They say it's easy

One of the common misconceptions about working from home is that "it's easy". Sure, it's easier to throw in a load of laundry on a break or get supper started, but that's not the job. Those are the perks that come with the job, which is actually harder (and why those perks are important).

When you remove the perks (comfier clothes, no commute, your own environment, etc.) and just focus on performing the work, the at-home worker must put in extra effort on every activity to match, or hopefully exceed, their in-office counterpart. The reason? Distance. The exact same reason that those long-distance relationships from college didn't work out!

Imagine that you want to have an interactive brainstorming session with multiple people, free flowing ideas, and collaboration. In the office, you just grab a conference room and shove everyone in. When you are differently located, however, you must find a technology solution that will perform many of the same functions, such as whiteboards, chat, sharing documents, telephone, etc. These may cost money, and they are certainly more overhead to set up than booking a room. And then you actually have to get people to participate on a platform they may not be familiar with. This results in extra preparation to become an expert yourself and being able to teach others. Which then also adds on to the meeting time. Whew! I'm exhausted just talking about it!!

Let's look at an even simpler example now. Assume that you like your coworkers and care about building a relationship with them. In the office, you'd probably say "Hi!" on your way to your desk, you'd chitchat at the water cooler, and probably go out to lunch every now and again. When you don't work in the office, these same people aren't within arms reach for such impromptu conversations. Once again, you must turn to technology to fill this gap, using mechanisms such as phone, instant message, and social media platforms. This comes with the same knowledge curve previously mentioned, for both you and the other parties involved. This also comes with more intent, which increases the effort. It's not just a convenient walk-by. You must go out of your way to be social. And with all that we have on our plates (those deliverables you are late with...), this can easily be curtailed to having social feel more like a burden than enjoyment.

Then, of course, there is the fear of being out of sight, out of mind. There is truth to that if you don't put energy into self promotion. You could be doing more work and receiving less recognition just because you are in the shadows. The physical person has the benefit of being seen each day, which creates a little marketing billboard for them each time. Without any effort, they are branding themselves. You, on the otherhand, need to make effort. You need to speak up on calls. You need to actively engage with senior leaders and peers. You need to toot your own horn. You must practice the ABC's of at-home promotion:

Always Be Communicating

Next time someone tells you that at-home work is easier, just smile and say "That's because I make it look easy!"

Say Cheese!

One of the foundations to building relationships when you are not co-located is to still feel physically connected to your coworkers through electronic means. Furthermore, the use of video allows you to really connect by seeing the person and their expressions (which so often speak more than words). And yet, so many people are reluctant to turn on their camera - But why?

Have you ever been around a person that refuses to get in any family/friend/group photos because they "hate photos of themselves"? Maybe it's even you!

There's actually some science around this phenomenon. It's called the mere-exposure effect. Basically, it illustrates that people prefer photographs that display their mirror image self and not their true self. It's the same reason you may hate the sound of your own voice - because you are used to what it sounds like reverberating in your own head and not what it really sounds like.

This effect is very interesting when it comes to photos. The image of you that you are most used to is the one in the mirror, where your features are reversed and your have a consistent light (be that bright, yellow, blue, white, etc.) In your photos, your features are not reversed and subject to the lighting that is present and other environmental variables. Thus, the picture looks weird compared to what you see every morning. Not surprising then, many people favor reverse camera selfies because it at least maintains the reversing mirror effect.

Now you know why you don't like your own photo. But here's something more important: While you may prefer the mirror image and not the true image, the opposite is true with your friends. They prefer the you in photos because that is the you that they know! Heck, studies show that even strangers will find your picture more likable than you will!

So back to turning cameras on for meetings...

If you aren't afraid to show up to a meeting in person, then why are you afraid to turn on your camera? Besides the above, there is also the casual nature that comes with working at home. Most people don't get done-up for work with hair, clothes, and makeup like they would when they come to the office. This leaves people feeling self-conscience about themselves.

Let me share some earth-shattering news with you: Your coworkers don't care. First of all, most people understand that when you work from home you're going to be more laid back. Secondly, they aren't judging you that way anyway. No one is talking about that zit on your forehead or your disheveled ponytail. They are far more interested in knowing you are a real person and talking with you than focusing on such petty things.

Remember, having a face works to your advantage. It is far easier to send scathing emails or stew on some aggravating encounter when you aren't a real person. But when someone has to say these things to your face, the tone changes as does the experience. Email and IM depersonalize the message and give perceived permission space to behave in ways you wouldn't face-to-face. So, put the face back into the interaction. Don't be a figment of someone's imagination, because figments will be forgotten!

Bottom-line - Turn on your camera. The fear is all in your head. And the benefits of overcoming that fear are huge.

Lunch time

One thing I have found amazing since I became an at-home worker is the different approaches to the "lunch hour." It's time we put the break back in break-time!

When I was in the office, I always worked through lunch. I would eat whatever, healthy or typically not, that was easy to mindlessly shove in my face while working. My reasoning was simple: I didn't want to work later or earlier in the office than I absolutely had to. Not that I'm not a hard worker! But, I have a life outside of work. When you add in commute time and the like, I wanted every ounce of freedom I could get. If working through lunch meant leaving at 5:00 (or a few minutes early to beat traffic), then that was a price worth paying.

Now that I'm an at-home worker, it is very opposite. I enjoy taking an actual lunch break every day. And it makes a huge difference! Scientific research has shown that you need a 30 minute break every 4-6 hours to allow your brain to breathe and center. Breaks allow your brain to move from "focused" to "diffused" mode, where their daydreamy state allows you to make better cognitive connections. (Like when you get great ideas or remember that thing you lost while in the shower!) And breaks help us re-evaluate goals by taking a fresh perspective.

Not only is it good for your brain, but stepping away and eating a proper lunch is good for your health. Mindful, rested eating is better for your digestive system and allows you to enjoy your food and recognize signals such as feeling full. The "right" food will re-energize you for the entire afternoon without a sugary crash.

The at-home worker is in a very powerful position when it comes to lunch. They have their own kitchen! You can use a real stove, have fresh ingredients, and even cook things that stink because you won't offend anyone!! You have access to utensils, real plates, seasonings, and time. There's no reason you cannot fix a nutritious meal that will feed your brain and your body. Say goodbye to the frozen meals that come with in-office work and really enjoy the freedom that is offered to you.

