New Year’s Resolution

It’s that time of year again, when everyone says goodbye to the year past and makes promises to change something for the better in the next. Typically these resolutions are to lose weight, exercise more, increase time with friends, decrease time with the TV, etc. Why not take a look at your work-at-home situation and see what may need some fresh perspective there as well?

When you work from home, you have some advantages over folks in the office, especially as it relates to change. Many things are within your direct control. So, take a step back and take a close look…

Consider changing your office around. Move the furniture. Change it to a different room. Do something to mix it up and break up what has become the “same old, same old”.

Repaint! Color psychologists believe that the colors in your environment can have profound impacts on your emotions and productivity. For example, green is considered a restful color for your eye. It may be good to have green walls to give your eyes a break from staring at your computer monitor. Green is also said to help you relax and unwind, which may help you if you are in a high-stress position. Blue is said to help lower blood pressure and slow heart rates. However, it can also be perceived as chilly. So if you typically get cold or don’t get much sunlight, consider another color or some warm accents.  If your office is in a tiny spot, consider painting it white to help it feel open and airy. Tread lightly around colors like red (too passionate), orange (appetite stimulant), and black (melancholy). It’s your room – paint it what works for you!

Sitting is the new cancer, so they say. Consider altering your office to allow you to stand, such as a higher desk or even a treadmill desk. A wireless headset may help you break free from the desk cord and stand or pace while working, even with your traditional desk. A balance ball could replace your chair and help you at least work on your posture and core while sitting. Bonus: When used for work purposes, many of these can be tax deductions!

Take a fresh look at your routine. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating a healthy lunch? Are you taking routine breaks? Are you getting your exercise time in? If not, adjust! Go to bed earlier, get up earlier, change your lunch time, or do whatever minor schedule changes it takes to work in those habits. Remember, you aren’t sitting in traffic coming or going to work. That’s bonus time you need to put to good use. Know your power hours, when you are most productive, and align your work time to those hours, reserving the remaining time for other activities.

Turn on your camera! If you are feeling disconnected, multi-task crazy, or maybe even just a little lazy, then make sure you are using your webcam. The camera will be an instant connection with your coworkers. It will also typically force you to be more accountable towards your participation and personal appearance. Not many people want to be on camera in their jammies. And it’s hard to fake engagement in the conversation when people can see you looking at your phone. So, if you can’t trust yourself, trust others to watch you!

These are just a few ideas to help stimulate the conversation. The key to making any change is you. You must see the need for a change, want to change, and put the change into action.

Don’t let work-from-home become so monotonous that you take it for granted. Keep pushing yourself to be better so that you can keep this awesome perk and show everyone just how valuable this option is. Look out 2017 – we’re coming for you!

Virtual Holiday Party

One of the things I hear when teams work from home is that they can’t have parties together and feel left out of the merriment, especially around the holidays. It’s hard to have everyone over to one house and share in the libations of the season and the comradery. Well sure, if you don’t have the budget to fly your team from around the country to one location then you won’t be physically together – but it doesn’t mean you can’t still have a good time!

Yesterday, I had the joy of hosting a virtual holiday party for our department. It was the first I’d conducted of this size and breadth, so honestly it was an experiment. I’ve been receiving great feedback from it, so I’ll deem it a success and share some of the activities here with you.

I’ll start by noting that this was a nondenominational, represent all areas as fairly as possible, yada yada yada event. Essentially – it was clear that it was not required, not discriminatory, and no reason to call HR. The event was 1.5 hrs, and everyone was invited to come if they could for as little or as much as their schedule permitted. Again, it’s optional, and don’t screw up your work priorities. So much red tape!

The most important aspect of ensuring success (besides people participating with jolly spirit) is utilizing a web collaboration tool with the right bells and whistles. In this case, we wanted audio and video, the ability to screen share, the ability to chat publicly and privately, and the ability to annotate/draw on presentations and whiteboards. Not asking for much, right?

To get everyone in the right mindset, we asked folks to dress in their favorite holiday garb, such as an “ugly sweater” or a reindeer ears, and be prepared to turn on their cameras (even if not dawning their flavorful apparel). I was wearing a silly shirt with a light-up holiday lights necklace and light-up bouncy Santa hat. We had others in Santa hats, a cute snowflake headband, reindeer headbands, and so on. And of course some that sported their everyday wear. Either way, it was great to see their faces. By using a collaboration tool that syncs audio and video, we were able to see whoever was talking as well as the others “in the room” and be together.

Our first activity was easy. I displayed a weather map for this coming Sunday and had folks use their annotation tools to share where they would be. This sparked conversation about who was traveling, and who was jealous of the Florida warmth versus the Wisconsin snow.

Our next activity was to decorate gingerbread houses. I shared an image of two houses, just their structure, and had folks use the various drawing tools to decorate at their will. So this may sound silly for adults. And you may be thinking about how you wouldn’t do it. All of these activities are only as fun as you elect to make them. This wasn’t fun because of the coloring. It was fun to tease people about the way it was done! We had a house with dots that someone said was chicken pox, and that opened a door for mockery. We had some good artists drawing trees and animals in the windows. We had a not-so-good artist attempting what was claimed to be a reindeer, but it really was just a Pandora’s box for entertainment.

Up next was “Name That Tune”. I asked folks to get a pen and piece of paper and write down their answers as I presented a lyric from a popular holidays song and they guessed the song title. The fun for me was trying to say the lyric in a non-sing-song way! The team was having fun talking about how little they knew or how embarrassing it was that they couldn’t recall. People were asking “Where’s the Led Zeppelin” and other comments sparking laughter while guessing. During the reveal, I actually sung the lyric (how embarrassing!) and most people immediately knew the answer. There was also plenty of debate over what could be deemed as an acceptable answer. The winner got bragging rights.

Activity Four was probably my favorite. We played “Pictionary”, or a rendition thereof. Using private IM, I would send a person the name of the popular holiday movie. On the collaboration whiteboard, they would then have to draw it and see if others could guess it. Let’s just say that some people should keep their day jobs! The guesses on some of the less artistic ones were truly hilarious and kept the conversions flowing.

