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.