Chapter 6
Efficiently Working from a Home Office
- Knowing yourself and what's around you
- Selecting the right environment
- Getting work done from home
Because of our technology and mobile society, home offices are more of the norm than ever. That trend has accelerated with more contract, consulting, and part-time work available today. According to Global Workplace Analytics, more than 6 million people use a home office at least part of their work week; I include myself in that group. For certain hours, either early in the morning or when the kids are not home, my home office is the most productive place for me to write, plan business strategies, and use my creativity to problem-solve complex issues.
The home office can lend itself to high productivity, or it can become a wasteland of inefficiency. The difference lies in the environment, design, equipment, interaction strategy, and implementation.
Knowing Yourself and Your Environment
When you know yourself, you can create a productive environment in which to work. What types of surroundings bring you joy and energy? What type of setting would entice you to spend time there? What do you need around you to help you stay focused?
Your environment influences your success. If you create a home office space in your dark, damp basement that has no windows and your office at work is light, bright, comfortable, with a view of the park from the window, your home office will be ineffective because your desire to work there will rarely be high. You will likely find other things to do around the house than go into the dungeon of your home office.
I have been fortunate a few times to design home offices before we built the house. My preference is a large space with amenities that create a rich environment — rich wood floor and high ceilings, book cases, and a fireplace for those cold early mornings create an environment I want to come to and be productive in. You might not ever build from the ground up or have a large budget for your home office, but there are easy ways to create the environment you want.
If you can't create a closed-off, separated area from the rest of the room, paint your office area or one wall a different color from the rest of the room. By doing this, you create at least a different visual. If you have the space to utilize a bedroom, select one that is out of the main traffic pattern in your home. Use color, textures, and pictures to create an inviting environment.
Always have a few mementoes or tchotchkes that help you when you are stuck. Think of the movie Jerry Maguire when Jerry had to have his baseball bat to think creatively. I have a hickory-shaft golf club that I grab and swing when I'm working out thoughts and problems. This is your environment, so design it for you. Go online to www.houzz.com and see pictures and images of what can be done with home office spaces. You might invest an hour or two with an interior designer to help you get it right. I spend at least 10 hours each week in my home office. Even if it's just a day or a week working in your home office, that is 20 percent of your work time.
Working from a home office has its advantages. On some days, I get to sleep a little later, have a leisurely morning, walk the dog, work a little, and then grab lunch. Most days, however, are not like this. A day like that every once in a blue moon won't kill productivity, but more than a couple of laid-back days a week will show up in a lack of earnings and advancement opportunities.
Is working from home for you?
Working from home isn't for everyone. Some need the accountability of others to show up ready and on time at 8:00 a.m. In a home office setting, you need to be disciplined and accountable to yourself.
Let's take a little quiz to see if the home office is a good match for you.
- Are you well organized?
- Do you work well alone?
- Are you self-motivated and directed to start each task?
- You are skilled and disciplined at working through your to-do lists in spite of other distractions?
- Is seeing people face to face a few times a week enough social interaction for you, instead of seeing people every day?
- Can you create an environment in your dwelling that's uplifting and free of distraction?
- You love your work, but do you know when to pull the plug and be with family?
- Are you confident you can control home distractions (walking the dog, taking personal phone calls and texts, preparing dinner, answering the “I'm hungry” refrigerator call, doing small home repairs)?
- Does your family understand the meaning of the Do Not Disturb sign on your door?
- Is working in a home office something you are determined to accomplish in spite of the problems that might arise?
If you answered “yes” to seven or more of these questions, then having a home office is a good option for you. If you answered “yes” to five to six, a home office could work out well for you; however, you have more work to do. If you answered “yes” to four or fewer questions, the risk of failure in a home office environment is very high.
Weighing the pros and cons of a home office
There are pros and cons to any decision in life. Deciding if a home office is right for you could have a huge impact on your life and will affect your income, wealth, company advancement, family life, and peace of mind. There aren't many decisions this big in life. The problem is that most people don't realize the magnitude. Most people pine for the home office to increase flexibility, efficiency, and time savings to create a level of freedom for them. Some of the advantages include:
- Setting your own hours: This freedom allows you to align your work around family as well as your natural rhythm of your work. For example, some people work better in the evening than first thing in the morning. That's when their mental motor is firing on all cylinders. A home office gives you flexibility to work well after you put the kids to bed. You can create a work schedule that works for and with you.