The final activity was another pen and paper game. I showed images of the Top 10 Holiday Toys for 2016 (per CNN) and would see if people could guess them correctly. Of course, I started by showing some top toys from the 80’s and 90’s, which sparked nostalgic conversations. The reveal included the prices, so that became interesting fodder as well. We talked about each toy, and the team would explain it for those that weren’t familiar. Speak Out happened to be on the list, so then a team member demoed the game and we played a round or two. (If you haven’t seen it or played, check it out – it is a laugh!) That was probably the funniest moment of the entire event! I can’t even repeat the guesses!!

We had great participation and made every activity fun because we wanted it to be. The spirit and open-mind of each team member, along with the advanced preparations, were the keys to making this event so successful. I received feedback from the staff such as “I truly enjoyed yesterday’s party”, “Who knew {person A}, {person B}…et al were so much fun…!!”, and “Thanks for everyone that joined the Holiday party and made it so much fun. I now cannot stop singing Christmas songs!!! Feliz blah blah blah..." (inside joke from the event and my husband!)

It just goes to show that distance is no excuse for not gathering together to celebrate each other’s company and have a good time.

Happy Holidays

Very thankful

“Thanksgiving after all, is a word of action.” -W.J. Cameron

There’s no better time to reflect on all that work-at-home has provided me and give thanks for the life it allows me to lead. Too often, we don’t step back and realize what a gift we’ve been given, and working from home is truly that. So looking back at some moments from this year…

I am thankful that I was home with Gidget in her final months. In between meetings, I was able to take her outside and clean up any accidents. And while on meetings, I was able to hold her in my arms and help her feel secure and loved. My husband and I are both convinced that she would have left us much earlier if she had not had mommy at home to help. It was no disruption to my work day, but made a huge impact on her quality of life.

I am thankful that I was home when my husband had his shoulder surgery. Again during breaks, I was able to get him his meds, change his ice, help him get around, and so on during those first weeks of recovery. Had I not been working from home, I likely would have had to take time off to be at home. This way, I was able to do all of my work and take care of him when he needed help.

I am thankful that the late nights, early mornings, working lunches, and weekends were conveniently in my home. I don’t enjoy when those happen, but it it’s part of the job sometimes. Instead of spending time commuting for extra work, I was able to just work. Instead of worrying about safety in a dark building in a dark parking lot all alone, I was home and secure. Instead of feeling isolated from my family and neglectful, I was still able to pet Lucy and talk with my husband. That takes a little of the sting out!

I am thankful that I can wear comfy clothes each day. It saves a ton on wardrobe money! But it also allows me to take Lucy for a walk during lunch or get work done around the house with ease. In doing so, emptying the dishwasher and doing laundry during my lunchbreak saved me time in the evening to spend with my family and friends.

I am thankful that I was at home while we had our deck project taking place. I was able to check in on the progress of the build and correct any issues in a timely manner, and see things in their “in between” state, catching issues that may have been covered up. This wasn’t a picnic, and drove me a little crazy, but I’m glad I was able to ensure things were done properly.

I am thankful that my lunchbreaks are “my” time. In addition to chores and taking walks, I am able to just chill in front of the TV if I need a break. During the summer, I was able to go tend to my yard and enjoy that new deck. And I was able to visit with my niece and nephew, whom I absolutely adore! They brighten any day!

I am thankful that on those rainy and snowy days, I don’t have to drive. I’m not fond of driving on slippery surfaces (dating back to a horrible wreck in college), and not having to deal with that keeps so much stress away. Not to mention, I get more time being productive at work rather than doubling my time in traffic. And, believe it or not, I’m thankful even for the “snow days”, where I still have to work when others don’t. I’ll gladly work on those quiet days and keep the wheels on the bus in trade for everything I get back.

I am thankful that when my grandmother fell at my parent’s house, I was able to get right over there. No driving, no fuss. I was out the door and able to help in 5 minutes. I’m sure my mom is thankful for that as well!

I am thankful for the opportunity to explore this new work-at-home passion. Because of this arrangement, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to write, present, and coach on this subject and open up a career path and affinity for helping others that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. I’ve met many new people, and hopefully had a positive influence on most. Most of these folks I’ve never even met!

I am thankful for the extra time I have in the morning before work, because I am not driving, to spend working on my volunteer activities. I’ve donated over 300 hours of my time this year to charity, compared to last year’s 30 hours. Each extra minute I have not in traffic, not walking to a building, not putting on makeup can become a minute used to help others.

I am thankful for a year in my new role and the ability to continue to be a valued contributor. Distance has not kept me from making an impact. In many cases, I believe the quiet time, comfortable space, and ability to concentrate has made that impact far greater than if I had been in the office.

I am so very, very thankful that I get to work from home each day.

Collaboration is Intentional

Recently, a large Fortune Top 50 company pulled back its Work At Home program, citing collaboration as the reason. They stated that productivity by this segment was proven and wasn’t the concern. It was very specifically the collaboration. Naturally, that brought forth concern to many in similar organizations about the future of at-home programs where they work.

Think back to a time when you worked in a building with other people. Did you know all of them? Did you talk to all of them? Even if so, was the conversation really “collaboration”?

Let’s remind ourselves first on what collaboration really means. Collaboration is a verb, and is defined as working with another person or group in order to achieve or do something. The origin of the word, when broken down to its Latin roots means “to labor together”.

So, back to the earlier question – The conversations you had in the break room were likely not collaboration. They were conversations. They helped fulfill your sense of belonging and engagement, which are important, but there is no product as a result of that interaction. You didn’t walk away with a new gizmo or idea. You had the together part taken care of, but not the labor.

Now that we understand that casual chitchat is different, let’s focus on what actually would be considered collaboration. Clearly, you are employed because you bring something of value to the table. Same goes for those around you. And in theory, your collective minds will smoosh your ideas together and come up with new things and innovative solutions. So, you can read between the lines with this move that the company in question feels like they are not seeing as many ground-breaking steps forward as they would like.

But is that because people work at home? Collaboration doesn’t just happen. And it isn’t a product of proximity. Even in the office, you had to be intentional. You locked yourself away in a conference room drawing on the board and bouncing ideas around. You set up meetings and scheduled time to pull your colleagues together to explore a topic. Your partnership was planned and purposeful.