You can use this lunch time for more than just lunch as well. (But don't skip that meal!) You can workout without worrying about being sweaty in the office. You can shop online or check out social media on your personal equipment - there are no office internet police on those connections. You can meditate and feed your mind and soul. You can run some errands that aren't possible in many office environments. You can even just watch some trash TV and rub the dog's belly to totally escape for a while.

Many at-home colleagues tell me that they don't take a lunch from home because they feel tethered to their machine or they miss the social aspect of lunch. Don't discount yourself! Your lunch hour is still your right, and most people generally accept lunch as a typical human priority. If you really miss the social, go out to lunch. Meet up with people. Or, in a pinch, Skype or otherwise web chat over food with your pals.

The most important thing here is to let at-home work empower you to make the most of your lunch hour and not detract from it. This time is very important to your overall success, so take the freedom you've been offered and really turn it into something. Think of that time away from your computer as food for your body, mind, and soul. Nourish yourself!!

Where in the world is...?

Carmen Sandiego? I never could find that lady!

Previously I wrote a post about cutting the invisible tether that ties at-home workers to their desk. This tether exists largely when you cannot be seen, as it is assumed that you aren't working. This is a stigma that will take time and experience to overcome, but there are things you can do to help.

One of the easiest ways to gain trust is by being transparent with your schedule.

Let's assume one of the pointy-haired boss-type people is trying to find you, but you are off today. They email. They call. They IM. And they get no answer. They will obviously be frustrated and blame your at-home status for you being unreachable.

The easy answer to this: Let them know you were off today.

Seems so simple, right? Duh! Well, you'd be amazed at how often these little things are not done. Transparency helps build trust. When others are aware of where you are scheduled to be, then they will not question your work ethic when you aren't immediately reachable. And it builds trust for those non-scheduled times too! If you are willing to share your whereabouts, people will become less suspicious of all of your time. By illustrating you have nothing to hide, you are saying "Seriously people, I have nothing to hide! I'm working here!!"

Here are some simple tips to help improve your location transparency:

• When out of the office for an extended period:
• Set an auto reply on your email. Be sure to note when you will be returning and who can be reached if immediate help is needed. (It's ok for that to be someone else. You don't always have to give out your personal cell phone!)
• Block the time on your personal calendar. If someone wants to schedule a meeting with you, your calendar should not make it appear that you are available to meet. Nothing more frustrating than scheduling a meeting with someone to hear "Oh, I am off that day." Block your calendar properly and the meeting will be scheduled properly!!
• Let your team know in advance. You can do this through a shared team calendar or meeting invites or simply discussing in a staff meeting. Don't let your auto-reply be the first they hear of it.
• Inform other key colleagues and customers in advance. Maybe tell them in passing or during during another meeting, or even add your planned time off in your email signature for everyone to see.
• Update your voicemail to also indicate your whereabouts. When gone for an extended period, a custom message with your return date may be helpful. In may cases, simply changing to say you are not in the office today will suffice. 
• When in the office:
• Be sure your calendar reflects where you are and when. If you need an hour to travel to/from a meeting, put it on your calendar. If you want to block time to indicate you go to the gym during your lunch hour, put it on your calendar. 
• Be sure your IM status is current. Most Instant Messenger platforms can sync with your calendar and your activity to inform people of your location and availability. Sometimes you may override this, particular for Do Not Disturb moments, but be sure to set it back. Having a status of "Away" for 4 days doesn't leave the right impression. (And be sure to actually sign out if you are done for the day!)
• Attend the meetings you accept. Don't falsify your calendar. People will catch on, and it won't be pretty. 
• Be sure your calendar also reflects your working hours. If you work an alternate shift, ensure your calendar illustrates the same. If people are contacting you at 4:00 PM and you leave at 3:00 PM, how else might they know? 
• In general:
• Let people see your calendar. Really, what are you hiding? If something is sooooo private, then mark it private. But 99% of the meetings you attend, time you block to do work, or even appointments aren't so special that you can't let others know what you are doing. 
• Make sure that your electronic media is always accurate to your current location. It's great to say you're out of office today, provided you change it back when you return. 
• You don't have to update for the small things like a nature break or a coffee. The more trust you build with the bigger things, the less the little things are of consequence.

If you were physically in the office, people would be able to see when you are on the phone, in a meeting, or simply out for the day. When you are at-home, people can't just see that. Cameras all over your house would be creepy. So you need to let them "see" through other avenues. It's the same cues you provided before, only in electronic format. When people can see where you are, they wonder less about where you might otherwise be.

Permission to be Social

In a traditional office setting, it's normal to get off the elevator and chat up someone walking down the hall. You stop and talk on your way to the restroom, in the break room while refilling your beverage, etc. Heck, people may walk to your desk just to say hi.

At home, people don't walk to my desk to say hi. If they did, you'd probably freak out.

Most people wouldn't pause to even notice if you were having a casual chat in your cubicle. However, being social in a virtual environment leaves a bigger paper trail for others to follow. This lead may lead to a raised eyebrow.

In a less supportive environment, someone may notice how often you post to your social media site or they may see your IM trail and notice random, not-so-work-related chats with coworkers. This may lead to questions such as "How much work is that person really doing?" or "If so-and-so has time to post, they have time to work."

Hey, guess what, people - Being social IS working. Feeling connected to your coworkers and company is critical to your engagement. None of us are robots, we need work to be about more than just the bottom line. Our social community and connections help provide this environment. If you wasn't being social, you'd be doing less work. You'd be less connected to your place of employment. You may even be looking externally for a new, more supportive opportunity.

Creating a space where people feel it's OK to connect is vital. The technical gizmos help, but only if associates are empowered to use them. That's the reason you'll see my personal paper trail to be longer than some others. Not only do I need to personally connect with others, I need my team to know it's acceptable. Instead of providing lip service, I illustrate through doing. If I can take the time (and sometimes make the time - there's a difference!), then you can to. It's ok. Really. Try it.

I'd argue that there is no "too much" when it comes to social, as long as your people are getting their work done on time at the highest quality, adding value to customers, and delivering on their service promise.