- Controlling costs: For the most part, the largest cost for a small business is the rented office space and the accompanying utilities. Most building owners require years of commitment in the form of a long-term lease as well as personal financial guarantees that the monthly rent will be paid. If you work from home, you avoid all those costs.
If you run a small business in today's technology world, your customer in most business niches would never know that your office is in your home. If you have a website, social media presence, customer and prospect email lists and a phone, you have a business in today's world. On the Internet, a small company can look like a large company that has been around for 100 years.
- Commuting time: The amount of time you spend in your car getting to and from work is enormous. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average commute time in the United States is more than 5 minutes one way. This creates stress and tension before you even walk through the door. A home office that enables you to work from home even for a few hours and miss rush hour traffic can be a significant time- and gas-saving option.
- Attending more family events: A home office doesn't guarantee your attendance at all the soccer or t-ball games. It does allow, however, for the flexibility to step away for a few hours to attend them and then go back to work.
- Hitting deadlines on projects: Let's face it, in business there are just times where you need to go above and beyond for your bosses and clients. There are times, like when you're writing a book and your editor is breathing down your neck to submit chapters, that a designated home office can make the difference between getting it done on time … or not.
There are certainly positives to the home office environment, but there are also the negative traps that you need to watch out for as well. You may want to wear rose colored glasses when it comes to a home office, but there are drawbacks, such as:
- Lack of formal structure and support: If you need the structure and accountability of a work environment, a home office could be a challenge for you. Some need the structure of getting up, showering, and putting on work clothes to feel like they are at work. You also can lose your office assistant, phone coverage, ease of delegation, and other services you are provided in a typical office environment.
- The feeling of isolation: Because you are not around the office environment, you might miss the comradery and interaction with others. People who work mostly from a home office can feel isolated from their co-workers more easily. Unless you are a high-introvert person, you need to design a system to engage in interaction with your team at work. Many home office workers have animals so they aren't completely alone all day long.
- A home office environment requires greater self-discipline: A person who lacks self-management and self-discipline usually fails in a home office setting. They frequently don't demand of themselves what a boss who is watchful in an office setting might require. The skill of time management and self-discipline are vital tools for a home office worker's tool kit.
- The challenge of separation from work life from home life: There are clear lines of distinction when you have to physically prepare, commute to, and arrive at your company office. The work and home line is drawn boldly. If you are the type to slip away from family time to get that last project done, the balancing act between home and work might be too difficult.
There are other drawbacks from potential changes in child care and the resulting cost, privacy, being taken seriously as a professional, and even isolation, which I deal with in great depth later in the chapter.
Defining your space needs
How much and what type of space do you need? The square feet question is important, but generally the size of the office won't make you more or less productive. When choosing a location for your home office, you want a place that affects your productivity and ability to manage your time in a positive way. When the space is less than ideal, or when you struggle to focus on work even when you've got a great location, consider trying these tips to nurture your productivity:
- Choose an out-of-the-way locale. Look for an area that's yours alone, removed from general traffic and noise, where you can shut the door and hang a Do Not Disturb sign on the knob. The more out of the way your office, the better use you'll make of your time.
Setting up your home office in Hub Central — the family center of your home — without physical boundaries is unwise. Today's typical den off the entry doesn't provide enough physical distance between you, your work, and your family. It's right in the middle of the home, so noise from both ends of the house reaches you clearly. Your family walks by numerous times, and in newer homes, the office doors are often glass, providing no visual barrier whatsoever.
I once had an office that was nearly ideal. It was above our detached garage, which created a short commute of 47 steps from our side door up the steps and into the office. Believe it or not, those scant 47 steps substantially decreased the number of interruptions.
- Employ other physical barriers if your office location isn't ideal. If your home office isn't off in a private area of the house and your doors are glass, your best defense is a shade or visual barrier. When children see you “not working” (for mine it's when I'm thinking), they may figure it is playtime. The other necessary item is a lock on the door, which announces that you're busy and don't want to be interrupted.
Selecting the Right Equipment
My father always said, “You need the right tools for the job.” The right tools and equipment in the home office environment are paramount because you can't requisition more supplies from the supply room like you can at the office. Being well prepared and well stocked can save you a lot of wasted time.
If you're a lover of new gadgets it's really easy to justify buying them just because you have a home office. A regular trip to IKEA or Office Depot can turn into a constant spending spree because you can “write it off” as office equipment.
More than a desk and chair
Your most-used tools are your desk and chair. Do you need a desk, or would more of a work table be more suited to your tasks? If you need a work area larger than a desk will accommodate, a work table might prove to be a better bet. Will your desk have your computer on it, or will there be a separate computer area? Do you use a single monitor, or are dual or more monitors required? Do you need a keyboard shelf that slides out of the way?