This doesn’t change because you work at home. You have all of the tools that you need. You have calendars to schedule meetings. You have IM to ping spontaneous ideas around. You have phones to talk to one another. You have webcams and video chat to see each other. You have annotation tools and whiteboards to scribble mutual ideas.

The ONLY plausible reason for collaboration failing when you work at home is – YOU. You stopped trying. You don’t put in the effort. You use your situation as an excuse. You became lazy.

If collaboration always takes effort, and the tools are ubiquitous, then that’s the only logical conclusion. Therefore, if you are worried about losing your at-home situation, you better take stock in what you are doing each day to collaborate. Are you really collaborating, or just communicating?

Good day sunshine

It’s fall, and the temperature finally feels like it. Fall is my favorite season, filled with hot chocolate, sweaters, cool breezes, leaves changing, hockey season… I could go on and on! But today, in this moment, I am acutely aware of the weather and the awesomeness of working at home on such a fine day.

Looking out my window, the sky is a beautiful robin’s egg blue without a cloud to be seen. My window is open with the cool breeze filling my office with a renewing, crisp sense of freshness. My backdoor is open, allowing the faint echo of the gong-style wind chime on my porch to provide delicate background music to my day. My dog Lucy is staring out the front door keeping watch while soaking in the sun, showing off her beautiful smile.

Isn’t that a poetic picture? Doesn’t that describe a place you would love to work? It’s only possible because I’m at home. In the office, I’d be in a cube somewhere with that sunlight teasing me, if visible at all, with none of the renewing accompaniments.

There’s more to this note than to brag. There is science behind the impact of sunlight, temperature, and fresh air towards your productivity. People that are exposed to natural daylight remain more alert than their sleepy counterparts exposed to artificial lighting. Your cortisol levels drop significantly under poor or artificial lighting, which increases your stress levels. Many of you will also recognize the relationship that low cortisol levels have towards weight gain. Similarly, lack of sunlight can also lower your levels of serotonin, which regulates sleep, appetite, mood, and memory. Some researchers believe that low serotonin is also connected with clinical depression.

Are you having trouble sleeping? It could be that your body is out of its circadian rhythm due to lack of sun exposure. Sunlight helps tell your body that nighttime is over and to stop producing melatonin. If you produce melatonin all day and that pattern remains the same, then you become used to it and it isn’t helping your body fall naturally to sleep. It’s like when people say caffeine doesn’t impact them because it’s so commonplace to them it’s like water. As a result, some folks (like my poor office-bound hubby) are taking melatonin supplements. Sunlight will stop the release of melatonin and allow you to reserve the natural stuff for bedtime.

To me, open windows seem to freshen everything up. It circulates the air, bringing in raw, new air to replace the stagnant air. The air is no longer being filtered through the AC/Furnace and is pure from the source, like drinking natural spring water. I don’t know about you, but it’s a great reminder that my filter probably needs to be changed (note to self). When you consider the office, all air is always run through machines, so you are dependent on their maintenance to manage what you breathe. Not to mention all the funk brought in by those around you – how quickly does that air turnover? This results in poor air quality in the office, which is directly attributed to poor performance and more sick days.

Lack of sunshine can ruin your sleep, mood, eating habits, memory, and much more. Lack of fresh air results in fatigue and illness. All of these things translate into your productivity and quality at work. If you are not your best self, you cannot put your best effort into your activities.

There are things an office worker can do to help. But, as work at home folks, we have a true advantage. We control our environments. We control our access to Mother Nature in our work day and our breaks. Therefore, we control our potential for greatness. 

Saving is the new earning!

By now you have likely realized many of the common savings one gets by working from home: less gas, car maintenance, lunch money, dry cleaning, etc. And not to mention the TIME! But there are other things you can be doing to save money that maybe you hadn’t considered!

Review your auto insurance policy. Many policies are based on the number of miles you drive to work each day, as that impacts your risk of being in an accident. If you aren’t driving, your risk is practically nonexistent. Talk to your insurer about this change and see if they can bring your rates down.

Or, consider selling your car. If you live in a two-car household, go down to one. Even if it’s your only vehicle, consider what public transportation or ride sharing has to offer. This is a much bigger deal if you are still paying on the car. Why pay on something you aren’t using? Personal choice, of course, but worth deep consideration!

Buy a portable heater and/or air conditioner. Or maybe just a fan. When you are at home, you are going to want a comfortable environment. But there is no sense heating or cooling your entire home just because you are in one room! A portable heating or air unit will consume a little electricity, but not as much as your whole-home unit. It will also keep the wear-and-tear off your expensive whole-home unit. There are some really nice models that can provide you in-room comfort with little energy consumption, and actually very little noise or overhead to install and use. Also consider smart whole-home units and smart electrical conservation equipment that will allow you to utilize the equipment you already have for the house in a more effective manner.

Sell or donate your work clothes. If you are really at home all of the time, it’s highly doubtful that you are wearing your dress or suit to your home office. If you intend to stay working from home for a while, put the clothes to better use than collecting dust! Consider selling your clothes at a yard sale or consignment shop. Or, my personal preference, donate your clothes! You can deduct your donations on your taxes and help others in need. There are even charities, like Dress for Success, specifically looking for gently used professional clothes. Besides, if you do go back to the office, you don’t want to be wearing last season’s clothes, do you?

Shop in bulk. You know those big-box stores where you can buy a twelve pack of pianos for the cost of one? You may not belong to them because your family is small or you didn’t think there were items there of interest to you. But, you’ll soon find out that there are supplies you need more of when working at home. You don’t realize how much toilet paper you go through until you are only using your own restroom! There are other things too, like printer paper, pens, notebooks, tissues, etc. that you are now having to supply for yourself. Buying these stable items in bulk can save you a lot of money. Many of these stores also have great deals on other office supplies and equipment, from desks to electronics.

Look for internet/phone discounts. If you employer is not paying for these services, talk to them about a discount. Many employers are able to work directly with the cable and phone companies to offer discounts to their employees, passing on savings or better customer support. In many cases, they are offer access to business class services, where the quality of the product (such as Internet speed) is better and the response time and priority for issue resolution is higher.