Tips for creating social permissions space:

• Encourage social behavior through your words.
• Illustrate social behavior through your actions.
• Trust your people. Don't troll their social interactions.
• Applaud their engagement. If you happen to see social media posts, IMs, emails, etc. that illustrate their desire to be social, comment on them - either using the same social media or whatever avenue fits.
• Discuss social behavior on a personal level. Find out what mediums your associates like/dislike and any hangups they may have. Break down their barriers of entry.
• Try new things. What's the worst that can happen?
• Practice individually and together until social interactions in a virtual space become a natural course of daily life.
• Play! Social mediums have a lot of playful options. Smile... it's contagious.
• Allow social to be work and personal related. Talking to someone about a SQL query optimization is just as important to some as talking about their kids. Connections are personal, so allow the conversion to be so as well.
• Social isn't perfect. Don't fret so much over the meaning of your sentence or your typos. The message and interaction is more important. Plus, it shows that you human.

Permission space is key. Make it okay to be engaged by being social, and people will be more engaged in everything work related.

Home Sick

Everyone gets sick at some point, including people that work from home. However, "sick" for folks at home looks a little different...

The average at-home worker doesn't take many sick days. The common illnesses that typically would keep you from going to the office are better managed and contained from home. Where before your colleagues would shame you and place you in a detox dome if you were coughing and sneezing all day, at home there is no one to notice. No one will catch your germs. No one cares if  you let out a gross nose blow. On those days with "tummy troubles", your home restroom is closer and less occupied than the office, creating a much more private means to address your issues.

Because there is no concern of germs, inconvenience, or embarrassment, the at-home worker can actually continue to do their job without interruption. This is a big selling point for companies looking to improve their wellness stats by reducing the number of sick days taken. It sits well with employees too, as they don't have to burn through their time off to deal with trivial illnesses.

But, when at-home associates truly are ill enough that they cannot function, they too must perform the dreaded "call in sick". Here is where they get pay back for all those days they could work through minor illnesses and their in-office brethren could not. For the at-home worker, they are actually still in the office. The separation of physical space isn't as dramatic as cozy home versus cold office. Their desk is around the corner calling their name.

This results in a huge amount of guilt. It is also extremely enticing. These folks think to themselves: "I'm feeling better, so I'll go work for a bit." As a result, you are not giving yourself the full amount of time to rest. The work you are doing will be sub-par, and you will actually prolong your ability to get well. This is all the more reason that at-home workers need a separate place to work versus play. They need to be able to put it out of sight, out of mind.

The at-home worker may not even call in sick for some of the things that they should due to that same guilt or a delusion that at-home workers should be able to power through it and not be sick like those in the office.

Getting sick happens to the best of us. It's important to take care of yourself through exercise, diet, and personal care to ward off as much illness as possible. But if you do still end up under the weather, remember that is is okay. Stay in bed. Work will be here tomorrow.

The imaginary tether

Imagine, if you will, that you work in a traditional office space. If you need to refill your water or coffee, you do so when you can without worry. If you need to take a nature break, you get up and go. If you want to walk to someone's office to take a break, clear your hear, or just engage in some social interaction, it's no big deal. You may even have to physically attend a meeting which may take you away from your desk for hours. These things are all normal behaviors we expect to see. The result of which is that you are not available when someone sends an instant message, calls your desk, emails, or drops by. And that is perfectly understood.

Now, imagine you work at home.

There is a perception that exists on both sides of the communication from home that is a nasty double standard. If someone is trying to reach an at-home worker and they aren't immediately available, the perception is that they are not working. The person trying to connect may think this and feel that at-home workers are slackers, never at their desks, kicking back in their jammies while watching trash TV and eating bon-bons. Obviously this isn't true.

The flip side is that the at-home worker feels like this is what people will think and therefore creates an unrealistic expectation for themselves that they can never leave their desk. They don't want to give outsiders any possible reason to think they aren't working their tail off. The at-home worker then feels guilty and nervous even to go to the restroom. "What if someone calls and I'm not there?" This results in less adequate breaks and a mental meltdown.

It's an unfair stigma. But this cycle will only change if you actively seek to change it. For starters, at-home workers do themselves a disservice by bowing down to the stereotype. Take a stand! Seriously, stand up, and walk away. It's OK. You have legal rights to breaks. You also have human rights and the in-office precedent. If you would have taken the same break in the office, then you shouldn't stop now.

For folks that aren't at home, you need a reality check. First, you are discriminating against coworkers, which is an ethical problem. You should not set double standards. You need to have other measures in place (see my previous article) that can help you determine if a person is productive, and that should apply both at home and in the office. You need to trust your people. When they feel respected, you will get more from them. And frankly, their breaks are going to be no where near as frequent or as lengthy as those in the office just due to proximity of amenities and lack of distraction.

Lastly, for the at-home worker that does get questioned about where they were: Just answer. Be honest. Personally, I'm AFK multiple times a day because I take calls from my treadmill. If someone asks, that's exactly what I'll tell them. No different than a walkstation at the office. Maybe if they hear the honest truth enough, they will start to get over it.

The fact that at-home workers feel tethered to their desk is often times a delusion that is self-inflicted. The best cure is to cut that cord physically, so that you can start to do so mentally.

Attaboy

For some strange reason, I hear many people talk about how it is harder to thank someone for their contributions when they work from home. Likewise, the at-home people say the same things about their in-office counterparts. I tend to think it's pretty easy to say "Thank you", but let's address the topic anyway!

Let's start with the easiest method: Call, email, or Instant Message. These are avenues you should be comfortable with and have at your disposal. The key to this forum is that your thanks be timely and personalized. Instead of "Thank You", consider something more like "Thanks, Joe. This {new feature} will save us 2 hours a week. Much appreciated!" This makes the thanks more specific to the action that was performed and not a generic rubber stamp. If the thanks is related to something really over-the-top, considering carbon copying the coworker's leaders or team so that others can recognize the difference this person made for you.

Additionally, many companies now have internal social media sites. Feel free to give a shout out on these electronic means so that other people interested in topic can tag on, and start a snowball of positive feedback! Use @ and # tags appropriately to get the message to the right people and find it again later.

