual charming way, or your son doesn’t take proper messages, or your daughter rushes you to get off because she is waiting for a call, or if your answering machine features the cute-only-to-you voice of your five-year-old. If you are going to work from home or have a home business, you have to prepare yourself and behave in a professional manner. And this means a separate line for work calls.

Fourth, reduce distractions. You have to be able to ignore the laundry, the dishes, Mad Men Season Five, running errands, and other household distractions. And, just like at the office, don’t constantly answer personal phone calls, e-mails, or surf the Internet while working. But don’t be foolish about it either; set aside time every hour to do so. Just remember, working from home is more about the working than the home.

Fifth, establish the parameters of your working hours. If you are with a company find out when they want you to be available and stick to that. They will establish with you some guidelines. If you are freelance, you can obviously establish your own hours, but you have to decide what those will be. Will you take clients calls 24/7? Is lunchtime blocked out? When will you start? When do clients want you to check in? Working from home can be a slippery slop to all access, all the time, so think about what you or your company wants, and set your schedule. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have set hours. Just decide what those will be.

Sixth, continue to network. Whether you are an extrovert or an introvert, one of the most important things to do in business is to network. And those who work from home are already cut off from the workplace, so you have to make an extra effort to get out there and network.

These days, lots of networking can be done on-line, through sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and others. But you should still maintain an active physical presence. Nothing beats face-to-face interactions, and you should always look for ways to do so. If you work for a company, make sure you go to the office at least once a week. Attend meetings, lunches, social gatherings and other opportunities. You have to combine the electronic world with the physical world in order to keep your network healthy and growing.

If you are a freelancer or a consultant, find ways to network. Go to parties, lunches, seminars and programs. Join clubs and professional organizations. You have to combine the electronic world with the physical world in order to keep your network healthy and growing.

Working at home can be productive, rewarding, convenient and cost-effective. The key is to set yourself up for success and remember to focus on the work.

Listen to Mary discuss this topic on Clear Channel’s “The Working Life” radio show: http://www.wmzq.com/pages/wafaudio.html

Is your network wide enough?

Diversify Your Network


In any market, the most important thing you can do to advance your career and professional interests is to network. But now, as our economy shifts and changes, as new technologies arise and old ones are replaced, networking is more imperative than ever.


By the same token, it is important to remember that these are business relationships. Yes, you want to build on common interests and yes you want to establish relationships with people you like, but remember that this is a different situation than building friendships. Women, very often fall into this trap, which is odd, given that women are naturally more social creatures than men.


Women are at another disadvantage when it comes to networking, for the reason that they don’t do it often enough. Networking requires going out for drinks after work, or having breakfasts or the like. But because women have more demands on their time with family obligations they don’t network the way they should. This is a mistake, and women need to make more of an effort to get out there and do what they have to to establish and nurture their network. Start small. Commit yourself to a networking event or opportunity once every other week, building to a networking event at least once a week.


Opportunities don’t come from the sky. They come from other people. Who you know is still as important as what you know. And this means networking. Without developing a network, how are other people going to find you? Who is going to come knocking on your door? You have to create and nurture a healthy network, so opportunity can find you.


The key to effective networking in the twenty-first century is to diversify. It’s not enough to do the same old thing, to stick to your chosen field and the players in it. Today, you have to branch out and diversify to other people, in other fields and in other ways. Here’s how.


Get Connected
We live in a hyper-connected world, and in order to network effectively you have to be a part of that world. The good news is that networking electronically is easy, popular and effective. You can get and stay connected via any number of technological means: LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs, and any number of other electronic and on-line forums and associations.


If you are flummoxed by these new technologies or sites, have someone show you how to access and use them. It’s actually very simple. Once on them, you need to maintain them and respond to people in a timely fashion. Don’t be embarrassed if this way of doing things is unfamiliar and strange to you. Get over it and get on board; everyone is doing it and so should you.