Make sure your work location is correct, legally. States, cities, and even “sub-cities” all have different taxation rates. When you are in the office, your paycheck is being taxed on the location of the office. However, if you live in a different county, city, state, etc. your tax requirements may be different. By ensuring that your work location is associated with your home, you may be able to avoid higher taxes otherwise incurred at the office.

Keep those receipts! When you are at home full time, you can take tax deductions for your home office as well as purchases made to enable your work. If you needed a new desk, a new computer, copy paper, toner, a new chair, etc. – these can all be deducted if used for work purposes. You may be able to deduct mileage if you are required to go to the office and even parking! It’s always best to consult with an accountant regarding your taxes and questions related to your deductions, but if you don’t keep your receipts, you can’t even start the conversation. When in doubt, file it!

Make sure you are getting the most out of your work at home experience by capitalizing on the savings available, and ensuring that minimal additional costs goes out the door. It’s a rewarding job to have, in more ways than one!

Dedicated Space

To effectively work at home full time, a dedicated office is a must. You may think you can work effectively from you kitchen table or couch, but you’re just getting by. Effectiveness requires commitment.

There is a strong psychology around why you should have a dedicated space. You need to be able to mentally transition from your home to work persona and back. If you work where you eat, and eat where you work, how can you ever tell the difference? You eventually won’t, and one or both of your personas will suffer.

There are security reasons for having a dedicated space. Many jobs require you to be able to lock the door to an office to protect equipment and files. At a minimum, most will require lockable file storage and commitment to security around protected information. If you are like me, you may also tend to raise your voice or say things that others shouldn’t hear. Ok, maybe it’s just that you talk about client information and don’t curse out-loud about the email you just received. Either way, there are likely ears that shouldn’t be privy to such things. Data you speak should be just as secure as data you write or read. You also don’t want to be an annoyance to your family or teach any impressionable people those 4-letter words.

Security isn’t always about data and equipment, it’s also about your personal security in the form of safety. When you are working, you are on the corporate dime and therefore typically covered by your employer’s Workman’s Compensation program. Your employer likely has some materials for you to sign related to the manner in which you will keep your home space organized and free from hazards that may result in personal injury or other harm. If you do not have a dedicated space, you open yourself up to more risk of injury or damage, like stepping on the kids Lego’s and dropping your laptop. You also open yourself up to that issue not being covered. Employee injury or illness is compensable under workers’ compensation if it arises out of and in the course of employment, regardless of the location the injury occurs. Employees typically have the burden of proving that the injury is work-related. “Arising out of” refers to what the employee was doing at the time of the injury, and “in the course of” refers to when the injury happened. It’s a lot harder fight this when you tell your Lego story, compared to a secured space.

Having a dedicated office provides you some financial assistance as well. You have some deductions you can take advantage of, but the reserved space really is a must. Common deductions include a percentage of your property-related payments (like mortgage interest, rent, insurance, and property taxes, office furniture and equipment, physical home repairs and improvements, business phone line, etc. The catch is, it MUST be for work! (Or you have to only deduct the portion that is.) If you deduct that new hardwood you just installed, you better not be watching Sunday Night Football in the same space.

In an upcoming post, I’ll talk about how to situate that home office to be your most productive self. In the meantime, start looking for that space you can carve out as your own. 

The Hardest Part

What’s been the hardest part, for me, about working from home?

You might think I’d say something like missing my friends, feeling lonely, feeling less engaged in meetings, feeling distant from my company, etc., etc., etc. And while those may be valid obstacles (which I like to think I’ve overcome), they haven’t been the hardest. For me, the hardest part has been taking a stand.

When I started working from home, I went all in. I wanted to do it right. Partially because I wanted it to work for myself. And partially because I had staff accumulating across the country that were counting on it to work. This caused me to place extra burden on myself to really represent. Some people’s jobs were depending on it!

This forced me into some awkward positions that can still be hard to deal with to this day. I’ve talked before about how I’m not coming in for your meeting… But sometimes that stance is really unpopular – especially with executive leadership. I even had one executive state said if you had any meetings with X-level leaders or above, you HAD to come in.

This really bothered me. What if my staff in other states had been asked to participate in these meetings? What if they were trying to move up the ladder? Would they be held back because of geography? Would it reflect negatively on them that they couldn’t attend in person because of distance? I certainly didn’t want that to happen to my people, let alone me. I felt like I needed to be overly diligent about fighting for at-home rights to protect us all.

In the short term, that was extremely hard. There’s nothing like purposefully disobeying your leadership to make a name for yourself. A not so good name. And that’s why this was the hardest part. For every meeting, I had to judge how much it would hurt me in the short term and what “trouble” I would be in for my mutiny.

I mostly stood firm, and stayed at home. I’d get called out in meetings about it. I’d get lectured. I’d get a black-eye or black-balled. Yet, I still did it. Some leaders would stop putting remote options on meetings all together trying to force the in-person transaction to take place. And for some of those, I’d ask someone else that I knew at the meeting to call me from the meeting. Yeah… that pissed some people off. And on the few occasions where I felt I had to go in or might be on the receiving end of a pink slip, it was rarely ever worth it. Nothing was so special about meeting in-person that it couldn’t have been done remotely.

I probably still have a bad reputation with some folks that have yet to get on the at-home boat. I know I ruffled their feathers. But that was a risk I was willing to take for something I believed in. Now, four years later, I believe all of those fights paid off. I believe I helped provoke a movement.

No one wants to be the black sheep. And that is why knowingly putting myself in that position was the hardest part about working from home. I risked my job for an ideal I was passionate about. Thankfully, it worked in my favor. I learned a lot about myself through that engagement:

• I am a strong person. Knocking me down doesn’t knock me out.
• I have conviction. If I truly believe in something, I will fight for it.
• I am an advocate. Advocates don’t always do what is popular. They do what is right.
• I have a lot of courage. It would have been easier to fold, but with great risk can come great reward.
• I am a leader. I work for my team, and in the trenches with them. I don’t just “manage people”.

Most of my battle scars have healed. And the result is a cult-like following of people that want to learn more about how to work at home successfully and the proliferation of the at-home program. The pain and fear resulted in ever-reaching positive outcomes. I’d say it was a good gamble.