Where this gets more interesting is when it relates to swag and physical forms of thanks. Maybe you might take someone to lunch, grab a coffee together, buy them a soda, or put a gag gift on their desk. Hard to do that when they are hundreds of miles away! Hard maybe, but not impossible. Here are some suggestions in the $3-10 range:

• Tell someone they rock, by buying them a $3 e-gift card to a music venue (such as iTunes or Amazon)
• Share that cup o' joe by sending them an e-gift card for a local latte lounge (such as Starbucks). Don't skip on the coffee talk though! Get on an a video chat and share your coffee together.
• Show someone how sweet you think they are by sending a cookie gram (such as the $5 cookie cards from Cheryl's) 
• Is it your lucky day because they helped you out so much? Make it theirs and mail them some lotto scratchers. 
• Make a donation to a charity in their name. Even $5-10 telling them that you are paying their kindness forward. Charities can use every penny! (Red Cross, American Cancer Society, or a favorite local charity, for example)
• Personalize a bottle of Coke during the Share a Coke campaign. Even if they never drink it, it will be a fun keepsake. We all know how hard it can be to find your name!
• Send an old fashioned card. A hand-written note really shows your appreciations. See my previous blog post on cards... e-Cards work too when you are short on time or do not have a mailing address. 

Basically, all you need is their email address or home address, and the possibilities are endless. Most cost the same that you would spend in the office. You may perceive it to cost more because it took more effort, but that effort will be totally worth it.

The key to thanking anyone, in-office or at-home, is your sincerity. If you are truly thankful and express your sentiments from the heart, the recipient will feel that and know they made a difference. 

Thank you for reading my blog today. :-)

Will Work At Home work for you?

Not everyone is cut out to be work at home. Well, maybe not all of their situations enable them to be successful. I'd like to think, based on job duties, that anyone could work at home if they gave it the effort. But let's ground ourselves back in reality and agree that I'm a bit pie-in-the-sky.

So, if it doesn't work for everyone, how do you know if it will work for you? Let's explore some of the factors:

Distractions - To be successful at home, the things that take focus away from work need to be kept to a minimum. That doesn't mean you have to lock yourself in a windowless, soundproof, isolation chamber. But, you do need to make sure that you aren't adding more distraction at home than you would have in the office. The biggest distraction is other people - babies, kids, significant others, neighbors, etc; anyone that is present in the house and requires too much of your attention. While you may switch a load of laundry during lunch, you must remember that you are here to work.

Office Space - Despite what some may think, working from home is not sitting on your couch or lying in bed. You need to have a dedicated work space, just like a space when you would physically go to the office. This cannot be your kitchen table, or an end table, or whatever makeshift thing you think will suffice. In some industries/roles, your office must be private and secured, with the ability to lock files and manage confidential data. Your office must also be safe and ergonomic, for both your long term health, and for legal reasons to protect your employer from workplace safety liability.

Outside Interests - Working at home is physically isolating. While you may compensate socially, there is still a feeling of confinement if you don't leave the house. It is important to have interests that go beyond your four walls to keep your social skills up and your creepiness down. You don't want to be that weirdo that never leaves the house and neighbors whisper about! Your house will turn into a prison if you don't step outside of it. You will feel isolated, alone, and depressed. The best candidates are involved in activities that take place in the outside world: volunteering, church, school, sports activities, social groups, activities with your family, etc.

Social (Media) Skills - You are not the only person working for your company. Even if your work is solitary, there will be others you must connect with, and others you should. If you live on an island, you won't be as engaged with your work, and in turn will not put your whole heart into it. We are social creatures, even the most anti-social of us. We also have a base level of needs, and belonging is a large component. To belong, to engage, you must interact. Being remote, this takes more effort. You have to be willing to reach out and not wait for interactions to come to you. Through electronic means, you must be able to share of yourself and invite others in. This will likely take the form of email, instant message, video chat, phone, and social media venues. If you don't actively employ these techniques in your personal life or current job, you likely will not thrive remotely.

Past Experience - This one is obvious. If someone has worked remotely in the past, they generally know what they are getting into and know if they can handle it. Obviously this cannot be the only factor, but it certainly does help.

Equipment/Tech Savvy - When you work at home, there will be at least some equipment/connections you have to manage. Even if your company supplies everything from the computer to the phone and internet lines, tech support is not onsite to help you if something goes wrong. You should be able to diagnose basic problems like connections. Ideally you are familiar with collaboration tools as well. Being remote, you will need to use webcams, social media, and other tools to stay connected with coworkers. It is important that you feel comfortable with technology enough to utilize these tools with little hand-holding.

Internet Speed - Duh! If you can't maintain a high-speed, dependable connection, it won't work no matter how great everything else is.

This isn't comprehensive. Each role will have unique qualifications, and of course the standard role desirables will also be in play. But these are some of the unique factors that may help you determine if working remote will work for you. Please comment with others!

Times... they are a changin'

In every life, change will come. The same can be said for every job, every company. But when change is large, outside of your control, AND you work at home, you have the perfect storm for heads to explode. If you're company is going through something like a bankruptcy, loss of business, closure of a product line, merger, acquisition, etc., etc., every employee's first reaction is: What does this mean for my job?

When you work at home, this is multiplied exponentially. Whenever someone works at home, they inevitably wonder about whether people will remember them, or if they will be a forgotten lost boy off in Neverland. Most people get over that quickly, especially if they manage their PR as recommended in a previous post. But, when a large portion of the company begins to panic, the at-home fears come back with gusto.

Suddenly every at home person is wondering if they are an even bigger target for losing their job.

So how do you deal with this? How do you cope and not drive yourself insane? How do you protect yourself? Not all that different than you would if you were in the office. It may just take some additional effort. Here are some tips:

• Be a rock star at your job. Don't let worry interfere with your ability to delivery on time, high quality, low cost results that wow your customers. Execution matters most!
• Toot your own horn. Don't be an ego-maniac jerk, but take credit where it is due, and make sure others know about your rock star contributions.
• Toot the horns of others. Likewise, give credit where it is due. Help promote those around you and they will return the favor. You also illustrate your ability to be a team player by being a bit humble.
• Network! Don't stay in your bubble. Talk to your team, your leaders, your peers, your customers. Make as many connections as possible. Join the Dog Lovers chat board even! Get people to recognize your name.
• Stay positive. It's easy to be negative, and studies show you gain "friends" through negativity with pile-ons and sympathy. But that's not the energy you want to put out into the universe. The powers that be will pick up on it, and it ruins your cred. 
• Be prepared. Don't jump ship, but do get things in order in case you need to. Update your resume, get your references, increase your savings. If you have to jump, at least have a cushy place to land.
• Keep managing your PR

Most importantly: Don't fill your head full of worry over something you cannot control.