And you can’t afford not to. The reach of these sites and technologies is simply amazing. Facebook, for example, has 250 million users, and the fastest growing demographic on that site is over 35 years old. LinkedIn, a professional rather than social site, has 25 million users, of whom 31 percent are over the age of 45. Demographically, on-line networking sites are not just for the young. Everyone is on them. You should too, and it’s as easy as a mouse click.


Freshen Up
The thing about networks is that most people don’t use them until they need them. This is a mistake. You should always be networking and you should always be tending to your network. Whether you have been actively networking or not, now is a good time to freshen up or even get started. Reconnect with people. Have coffee, have lunch or breakfast. Go to events. Join associations and clubs. Attend seminars and industry events. Find colleagues, new and old, through appropriate Internet sites. Connect, connect, connect.


The point is to freshen up your old contacts and network by reconnecting with them, and then start fresh with new networks. You need to build relationships before you need them, so take the time and energy to do it right. The best time to develop a network is when you don’t need it. So get busy.


Be Real
The obvious reason to have a network is to use it to stay informed, engaged and plugged in. It’s also the best way to find opportunities. But the key to being an effective networker is not to appear desperate, needy or on the make. Don’t be smarmy and obvious about your intentions. The point of networking is to build bonds with people who you like, who share interests and who, of course, can help you. But if you appear insincere, phony or too ambitious, it will backfire. Be real.


But very often women focus on the personal rather than on business. For example, women are naturally inclined to become friends, and often resort to cute shoes, love the bag, sort of things rather than on business.


The final imperative to the new rules of networking is to diversify your network. You have to look beyond your specific field, your current colleagues and your current industry. Think this way: What are my transferable skills? What are my interests? Then, look into those fields and start networking there.


Don’t get stuck in one field or one industry. In order to diversify you have to really think about where you can use your skills. Break out of your industry and your employment comfort zone, so you can broaden your base of opportunity.


Second, you also have to diversify the people with whom you network. It’s not your father’s business world anymore. Chances are your peer group doesn’t look the way it did 20 years ago. Today’s market moves so fast that your network has to include those above and below you, those younger and older than you, those with different skin color and sexual orientation. Younger generations are often forgotten when older people network. But remember, the people in Gen Y and Gen X and even younger will be decision makers, managers and leaders before you know it. Your network must include them, no matter where they are now. 


Your network has to be multi-generational, multi-cultural, and multi-industrial. That is the best way to bullet proof your career.

You can watch Mary discuss this topic on tv: http://careerstonegroup.com/media.html

You can watch Mary discuss this topic on tv: http://careerstonegroup.com/media.html

Why you should take a vacation

As great as a week (or two) at the beach sounds, would you believe that one-third of working Americans will not use all of their allotted vacation time this year? And if they do, half of the time they take their work with them. Sure, the economy is rough and many of us are holding on to our jobs for dear life, but come on. Take that vacation already. Here’s why.

The American Way

What is it about Americans? About 40 percent of American workers don’t take any vacation at all. Twenty-five percent of American workers don’t even get vacation time. In the industrialized world, Americans rank last in terms of vacation. We average two weeks a year while Europeans average six.

While the current economic situation may affect how and where people vacation, it is probably having a residual effect of the simple act (and paid perk) of taking a vacation. People may actually be afraid to take their vacation time for fear it will make them look less dedicated, or give someone else an opportunity in their place, or are simply afraid to leave their company for any reason, be it self importance or inertia.

But the fact of the matter is that taking a vacation is a proven way to reduce stress and rejuvenate yourself. You may be afraid to do it, but you will be much better off for it.

The Benefits of a Vacation

Imbibing fruity drinks is not only the only benefit to a vacation. Studies show again and again that vacations reduce stress, promote creativity, stave off burnout, strengthen personal and familial relationships and help job performance. Vacations de-stress and re-charge. Seriously, vacations are an absolute physical and emotional necessity. We are healthier for it, by sleeping more, eating better, maybe even exercising a bit. We get away from work, and that is a good thing.