It's all fun and games

I recently had a coworker contact me and ask what types of icebreaker games they could play at their virtual all-team meeting. Good question! So, here are a few based on your level of tools and ability to plan ahead:

Picture Pages

This is probably my personal favorite. You can make this as simple or as sophisticated as you’d like. The basic premise is to collect photos from the meeting attendees in advance without sharing to the broader audience, then combine them and present them in the meeting as a guessing game. You could do it for fun, or create a real survey-style sheet and collect the entries to pick a winner based on the most matches.

You can go simple, such as everyone send in a picture of your shoes (while on), and have people try to guess the person by their shoes alone. Or likewise with a deck photo, car photo, half of a selfie, back of their head photo, etc.

The pictures don’t have to be real! You could have people send in their favorite 80’s cartoon, superhero, video game character, board game, and so on. It’s more about capturing the personality of the individual in a manner that would provide insight into their character and not be the same across the board.

You can be as fun and creative with the subject matter as you’d like. Even better, if you have a theme to your meeting, pick a photo subject that corresponds.

As for me, I kicked it up a notch! I created a template that is a combination of many of these things and had folks find images for all of them. This allowed people to illustrate more of their personality. But, more importantly, it gave us an artifact we would hold on to and share internally so that it could be referenced later for new people or people that you didn’t work with as frequently. We refer to it as a “virtual desk”, similar to things you might learn about each other if you actually had a desk to approach for a visit. Below is mine. Isn’t it easy to get to know me better from this in quick order? And aren’t I awesome?!? ;-)

Two Truths and a Lie

Classic game of individuals supplying two facts about themselves that others may not be aware of, plus one lie. The goal is to guess which statement is the lie. When people use more obscure facts about themselves, the game becomes far more tricky, and fun!

You can wing this with no advance prep and ask people to make these statements live in your meeting, or type them into some web share (such as Lync, Webex, etc.) on the fly, and then just have others guess. Or these can be collected and collated in advance, and again a score sheet could be used to capture guesses on which item is the lie.

Tip: Having the items written, in advance or via the web share, makes it easier for people to recall all three statements and then review for which they believe to be the lie.

Buddy System

Prior to your meeting, the organizer should pair up all participants with another participant. This can be completely random, but if you’re me to go out of your way to assign people that don’t know each other or typically work together.

The assignment is easy: The pair gets on the phone and chats prior to the meeting to get to know each other, specifically some things about each other personally and their current work.

During the meeting, each person will introduce their partner instead of them introducing themselves. It’s a creative way to do intros while establishing some additional personal connections.

Story Time

If you ever went to camp as a kid, you likely played this game. Someone starts a story, then the next person adds on, and so on as the story goes. The last person brings it to a “logical” conclusion.

You can do this verbally. However, it’s even more fun to see the end product, and maybe even save it for future reference! Using web-share tools, and sharing a whiteboard or even a word processing doc, have someone start by typing the first few words. Then name someone to go next and take over control to continue typing. Some tools will make this very easy with annotation support.

Try putting a limit on it, such as writing only three or five words, before passing the story on to the next person. As the facilitator, you can start the story using words related to your theme or topic to relate it back to your meeting if desired.

Would You Rather…

Put together a slide or two in advance asking people if they would rather do X or Y. In your meeting, display this page and ask people to put a mark on their vote. You can do this with a word processing doc and just collect X’s or names. However, I prefer this in a tool with annotation ability, especially those with pointer arrows that include people’s names. It’s prettier and more fun for the user, usually easier to allow people to edit all at once, and also easier to reset.

You can set the X and Y parts of the game to match the theme of your meeting, or just silly concepts to break the ice. For instance, would you rather:

·         Be invisible or read minds? (Me: Read minds)

·         Eat nothing but sweets or nothing but savory? (Me: Sweets)

·         Give up TV/Internet or give up books? (Me: Books)

·         Swim with dolphins or ride an elephant? (Me: Dolphin)

·         Hike or swim? (Me: Hike)

·         Take a European vacation or Caribbean vacation? (Me: Europe)

·         Have more time or more money? (Me: ummmm…. Time?)

·         Talk like Yoda or breathe like Darth Vader? (Me: Talk like Yoda I will)

Tic-Tac-Toe

Draw up some tic-tac-toe boards. (You know – those giant hashtag looking things?) Assign a pair to play and let them go. You can make the boards in advance, or do them on the fly in your meeting. You can use tools like paint or word processing, but again I prefer web share tools with annotation abilities. It’s just easier for multiple people to engage at once, and tends to have more flexibility. You can keep track of winners and turn it into a bracketed tournament if you’d like. It’s simple, it’s easy, and it gets people engaged in the presentation medium. (And tic-tac-toe smack-talk can be a brutal and fun side conversation taking place!)

Pictionary

You’ve all played Pictionary, right? Pick a word, draw a picture of that word, and see if your team can guess the word you picked. Same deal, only virtual and using the tools to your advantage. Divide your meeting into two teams. The meeting host supplies the word to ONE PERSON on one of the teams, and gives them sixty seconds to draw. The others on the team are guessing out loud. The drawing works best with a nice annotation feature, but paint or other similar tools will also work in your web share. If the team gets it, they get a point. If they don’t, the other team can guess and steal that point. Rotate to the other team. Then rotate to the next player on the first team. And so on. First team to X wins.

If that feels like too much work, just share your whiteboard and have people draw. Pick out a theme and have them create a collective scene, building off each other. Maybe a summer’s day, a picnic, a snowy day, the zoo – it’s all in the engagement and banter.

Hangman

Is that name even still politically correct?? I’m using it anyway…

The host gets most of the work on this one, but it doesn’t require much-if-any advanced prep. Standard hangman rules: Draw the empty gallows, and draw the word or phrase as a serious of blank lines (“Wheel of Fortune” style). Take turns guessing letters. When the letters are correct, fill in your blank lines. When they aren’t, draw more body parts on your hanging dude. It’s up to you how elaborate you make your person. Decide how you want to declare a winner – it could be just for fun, or you could make teams like Pictionary with a steal option (after the dude is dead).