You can only control what you do. Whatever comes down from on-high will come down, whether you want it to or not. You can't stop the snowball from rolling down the hill. You can, however, prepare for what you might do if it does.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Phone cojones

I was watching a rerun of Two and a Half Men the other night, the one where Alan Harper's ex-wife is getting remarried, and it stuck with me. Alan is on the phone with Judith listening to her usual crazy demands, when he man's up and tells her what he thinks. When he hangs up he says to Berta, the house-keeper, "Oh boy, I'm going to pay for that." Berta responds back with "You know what your problem is? Phone cojones." After a little banter about what that means, Alan says "Good to have a name for it."

I'm glad there's a name for it too, as it makes it easier for me to talk about it!

So what is it exactly? It's basically when you say things on the phone that you would never say to a person's face, either words or sentiment by way of tone and expression. It's easy to stand behind a phone and deliver bad news or tell someone off because you can hang up and walk away from it. You don't have to witness the facial expressions - the red faces, the tears, the crossed arms, the steely eyes. You don't have the awkwardness of being in close proximity after the conversation and trying to act cool. It's almost as if it didn't happen!

Oh... but it did. And because you didn't have the physical guard rails to keep you in your lane, you threw it into the gutter big time. You put up a big zero with those on the receiving end, and now that is how they perceive you, as a big zero.

Sure you can apologize and try to make nice after words if you screwed up, but you can never turn back the clock. You can never suck that moment back in. It's out there forever. The zero stays on the record books, and while you may throw strikes from here on, that zero will always weigh down your average and you will always be fighting against it.

We've all done it. Heck, I think I did it this week. I'm not proud of it. Sometimes those buttons get pushed so hard that it's almost a protective instinct. But you won't feel good afterwards. And the receiving end won't either. It's a no-win situation.

This becomes an even bigger problem when you work remotely. When 100% of your interactions are virtual, the opportunity to throw a gutter ball increases. It is important to remind yourself of something: You, and only you, control your reaction to a situation.

During each virtual interaction (email, phone, video, etc.) ask yourself these important questions:
- Would I respond like this if we were in a room together?
- Is this the lasting impression I want to leave with this person?

If the answer to either of these is "No", then you need to reset your course. Restack the pins, bowl again, and keep it in the lane. It doesn't always have to be a strike, but stay out of the gutter. You are the only one rolling that ball - You control where it goes.

With phone cojones, your balls end up in the gutter.

No, I won't be there in person

Usually I like to write articles that help the remote worker be the best at their job while away from the office. But today, I'm writing for you in-office folks.

When a person is full-time work at home, they will NOT be attending your meeting in person.

Read that one again: They will NOT be attending in person. Period. 

It is up to work at home people to be fully engaged in their job, with their teams, and with their customers. This requires extra effort and attention, making even the easy meetings tougher. But we do it because we love what we do, and where we do it. We're willing to burn extra calories and put in more time to make it work.

But it's a two-way street!

We need the people in the office to put in a little more effort in on the meetings they schedule. If you are only meeting with a handful of people, you should be able to look at their work locations (or even time zones for that matter) and select a meeting medium that works for all parties. If it's a larger meeting or you didn't have time to check that, you need to assume that someone typically cannot be there in person and always offer an alternative.

It's also not enough to give offer a phone number and expect that everyone receives a fair ability to participate. It's up to the host of the meeting to ensure that all participants can properly hear, see, share, and participate. Some tips to help:

• Ask if listeners can hear, and make sure you can hear them.
• Ask if listeners can see your video, and make sure you can see them.
• Ask if listeners can see your shared screen, and vice versa.
• Talk slow enough to allow for people to inject comments. There may be phone delays, or people just waiting for a pause in conversation.
• Purposefully pause to check in with listeners.
• Announce where you are when presenting materials, so that if there is a delay people can speak up.
• Eliminate in-room options from the meeting. Commit to an all-virtual meeting to keep everyone on equal footing.

It's a common misconception that people working from home are really in-office people electing to be at home that day. Employees that are truly work at home are there full time. All the time. They are not "popping in" to the office today because of your meeting. Don't treat these workers like second class citizens because they are at home. And don't insult them with comments like "in case you could make it in." They won't.

Is Work At Home working?

To tell if you Work at Home program is working out, you ideally need measurements on how well the in-office situation was working out for comparison. Without these, most of your analysis of the situation will be based on conjecture and subjectivity. Not that conclusions cannot be made, but they won't have the WOW punch you're looking for.

Some measurements you should know about your team, regardless of your work location include:

• Engagement scores - Using some sort of periodic survey, through a 3rd party or your own, that measures how actively committed your associates are to your team, your product, your company, and your mission. 
• Sick days - Average number of unplanned time off for physical or mental health.
• Turnover - Average number of associates that leave your team in a given time period. Be careful with this measure! If an associate leaves because they received an internal promotion or opportunity based on their desired growth path and your support for them, that's not negative. Make sure you have a means to separate turnover into subcategories to tell those stories.
• Requisition Fulfillment Rate - Average length of time it takes to hire someone in to any open positions in your team.
• Diversity - This can be tricky. There's privacy issues involved. And you don't want to appear to be driven by a quota or some equal opportunity ratio. While you may not "measure" this, a diverse team is a stronger team, and worth bragging about. 
• Budget - Comparison of your actual spend to your budgeted cost, and how well you meet that budget (or hopefully come in under!)
• Delivery - Comparison of your actual delivery dates to your scheduled delivery dates, and how well you provide on-time service (or ahead of schedule).
• Quality - This can be two-fold. There are hard numbers, such as the number of incident tickets you receive, the amount of downtime, etc. But there are soft numbers, such as how well the service actual meets the customer's need, the ease of use, etc. Ideally, you would measure both.
• Net Promoter Scores - Customer loyalty metric, which basically assesses the likelihood that your customer would recommend your service.
• Customer Satisfaction Surveys - Other measures of how well you are meeting customer expectations, providing them with innovative solutions, being a trusted partner for their needs, and so on.

I'm sure you can think of more. For those thinking this doesn't apply because you don't sell a product or "face the public", I challenge you to open your minds a bit. Each of us is providing a service to someone else, a customer, or else you wouldn't have a job!

Now that you have all those numbers, what next? You should compare those numbers while you were in the office to the results after you have been at home for a while. Work at home should have a positive impact on at least one of those categories, while not negatively impacting any. If work at home is really working, you will see improvement in multiple categories and no setbacks. 