The aesthetics of an antique desk or a designer desk are wonderful for a home office. Most people find that they fall far short in functionality and practicality. These types of desk were not designed with today's technology in mind. Don't make the mistake of choosing form over function.
The office chair is a heavily used piece of furniture. You likely spend hours a day in it. Most chair manufacturers focus on the ergonomics for comfort and productivity. Select a chair that has good back support and enables you to adjust the height. If you can find a chair you like that tilts and has arm rest adjustments, it can reduce back strain and carpal tunnel syndrome as well. Select a chair that has a covering or that has breathable fabric or leather that will transfer heat away from your body.
I recently purchased a Varidesk. This system sits right on top of a portion of my desk. It allows me to work in a standing position while at my desk for a part of the day. This gives me a variety and helps with being seated for too much of the day. Check it out at www.varidesk.com.
Desktops, laptops, scanners, and other tools
The computer is most home-office users’ primary tool. Whether you need a desktop or laptop depends on your movement beyond your home office. Don't go budget on a computer. You want a recent model with the highest speed, and most room for storage and memory. Most laptops and desktops come with webcams, and they do vary in quality. Because you are remote from your office you might use Skype, GoToMeeting, WebEx, or JoinMe to engage visually with your work team or sales prospects.
When in doubt between a laptop and desktop, select a laptop. You can always buy a docking station, multiple monitors, and use a standard size wireless keyboard and mouse. There are tools you can buy to make the laptop feel and function like a desktop, but not the other way around.
Check on your Internet connection speed. The typical base plan of Internet speed through your cable or DSL provider may not be fast enough. Certainly a high-quality wireless router is a must to create profitability in having a working lunch in your kitchen or outside on that beautiful summer day.
I have found more fluctuations in speed in DSL services than high-speed cable services. If you use a web conferencing service, conduct or attend web-based meetings or webinars, or make web-based presentations, these small fluctuations in DSL can cause havoc for you and others.
Most people run their home office with inadequate telephone equipment. You need a high-quality phone that is connected to a headset. Your productivity and ease of use is stunted by using your home line for business, your cell phone, or a handheld phone. A high-quality headset that is wireless allow you to move about your house while still in communication. With hands-free you can take notes, do tasks, and move while talking. You can also check on dinner progress without interrupting the conversation with your boss.
Selecting the right printer, scanner, and copier creates more efficient work flow. If you buy an all-in-one unit (that is, printer/scanner/copier/fax), be sure the quality and reliability of each part is top quality. Check the initial cost of the machine, the number of copies it produces in what length of time (nothing more frustrating than standing around, waiting for your printer to spit out a dozen or more copies), and the ease of finding and cost of replacing ink cartridges. There are vast differences in prices for makes and models. Many manufacturers sell a cheaper all-in-one knowing they will make up the cash on the cartridges you buy from them.
Managing the lighting and noise
The lighting for your office can add warmth, comfort, and creativity to your office. The windows in your office need to balance the natural light and sunlight for your office. They can also bring in glare, so be sure to have adjustable shades that enable you to regulate the natural light throughout the day.
The best home office environments have natural light, ambient light, and specific task lighting. The ambient light fills the whole room with consistent, balanced lighting. The task lighting illuminates the area or project you are specially working on now.
Noise can be a problem in a home office. Generally speaking, most homes aren't built to be soundproof. From the garbage disposal in the kitchen to the neighbor kids playing basketball in the driveway next door, noise can be a great distraction. But you have noise-cancelling options.
- Use white noise to block out other household noises. You can establish auditory boundaries by blocking household noises with white noise. White noise is a constant low-level background sound, such as static or a whirring fan, which quickly becomes inaudible but drowns out other, more disruptive noises.
- Drown out distracting noise with music. The best background music for me is Baroque piano. It's simple because it's only one instrument; also, studies have shown that Baroque music stimulates the creative side of the brain. I advise against the radio because of the constantly changing style and tempo of songs, the newscasts, and disk-jockey monologues (though some people claim to work better with this sort of background noise). I also suggest instrumental music rather than songs with lyrics — words can be distracting. I listen to orchestra and symphonic music, such as classical or easy listening.