You can make the words and phrases related to your topic, or something silly. The best part is that everyone will get to see your awful computer drawing skills!

Quick Questions

Think of a silly question to ask the participants in your group. Have them share aloud or in writing through your web share. This is the simplest way out, but can be just as fun! Some ideas:

·         If you had a theme song play every time you entered the room/a meeting, what would it be? (Mine is the “Night Court” theme song… Inside joke!)

·         What should I never ask you about? (Don’t ask me about Apple/”i” anything. I’m a Windows and Android gal!)

·         What was the last concert you attended? Or what is the next one on your list? (I’ll be at Alice Cooper this weekend!! We’re not worthy!!)

·         If today were like High School, what superlative would apply to you? Most likely to succeed? Best dressed? Class clown? (I’ll go with cutest couple for me. My hubby is my prince. Awwwhhh…)

The bottom-line is that there tons of games you can play with remote teams depending on your goals and time available. The most important thing is to try. There are creative ways to turn almost anything into a virtual game if you just give it some thought. See how much you just learned about me? 

Home Improvement

There are very few things about working at home that I would consider negatives. However, when an item makes that list, it REALLY makes the list! Large home improvement projects… cue the Tim Allen grunt!

I’ve had a large, thankfully outdoor, project underway for a few months. In that time, I’ve had great experiences, annoying experiences, and downright awful experiences. I can’t even imagine if I had a project of the same caliber going on inside my home while trying to work!

The Good: I had one contractor that would text me any time he had a question and ask me to pop out when I could. He respected my time. And he respected that barging in would set off a ripple of annoyances.

The Annoying: There are always people here and there is constant noise. It’s a distraction. It breaks concentration. It even made me feel like a fish in a glass bowl, with the outsiders looking in. I felt bad taking a lunch break and eating while they were just outside the window working. And I certainly didn’t want to work out in front of them! Plus, those moments that require quiet thought for concentration were few and far between.

The Bad: Oh, the bad… I had another contractor that asked to use the restroom his first day, as he had been ‘sick’ lately. I allowed it since I felt bad, and frankly felt I need to be nice to the people working on my project to ensure it got done. Then it happened the next day. And the next. And every day for over a month. And these were not friendly visits – my poor restroom, which is right by my office, was taking a beating. So was my nose! Worse yet, he’d ring the doorbell each time regardless of our conversations. This was an immediate interruption to everything. I would have to stop what I was doing, as well as listen to the doorbell ring and my dogs go crazy. (I have come to now hate my doorbell and asked my hubby to change the chime!) This same crew would knock on the window or door each time they had a question, again ticking off my dogs. And these are only a few of the irritations!

I felt like many of the workers thought I was just sitting around in the house somewhere watching TV, doing nothing, and would always jump any time they rang. Obviously the very opposite was true, as every interruption was truly stopping me from doing the work that was paying for them to do their work and get paid. If only they understood that leaving me alone was the key to their very survival!

Oh – And what would you chuckleheads do if I DIDN’T work from home?

I learned a lot from this experience. I learned that you should feel empowered to say “No” and not feel bad. I learned that you should set boundaries without feeling that you are mean. I learned that you shouldn’t assume people understand what “working at home” really means. I learned that if you don’t speak up, you invite trouble.

How can you survive if you find yourself at home during a large project? Below are a few tips:

• Talk to your crew and set boundaries early. Let them know not just that you work at home, but what that means. Many people don’t understand what you do and therefore don’t understand the inconvenience. Boundaries may include times to start/stop work, if and how they should enter your home, how they should contact you if there is a question, etc. 
• If there is a special circumstance, such as a very important call or meeting, where interruption would be very bad, let them know in advance and ask that they don’t make a ruckus at that time.
• Let your coworkers know that you are having work done if you believe the noise may come through on audio.
• Ask your contractors up front about how they handle “conveniences”, such as whether they will have a port-a-potty on site or where they will pull power from. If they don’t have a plan, insist that they make one, or you will have plenty of company.
•  Designate a time where you will check in with the crew on any questions, such as your lunch break. This will minimize the ad hoc requests and allow you to conduct routine progress checks.
• Consider alternative work locations. For the time the work is being performed, you may want to work from the office, a friend’s house, or a local coffee shop where your interruptions and noise levels will be less.

Working from home during a project has its advantages. You can keep an eye on the progress, sign for the legal things, and ensure your property is respected in every way necessary. I’m glad I was here. But I’m more proud that I didn’t kill anyone and didn’t lose my job during the craziness, and lived to help others avoid it in the future.

Working While Sick

You've heard it dozens of times before... Your employer and coworkers say that if you are sick, you should stay home. They don't want your funk! They don't want to be grossed out by seeing or hearing what you are dealing with, and they certainly don't want to catch it, so they want you as far away as possible.

Why do you still go to work when you're in these rough conditions? You need that paycheck! You also don't want to burn through your paid time off (PTO) being sick because you want those days for vacation. And you may have meetings and deadlines that you'd miss and set forth a chain reaction that would take days and weeks to recover from. Doesn't that make you feel important?

Despite all of your valid reasons, your office mates are still right. You shouldn't be in the office. And this is yet another reason that working from home is the cure for what ails you.

When you work from home, no one is there to catch your germs. No one has to listen to the sounds you make (coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, or worse...) You are containing your germs to you!

There are creature comforts of working from home as well. If you need to sleep in a little longer, no one will notice if you didn't get dressed, fix your hair, put on makeup, or skip your morning workout. If you are having a fever or cold chills, you are able to adjust the thermostat appropriately and dress to match, including sporting that awesome Snuggie you try to deny you have. If you need to take medication throughout the day, you aren't raising any eyebrows. And you truly cannot articulate the value of having your own, private restroom. Even your lunch time becomes more valuable as you can catch a quick nap, run to the doctor, refill a prescription, fix a bowl of soup, or otherwise help yourself get well.

Here's the best part: You're able to do all of this AND work. BOOM!

All of this assumes that you have some cognitive ability to add value, of course. There are some illnesses that you can work through, and some you shouldn't. Sometimes 50% of you at work is better than 0%, but in other cases you should just focus on a complete mend so that you can come back to work strong sooner. Check out my prior blog about allowing yourself to actually call in sick.