Every management guru (and good boss) knows that taking frequent breaks from work promotes better brain activity and creative thinking. When someone is exhausted or stressed, their mind shuts down to the point where they are no longer productive or effective. So you have to occasionally get away from work to be the most productive at work. Most high-tech companies have this figured out, which is why they feature lavish and funky break rooms with baristas, couches, scooters, massage therapists, video games and the like to help their employees disconnect and recharge.

The yearly two-week vacation is the equivalent to the fifteen-minute break in the workday; it is an essential component to one’s mental and physical health, and the hallmark of a productive person. What are you waiting for?

Making the Most of It

Now that you are convinced of the imperative of taking a vacation, it is essential to remember that not all vacations are created equal. What’s great for one person may be a nightmare for another. And some vacations may actually cause more stress and make you worse off. Like to lie around and do nothing? Then that ambitious trek through all the cathedrals of Northern Europe may not be the trip for you. Conversely, if you are a type A who loves to go go go, then two weeks on a remote beach may make you crazy. The vacation you take should match not just your interest but your energy level as well.

By the same token, what you take on vacation is important, too. By that I mean try not to take your work with you. Why are you taking your Blackberry and laptop with you? Unless you are running your own business, where your absence will be detrimental, you are not getting paid to respond to emails and voicemails. So leave the work gadgets behind. However, for some people, just knowing that they can stay connected might help them alleviate the anxiety of even taking a vacation. In that case, by all means, take them with you. Remember: the point of a vacation is not necessarily to do nothing. The point is to disconnect and disengage yourself from your work.

If you are a business owner put someone in charge. If you have to take your gadgets with you, try to use them for monitoring and updates, rather than running the show. Try to observe, rather than involve yourself.

It’s also important to know yourself well enough to know what length of vacation will work best for you. Some people like to take one big one, while others like to take lots of four-day weekends. It’s all about you and how quickly you can disconnect from work. Several short vacations throughout the year can be as beneficial as one good long one. Whatever recharges your batteries best is what you should do.

And you should take the time to lay the groundwork for your vacation. A few weeks before your vacation (after you’ve cleared it with your boss), inform your colleagues, clients and anyone else who may be impacted by your absence when and how long you will be gone. Make sure those who need to know, know. Make a list of all your current projects and their status. Ensure that your back up is clear about where to find all information. Make sure you put an away message on your email, phone, and cell phone, and be clear about your time frame. And be sure to include a contact person for your absence. Make sure your office knows under what circumstances you should be reached. And finally, you have to trust your colleagues to manage things while you are gone. It’ll be OK. Honestly.

Getting Back to Work

The hardest part about taking a vacation is coming back and returning to hundreds of papers, emails and voicemails. But you don’t have to face Monday morning with dread.

First of all, try to return a full day ahead of your scheduled return to work so that you can catch up at home. If I am going to be on vacation and return to work on a Monday, I try to get home by Saturday so that I have all day Sunday to get my house in order – unpack, check and answer messages, do laundry, sort through the mail, grocery shop, etc. That way, when I return to work, at least my home front is back in order.

On Monday, start early. Try to arrive before others so that you can get a jump on things without being distracted. Turn off your vacation responders or change your messages. Then, start with e-mails. Go through them quickly, deleting junk and prioritizing the rest. Ditto the mail and your messages. Then, schedule an appointment with your boss or assistant for later in the morning to bring you up to date quickly. And instead of having a half dozen conversations with colleagues about your trip, try to get everyone together at once over coffee or lunch. Don’t let being away suck you into a stressful, overworked situation from the get-go. Just prioritize and stay focused. And remember to take a break.

You can watch Mary discuss this on TV:

You can hear Mary discuss this topic on the radio. Click on The Working Life audio: http://www.wmzq.com/pages/wafaudio.html