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!"