In a time where HR measures corporate wellness by the number of "unhealthy days", companies are trying to maximize productivity, and employees are using their vacation time to actually take vacation, being able to NOT take a sick day has increasing value. And that drives up the already valuable nature of working at home.

Work like Gidget

In January, I wrote about finding your reason to work at home. At the time, my reason largely revolved around Gidget, our doxy, who was struggling with old age and health problems, and how working from home allowed me to give her more years and more support in that time. Sadly, our little Gidget went to puppy heaven this past weekend. Our hearts are truly broken and there is an emptiness in my work from home right now.

But, I want to remember the good times. And those good times can help us all work at home a little better. So, let's reminisce about the Futz for a bit...

Gidget was a miniature dachshund, but there was nothing small about her attitude. She acted like a big dog and had no fear. She'd take on any opponent without hesitation because she knew she was a bad @$$. She once took on a Great Dane for picking on her doxy sister, and no one was coming close to mommy without her permission.

Gidget was playful. She LOVED her tennis ball. We had to build barriers under the couch to block the balls from getting stuck. She would play all day and night, and even sleep with her ball when we let her. She knew that life was short and she should have a ball, literally, while she was here. Gidget was also a big ham. She knew how to have a good time, laugh, and make others laugh. She was sneaky, and silly, and a bundle of crazy that eventually earned her the nickname "Futz".

Gidget loved her family. She protected them and wanted to be with them all the time. We would practically step on her because she was always getting underfoot in her stealth-mode. She used to climb up on the back of the couch and sit on my shoulder, both to watch and protect me from whatever, and to snuggle right into my neck. And she never grew out of being poppy's little baby.

Despite the best training, Gidget was always a yapper. Her bark could break glass and ring in your head until it ached. Any noise would set her off. Or her imagination. We'd beg her to be quiet, but she demanded to be heard. I miss that noise right now...

I could go on and on about the memories and personality of Gidget. She was one-of-a-kind. But I'll stop with one more: She was so thankful that mommy worked at home. She would have struggled and left us much sooner if I had not. And, even in her sickest days, she would still let me know how much it meant to her that I was here. Whether that was a pathetic kiss, a request to be held, begging for treats, or just that look in her eyes... She always said thank you and I love you. And I always said it back.

Work at home puts many challenges before us. Just remember to work, and live, like Gidget. Don't...

• Be afraid to live big
• Let the big dogs in the office push you around 
• Work so much that you don't have fun
• Neglect your family
• Sit in silence; speak up, often, and boldly
• Forget to say Thank You and I Love You
• Lose your 'why' (you work from home)
• Ever take your work from home status for granted

Until we meet again...

Only a leap from the lion's head...

I often get asked how I ended up working from home full time, so let's tell that story:

I had been with my employer for around 6 years and worked my way up to the highly sought-after management role that came with the even more coveted office. You know the one - The space with 4 real walls and a door that opens and closes. No longer in the open floor cube farm. I even had a window! Life was good.

My leader then changed to one with a more agile, modern view of the world, which led to the ability to periodically work from home. Those sporadic occasions turned into a committed one-day a week at home. And in preparation for a changing and more dynamic work space, that crept up to two days a week.

We had heard that our new work space would be "agile", meaning more flexible for the people working a few days at home. Less dedicated space, more collaboration space. Our little slice of the south was starting to sound more like Silicon Valley. Who wouldn't be excited?!

It was time to move, and our new digs weren't ready, and we were to be placed in temporary housing. The only problem was that due to its temp nature, there was very little space to go around (and it wasn't all that pretty either!) To condense space, some teams were asked if they would be willing to go all-in on being "agile" - meaning no dedicated desks, reduced footprint, and more time at home. Since this was going to be the wave of the future, and my team liked to think we were trendsetters, we volunteered.

Our temp space took us down to less than half of the desks we had before. And as for me, I lost my glorious office. So here we were, in a wicked game of musical chairs where the music had stopped and there weren't enough seats. We created a schedule for our little area documenting who was coming into the office on which days, because too many people would mean someone was sitting on the floor. We got the equipment set up at each cube so that no matter what type of machine you connected with, you'd be able to work from any of our desks. We created lockers for people to pack up all of their personal items at the end of the day. We basically created a hotel and reservation system.

The result was an increase in the number of days people were at home. But some other interesting ramifications sprouted up. People felt like they were homeless nomads. Whether at work or at home, each day you would have to pack up everything. You were never rooted. Especially in the office, where that wasn't "your" desk, and someone else would be there tomorrow. People wasted time setting up and tearing down each day to promote the clean desk guidelines in the office. And moreover, people weren't getting the benefit of being physically present in the work space because their coworkers weren't there when they were.

This led to the question: "If I never see the people I work with, what is the value of coming to the office?"

That was a pivotal point. I felt the same as my team. So we began to ask that question to leaders and let our feelings be known. With understanding and support from a great leader, we went off the grid. My team became unofficially full-time at-home workers. No one else knew about it. We were conducting an experiment. Could we keep our business partners satisfied with their service from home? Let's not tell them and find out...

Obviously we know how the story ends. Customers said they received better service. There was no negative reaction when people found out. And the rest is history. Four years of working from home later, and it still works.

So now you know. But so what? Why does my story matter? I took a leap of faith. My team was piloting that "agile" work space notion. The infrastructure wasn't ready. The culture wasn't ready. Many days were very tough emotionally and productivity-wise. Each day was a surprise battle waiting. Simply put, those initial "agile" weeks downright sucked.

We knew it wasn't ready and jumped in anyway. We struggled daily, but didn't give up. We took a leap of faith that, while we didn't see it then, a net would appear and catch us if we fell. "Only a leap from the lion's head will he prove his worth." For those that know this quote, you will also recall that after this leap of faith, waiting on the other end was the Holy Grail. And sure enough, so was ours.

I never thought that working in an "agile" environment would lead to being at home full time, and the movement that started thereafter. I never thought I'd become an evangelist for work-at-home or a guide to so many. I never thought that my life would have changed so much for the better. All because I took a deep breath and leapt.