If you are seeing a little setback, you may be able to address this through education and support. Sometimes it takes a little while to get the hang of work at home, so don't be too quick to judge or overreact. But, if you are seeing multiple setbacks, or significant ones, it may be time to re-evaluate.

If everything is the same, where you've seen no setbacks but no gains, then it is still not working. Work at home should be driving something, or you wouldn't be doing it. You might as well stay in the office if you can't improve by being at home.

Don't you... forget about me

One of the questions I hear most often from associates considering working from home is "Aren't you afraid you will be forgotten?" My answer is always the same: NO. How could anyone forget about me?

But seriously, I don't worry about it. Why not? Because I manage my own PR (Public Relations) campaign, and I mean I really manage it. Whether you are in the office or hundreds of miles away, people will forget about you if you let them. It's up to you to own your brand and market yourself. This is increasingly important if the old adage of 'out of sight, out of mind' has any truth to it.

So how exactly does one do this? You start by putting yourself out there. Why do you think I have this blog? As you are reading my pearls of wisdom, you can't help but have a little seed planted about my awesomeness. This is one part of my overall strategy for keeping my name in the front of you even when my face is not.

Managing your PR campaign is not the same as doing your daily job. You do your daily job to do this to be paid today. Your PR is about your job tomorrow, next week, next year. For your daily job, it may be enough that only your boss knows you do quality work. But if you boss was gone tomorrow, what would you do? When you have a wider reputation for great things, you can use that street cred to help you through the unknown of tomorrow. That net you are casting will be there to catch you.

Here are some tips on ways to make your name known at your company:

• Teach a class to others on a topic in which you consider yourself an expert
• Write (and publish) a blog on similar topics
• Volunteer for pilot initiatives, special programs, and new ventures
• Be active in social media (internally and externally)
• Get engaged of member of a club or group
• Become a mentor or mentee
• Don't be afraid to put your name on your work and take credit for it

Since I have been work at home, I've received awards from my peers, expanded my team, increased my responsibilities, and been financially rewarded. In fact, I believe a far wider and diverse group of people recognize me now than ever before. Why? Because I own it.

Don't give people the opportunity to forget about you.

Stop drawing the line

I hear about so many people that want to "draw the line" between business and personal. They won't friend coworkers on Facebook. They don't hang out with coworkers after hours. They try not to share too much personal stuff in the office.

I have news for you - You ARE a person. And as a result, you cannot shut off the personal stuff!

More importantly, you shouldn't.

I am friends with someone on Facebook that I know from work. We've never met face-to-face. A few weeks ago he was posting about a family emergency. I wouldn't have known about it otherwise. But, our paths crossed at work again the next week and we were able to chat about it. I could let him know I cared, and he appreciated it. It wasn't faceless work, it was two people that support each other in all things life.

When you are in the office, it's easy to catch up on the casual stuff at the water cooler or walking down the hallway. It's convenient for someone to show you their phone with the latest pic of their kid doing whatever it is they are into now. When you get to know people as more than machine parts building the work widget, somehow building that work widget becomes easier. That's because we aren't machines!

When you are differently located, it's hard to get connected to those casual encounters. By being disconnected from them, you become disconnected from work, which may result in less productivity, less engagement, and less quality. That sense of belonging is a strong driver and must be supplemented.

So for me, I don't draw a line that says coworkers must stay in this box, and non-coworkers in that box. It's one big box. I don't turn on/off like a robot. I am not emotionless like a robot.

My work life is richer because I know (and care) about the people I work with. Allowing them into my personal space doesn't intrude on my life, it makes my work better, and therefore makes my non-work better.

I'm not saying you need to suddenly friend 50,000 people are share your innermost secrets. But consider taking down the wall a little.

Represent

Did you know that the entire future of Work-At-Home rests on your shoulders? YOUR shoulders? Well, it does.

Work at home employees are constantly under a microscope. We know that we have to work 150%+ compared to the average worker to "compensate" for our distance. But what happens when work at home goes wrong? Answer: You ruin it for everyone.

It's an unfair reality, but any misstep when you are remote is associated with the fact that you are remote. The same mistake could happen in the office, or be worse in the office, but the world is wearing local-colored glasses and only sees your demographics. Whatever happened, being at home is to blame.

Worse, when they blame home for the mistake, they cast a wide net and associate that mistake with everyone. You all remember Yahoo! pulling back, right? Whatever their issue was, it surely wasn't the entire company. Closer to home, I am getting questioned about my own remote work because it is failing in another area. I have news for you - My team has outstanding engagement scores, high productivity, great quality, and the best individual people you'll ever meet. Whatever *your* problem is, don't reflect it on me!

But that is what inevitably will happen. Remote work is a scapegoat for whatever the real problem is. And yet the opposite is not true. If you are a rockstar at home, you don't see a movement for everyone else to do it. It only happens when it goes belly up.

What does this mean for you? It means that you must realize that you represent the entire remote community. Your success is your success, but your failure is failure for us all. You have a huge burden to always shine, and you probably don't even realize it. So I'm here to tell you, on behalf of all the remote workers out there (and especially myself, but I LOVE working from home), you better wow your colleagues every day. If not, we're forming a posse...

To quote Spock, in honorable memory of Leonard Nimoy: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one."

Live long and prosper (from home).

Manage by measuring

Probably the most popular question I hear from managers about working at home is "How will I know my people are working if I don't see them?" To this my answer is always the same: "How do you know they are working now?"

If you are managing only based on the fact that you see someone's smiling face at their desk from 8-5, then you are a bad manager. Yes, I said it. The truth hurts sometimes.

Management should always be based on measurement. You should have a system in place that allows you to set goals and track progress towards those goals. Those goals should be SMART goals and have enough meat to really hold someone accountable for their work. They should focus on delivery, quality, effectiveness, customer satisfaction, and value-add.

I've seen associates do all sorts of things while in visible distance from their leaders. They spend all day on Facebook. They moonlight with a 2nd job. They daydream and wander aimlessly just collecting a paycheck. They may even be trying to do a good job, but may not be competent or need help. If you aren't measuring from multiple viewpoints along the way, you won't catch it until it is too late and you could, in fact, bring yourself down as a result.

So riddle me this - Would you rather

1. See your team members but have no idea if they are really performing, or
2. Never see your team members but have high confidence in their performance based on tangible measurements?