Getting the Work Done from Home
I can't emphasize enough how crafting and adhering to a set of rules for you as well as your entire family and friends increases your chance of success when you're working at home. By drawing lines between your work time and your personal time, you allow yourself to be fully present with each — and presence is a key component of productivity. To establish a solid set of boundaries for yourself, follow these suggestions:
- Treat a day at the home as you would a day in your office. Start your day the same time you'd begin your commute to home-away-from-home and end it at the same you'd end your workday. Take only a half-hour lunch (but be sure to take the entire half-hour for lunch because you need that break). Regular start and stop times and set lunch breaks allow everyone to recognize your schedule and abide by it.
- Start early. If you work at home, you may find, as most office workers have, that you're most productive before others arrive. In the home office world, that's before your household wakes up for the day.
- Dress for success. Because you don't have to shower, shave, and don office clothes, you lose the empowering feeling you get that makes work seem like work. If you need formal dress to perform better and are negatively affected by staying in sweats or pajamas most of the day, by all means, get up, shower, and get dressed, just as you would if you were heading to the office. If you feel successful, you'll be successful, regardless of where you work.
- Set goals for yourself. Set goals in terms of work completed and reward yourself for achieving them, just as you would at the office.
- Don't answer personal calls during your workday. Using a home office to increase your productivity is an act of discipline. Others sometimes adopt the attitude that you're not really working; people who wouldn't imagine interrupting you at the office call to chew the fat, simply because you're home. Parents are often guilty of this. Be polite but firm: “Mom, I'm sorry. I'd love to talk, but I'm working right now. I'll call you back at five, as soon as I'm finished, okay?”
Fighting the home interruptions
You work from home, so undoubtedly you can take time for family whenever you want. Right? Well, not so much. Working from a home office doesn't include answering questions about the lawn, deciding what you want for dinner, and watching cartoons when the kids get home from school.
- Control interruptions from your family members. Patiently train your family on your work schedule and etiquette. You may want to establish set times when you allow for interruptions.
- Even if it's difficult, set and enforce boundaries. Setting these boundaries can be challenging, especially with the preschool set. When we were blessed with children, I decided that my work time would be “interruptible” when it came to our kids, and I stand by that philosophy. (I have to say, however, that both Annabelle and Wesley have uncanny abilities for selecting the worst possible times to interrupt!) Here's the one exception I make to the come-on-in rule: Absolutely no interruptions when I'm on the phone. You, too, may want to set some inviolable rules. Make them few, but enforce them rigorously.
Working at home with kids
Trying to accomplish work tasks and projects in a home office setting can be more than difficult when the kids are around. If you're home, many children feel like your time is theirs. They aren't used to being told “no” from mom or dad, but they now need to understand that the office area is off limits.
- Bartering can empower both you and your family. For example, while trying to finish a chapter a few days ago, I offered Wesley a trade: No more interruptions for the rest of the morning in return for an hour of fishing together. He let me complete the chapter (which took me at least an hour less to finish than it would've otherwise). Then I quit a little early, and we had our fishing contest in the golf course pond in our backyard. I lost one to four, but in spite of that, I managed to get my work done — and have a winning afternoon with my son!
- End on time. Being available to work extended hours can diminish the quality and quantity of family time. Set boundaries. When the office door closes, let voice mail pick up work calls. Leave the office behind.
- Allow yourself uninterrupted time each day to decompress. A commute allows you time to shift gears. On your way home, you move from CEO, salesperson, manager, assistant, or customer service representative to daddy, mommy, husband, wife, partner, or Fido's master. When you exit the door of your home office, the shift is over, and you're on! So when you're done for the day, take ten minutes to decompress before you walk out the door. You may even play some relaxing music so you can leave the troubles of the day behind.
Feeling isolated from the business world
If you work regularly from your home office, the biggest adjustment is the personal contact and interaction that is no longer there. The regular banter, coffee talk, and social outlet is reduced dramatically. For social people this change can be a tough adjustment. The feelings of being alone can overtake you.
Some people thrive in the more solitary environment. I find that I can work more single-mindedly on tasks from my home office.
- To overcome isolation feelings, schedule regular meetings and interactions with your colleagues. Use video conferencing, Skype, GoToMeeting, or WebEx so you have professional interaction via voice and video. Create a social media engagement time each day before your lunch hour. Grab a quick 15 minutes so you can catch up with others, and post personal reflections and observations to feel connected with others.
- Create a weekly lunch outside your office. Get out and eat with friends or co-workers to stop the walls of your home office from closing in on you. Track some of the time you are saving by not driving to and from work each day for a longer lunch hour one day a week. You're worth the flexible investment.