Hopefully you answered #2! If you are truly doing your job as a manager and have a measurement system in place, then physical location becomes inconsequential. 

Snow Day

Our local offices are closed today due to snow. Many of my work-at-home colleagues are bummed that they don't get the traditional "Snow Day". I get it... who wouldn't want the equivalent of a free vacation day? Sleep in, stay in your PJ's, watch trashy TV. It's almost nostalgic.

But I look at the Snow Day as a gift in a different sense. I'm thankful that I didn't have to listen to the weather this morning to determine if I was going to the office. Or worse, have it NOT be a snow day and have to drive in that mess! I'm thankful that every day I get to avoid traffic, not just on snow days. I'm thankful that I don't have to wear 7 layers of clothes to walk from my car to the office building. With the upcoming -30 wind chills later this week, those couple of city blocks are brutal!

Snow days for me are a gift. They remind me of how lucky I am to work from home. And, when the rest of the office is shoveling their driveway or making snowmen, I'm happy to be working without interruption and get a little caught up for a change. When they come back to work, they will feel days behind, and I'll feel a little ahead of the game.

Snow days help level the playing field, at least for a moment.

Get a backup plan

Random "hiccups" can happen whether you are at home or at work. The power can go out. The internet could go bump. Your phone could get cut off. All of these issues will prevent you from working as you usually do. In the office, everyone is there, so everyone knows. Being universally down is somehow more acceptable than being down at home. When you are at home, you are expected to be connected and never have these mishaps. So what happens when you do?

You have a much bigger responsibility to be prepared when you are at home. You need to be able to get a hold of your coworkers to let them know what is going on, and you need to find a way to work.

The easiest thing to do to prepare is to create your contact list. You should have the email addresses and phone numbers of your key contacts stored offline. This could be on paper, on your cell phone, on your personal PC, or whatever works for you. But consider all the options. If you lose power, you lose personal devices as well.

When you let people know you're situation, you have to let them know what you are doing about it. All of this will depend on your role and what you need to accomplish for the day. This can vary, so understanding all of your options under any situation is important.

• If you have power, but no internet, you may be able to work offline. If you have heads down work, you have materials locally you can work on, or your work is mostly by phone. You may be able to get by somewhat disconnected for a bit.
• If you have no power, working offline is going to be hard. Your battery will eventually die. You need to find another location to work such as a family member, physical office, or coffee shop.
• If you have both connections, but experience technical difficulties with your work connection only, you may have alternative connection options. Check to see if your company has a web mail client or an email app that will give you some means to connect.

If you are not prepared, it may cost you. You could lose face with your leader and peers, and you may even be out a vacation day because not working is not acceptable. 

What (not) to wear to work

Inevitably, the first thing coworkers state when they remember I am working from home is "You must be in your pajamas right now." No. I am not in my pajamas. This is work!

That is my single rule about how to dress for work when at home. PJ's are NEVER acceptable.

Why not? Everyone needs a certain shift to move from their "at home" mentality to being "at work". For those going into the office, this is an easy transition because they get up, get dressed, and drive somewhere. But for those staying home, it can be harder to make that transition. But this isn't a snow day, or a sick day, or vacation, or the weekend - it is a work day. A work day requires you to get dressed for work.

So what do you wear to work then?

Some people will wear the exact same clothes that they would if they were heading into the traditional office. This helps them prepare through keeping their routine and makes it feel more like work. This is also helpful if you are on professional video conferences throughout the day, or may have to go into the office or elsewhere to meet coworkers.

Some people will go slightly more casual, especially if their workplace is formal. Jeans, t-shirt, etc. To some, that's usual work dress anything.

Personally, I'm in workout clothes 90% of the time. I work out before work, and try to after work. And I like to be able to take my dogs for a walk during lunch or get in some other activity. I couldn't get away with it in the office, but it's part of my "at home" package and I take full advantage.

I believe there are only a few rules for how you should dress when working from home:

1. Comply with your company rules, your role, etc.
2. Never wear anything offensive - you never know when you will be on camera. Don't let casual dress get you fired.
3. NEVER, ever, wear pajamas

Work away from home

Most of us 'at home' workers have a luxury we very often forget - We are not actually tethered to our workspace! For most, we are lucky enough to have laptops or virtual machines that allow our work to be portable. We also have IP phones or cell phones that also enable our calls to be from anywhere. And yet, here we are with our imaginary ball and chain: the home desk.

Working at home can become tiring after a while. Same routine, day after day, no unique interactions and nothing to break up the day. It can cause cabin fever. But that's a prison we built for ourselves and a sentence we can break free from.

If you have the luxury of mobile technology, then you should experiment with being mobile. Take full advantage of your situation.

Do you enjoy a good mocha-cappa-latte-whatever? Why not work from Starbuck's on their wi-fi once a week! You can get your high priced coffee fix while getting out of the house. This break in routine can be just what the doctor ordered to keep your at-home situation fresh.

Is it the first day above freezing and the sun is out? Try working outside from your porch, or even just from another room that takes in all of the sunshine. Sunshine is a surefire cure for cabin fever. It will warm up your disposition and your routine. On those truly awesome days, find some work you can do offline and go work from the park. Being out in the world makes us feel like we're part of something bigger and not isolated hermits in our homes.

Is there something out of town you are passionate about? Did anyone say HOCKEY? We often don't take part in the events we have to travel for because we need to take time off to do so. But if you can work from anywhere, you can travel in the evening, work during the day, and go play that night. Get up and work the next day and then come home. You didn't lose a minute of vaca, you did something you really enjoy, and you got out of the house.

Think about the possibilities... As long as you can stay connected and focus on your work appropriately, location has become a matter of little consequence. You're limited only by your willingness to get out and the wi-fi at your destination.

It is very important though that your employer supports this cause. Some are old school and won't. Their loss, because eventually they will lose you. Be sure that you candidly discuss the options first and get support. And be sure that you have the connectivity you need - cell service, download speeds, enough quiet to still focus. It's not an excuse to not work. You should work even more, frankly. And lastly, be willing and able to offer up PTO time if it doesn't work out and you have to abandon work.

So what are you waiting for? Get out of the house!

Make the most of your office visit

Those dreaded words no work-at-home employee wants to hear: "We need you to come to the office for (this)."

Sends chills up your spine, doesn't it? Then your mind starts whirling around... I have to get up earlier? Do I still have any work pants that fit? Do I have gas in my car? What will I do with the dogs while I'm gone? And so on.

Let's face it. We're all going to hear it at some point. If you live close to work, you may hear it more often. If you live far away, it may not be as often, but tends to be a bigger ordeal to orchestrate. At some time, something will come up where your hands are tied and you have to go. After you complete the stages of grieving over the loss of your home for the day, you end up in Acceptance. And then what?

When you have finally come to terms with it, now you need to take advantage of it. If you had to leave your comfort zone, make sure you cash in. Make it worth your while. Don't come back home with any regrets or missed opportunities.

Here are some tips when planning your in-office visit:

• Don't book your day full of meetings. Leave as much of your time booked for impromptu conversations. Chances are that there are a large number of people that want to see you and you want to give them that chance. Staying locked away closes the door (literally) on those run-ins.
• Attend meetings in person. Take the room option, and if there isn't one, ask to make an exception this time. People will be so glad to see you that they won't mind the trouble of the conference room booking system.
• Let people know you are coming in. Share where you will be, what hours you have free, etc. Send an email or tell them on other meetings in advance so they can clear up some time to visit with you. Don't leave anyone telling you "I wish I would have known..."
• Schedule some social time. Arrive early, stay late, go out to lunch. Get in those casual meetings that are only slightly about work but help build lasting bonds.
• If you are traveling from further away, book an extra day or two to ensure you have time for all of your networking.
• Also if traveling, schedule something bigger with folks after work such as dinner or going to a local sporting event. Make every minute of your trip count.
• Reach out to someone you normally wouldn't. Expand your horizons. Build a bigger network.
• Don't complain about having to be in the office. No one wants to hear you whine. They are excited you are in, so don't belittle that with your bellyaching. 
• Don't forget the office rules. Double check on dress code, weather, traffic, meeting locations, and all the prep stuff so that your time in the office is focused on the interactions and not the distractions.
• Be present. Be available. Be social. Just be.
• Smile :-)

Walk Away

Everyone talks about a work/life balance. That's not new. But when you work at home, work is life and life is work. Where does one stop and the other start?

People will say that work from home is more productive because people work longer hours. Well, they do. But that's not why it is, or should be, more productive. Just like your office counterpart, you need a break. Burning the work candle at both ends only does one thing - it burns you out.

That's why it is even more important, when working from home, to define boundaries and walk away. There has to be a division for you to be off the clock.

Below are some tips to help build the barrier between work and non-work. Even if you didn't do some of these while you were an office dweller, you need to start now. Your non-work life depends on it.

• Define a space for work that you can walk away from. This should not be your kitchen table, your bed, your sofa, or anywhere else you'd find yourself regularly visiting when you're off the clock.
• Take your lunch break. Use it to do a load of laundry, walk the dog, actually eat something healthy (for a change), work out, run an errand, etc. The point is to take a break from work. This should be a minimum of 30 minutes to allow your brain time to regroup.
• Define your office hours. They may be slightly longer than a traditional 8-5 because you can afford it, but set them and stand by them. When the quitting time bell rings, Fred Flintstone your way out of the office and never look back.
• Resist the temptation to check back in. Unless there is a special occasion, don't run back to your office to check on work just because you can. Use that time for something else. Read a really awesome Leading from Afar blog if you can't find anything else to do.
• Unplug entirely. For at least a few minutes, after you log off for the day, go acoustic. No computer, tablet, phone, TV, radio, or whatever your vice. Just chill, disconnected for a few minutes, to let your entire body move on from work.
• Keep your work and non-work technologies separate. If you use the same devices for both, it's easy and tempting while playing Candy Crush or updating Facebook to do some work too. Remove the temptation all together. 

Work at home has given you the gift of time and money. It's a shame to let it all go to waste because you never stop working. 

Send Cards

When I used to work in a traditional office building, I kept a set of various cards at my desk. If an occasion popped up, I was prepared. And if I didn't have the right card, there was a lobby shop in the building to pick one up for emergencies. It was super easy to leave a card on someone's desk, or use interoffice mail at worst case, to let them know I was thinking about them.

I enjoyed giving cards in the office because it builds engagement. People like to know that you remember them, you think about them, and that you took time to make them feel special. It's an easy gesture that pays big dividends.

Now that I'm at home, I can't just drop off a card at someone's desk. Some of my own staff aren't even in the same city. The logistics have changed. But that doesn't mean the sentiment has to.

The only difference between then and now is preparation, and maybe a few extra pennies. I still have a stash of cards on hand. However, I have to pay attention to upcoming events that I can foresee and drop the cards in the mail. I have to have stamps, I have to have home addresses, and I have to have a head's up. But with those things, I can still accomplish the same.

Actually, I accomplish more. People know it takes more effort to mail. It's no longer something I can run to my office last minute and do. They know I thought even more about them.

The real trick to getting the most value from sending cards is in the message. I never just sent a card. I ALWAYS hand write a personal note. I include messages of thanks for the work they are doing, positive outlooks for the future, and personal sentiments. Handwriting the card shows it came from me, not on assistant or something I copied from the internet. When I screw up a word, it shows I'm human. The personal note is genuine and real.

The following is a direct quote from an associate after receiving her birthday card:
Thank you so much for my birthday card. Seriously it was the absolute cutest birthday card I got this year. Maybe even ever. J It was an unexpected surprise & really made a difference in my day. J I don’t think a boss has ever sent me a card on my birthday & its little stuff like that make me so happy to be a part of this team & its why your team engagement scores are so high. You do a great job as an encourager & leader. J

See how much engagement credit I just scored? It cost me less than $2.00 for the card and stamp, and 5 minutes of time to write a personal message. The return on investment here is huge.

Welcome!

Happy 2015!

My name is Cortney Hoese and I am an IT Manager for a Fortune 100 company. What's unique about that? Maybe not much.

However, I lead my team from my home. I've been working full time from the comfort of my home office for 1.5 years (and part-time for about another year prior), and the majority of my team is remote as well.

The industry is moving this way. Moving to be "location independent". Yet, many other firms (yes, you, Yahoo!) have moved in the opposite direction.

How do you succeed when you work remote? How do you lead a remote team? My goal with this blog is to help you answer these questions based on my real-world experience.

Work at home is not for everyone. But it can be for more people if you know what you are getting into and are willing to put in some extra effort. I hope this blog offers you some tips to make your adventure successful.