Don't Fade Away

We've all had those work relationships where your coworkers become your best friends and family. Heck, you often see them more than your other friends and family! You talk everyday about what is going on in each other's lives, you eat lunch together, you celebrate life's big moments, you create inside jokes, and often you choose to hang out after hours as a result. These coworkers aren't just people you work with, they are your people. Or, so you think...

When you change jobs, do these relationships stick? Are they ever the same? Usually you exchange email addresses and may friend each other on Facebook and promise to stay in touch. You may even do so for a while. But there's something different. And, over time, that person who you considered near and dear is all but a memory. You didn't want to cut them out. You didn't actively do anything to "break up" with them. So what happened?

Most work relationships are formed out of convenience. Because you are sitting next to someone every day, it's easy to talk to them, see their photos, notice changes in their appearance, and share in casual downtime moments. You didn't have to work for it. And the minute you, or they, did - well, that's just too much effort! You transitioned from convenient to conscious.

This same thing happens to relationships when you move from an in-office worker to an at-home worker. (It's even harder when you never started in the office and are building off nothing!) Your relationship with your coworkers and even your leaders was often convenient. Staff meetings were in person. Lunches were physical gatherings. Pictures were real photos hanging on your cube wall. Hugs and handshakes were shared. Your relationship had tangible components within an arms reach and mindless recognition.

Now that you are at home, each of these interactions is harder. You may feel like you are losing touch, and the people you thought were your closest friends are now out of sight, out of mind. How do you keep your relationships from dwindling away and becoming just another memory? There are two primary components to keeping what you had (or starting something new): Convenience and Effort.

We have already established that many of these relationships formed out of convenience in the first place. It stands to reason that keeping them alive must also be convenient. It is important to create an environment where relationships are welcome and come naturally. Some ideas:

• Call instead of email. Your voice, tone, inflection, accent, etc. share information about you with others and establish a human connection.
• Use your video camera. Take it up a notch and add real video chat instead of just a phone call. Software and hardware that are easy to use and readily available are the keys to making this as natural as traditional face-to-face conversations.
• Allow time in your meetings for chatter. Start your meeting with casual conversation, catching up or getting to know those on the line. You already have people on the phone, which makes it truly convenient to interact and reestablish those relationships.
• Utilize social networking applications, and mobile ones where available. These are already second nature to most people, so using these tools is meeting people where they are already engaging.
• Employ other modern communication techniques such as instant message and text. These are quick and easy, and another solution already common practice in personal communications.

Let's face it. No matter how convenient you make it, there will still be effort involved. It's just not the same casual convenience you had before. Both parties must have a desire to keep (or build) the relationship. A fire will die out if not tended.

With a little bit of effort and convenient communal areas, you can keep your relationships just as strong as they were when you previously sat next to your coworker. You may even find that your relationship is deeper and more meaningful as a result of intentional interaction as opposed to convenient conversions.

Volunteer to be great

It is well documented that volunteering leads people to live happier, healthier, longer lives. Studies have shown that volunteering increases your brain function while also giving you an endorphin kick. Volunteering is a proven success factor for job hunting, resume building, career navigation, and college entrance. Additionally, volunteering gives back to communities in need - whatever the cause may be. Volunteering unites people, crossing lines of race, religion, politics, wealth, education, and the like. You might even say that volunteering is the thread that holds our fragile fabric of society together.

So why talk about that here? When you work remotely, you tend to isolate yourself and have less physical interaction with others. You may leave your house less, and your overall socialization diminishes. This can create feelings of isolation, loneliness, and depression. It devolves your general social skills and keeps you less aware of what is happening in "the real world". (For example, I have no idea what the price of gas is any longer!) This can create a downward spiral in your personal and professional life. It is of dire importance when you work at home that you seek out face-to-face, physical interactions and remain a part of the world revolving around you.

Volunteering is an outstanding avenue to make this connection. Through volunteering, you will meet new people and develop new relationships. Many volunteer opportunities also involve you getting out of your home and connecting to the outside world. Work may keep you tethered to your home office, staring at the same four walls every day and talking only to yourself, but volunteering can unlock those chains and release you into the wild to run free. This external interaction will allow you to feel a part of something bigger. You will feel more engaged with society, have new and strong connections to people, and fight back against the feelings of loneliness.

Work-at-home associates have an edge over in-office counterparts on getting involved with community causes. Because these associates are already time-affluent, the hours they are not spending in traffic, eating in a break room, and going to the dry-cleaner are bonus hours that can easily be diverted to volunteering. So not only will it improve your feeling of belonging, you won't be "giving up" your free time to do it!

So what are you waiting for? Go make a positive impact on the world, and be wowed by positive impact to your own world.

The real reason for working at home

Most people are familiar with the typical reasons people and employers have work working at home: saves commute time, less money on cloths and dry cleaning, less office real estate needed, environmental impact, etc. And these are all great reasons to get started. However, if you dig a little deeper, you will find that most folks have a deeper, more personal reason for working at home.

It’s important for people at-home to recognize this, so that they understand why protecting this privilege is so important to them. It’s probably even more important that people in-office are exposed to this, for each time they belittle the at-home experience, they are hurting so much more.

I personally became an at-home worker through a number of office circumstances. However, today’s primary reason for its importance is my older dog. Gidget is now 16.25 years old. And yes, we count months at this point! She has health problems, is mostly blind, and somewhat senile. She doesn’t remember where she is, she gets lost, and she panics. That is, when mommy isn’t around! Mommy has become her ability to keep calm. She doesn’t impact my work; she sleeps all day in the corner of my office. I don’t notice she is there, but she would absolutely notice if I wasn’t. On rare days when I have to go to the office, mass hysteria ensues, and I come home to a freaked out little baby and a giant mess (in more ways than one!) My husband and I are both convinced that if I wasn’t working at home, she wouldn’t still be with us. The ability to work at home has extended our time with our little girl and I am eternally grateful.

I have friends that have equally honorable reasons for being at home, if not more so. I have a colleague whose family was having such a hard time with local allergies and asthma that it was almost killing them. Their family moved out west to the dry air to be healthy. If they couldn’t work from home, they wouldn’t still be with our company. I know other folks that are at home to ensure their kids get to and from school safely. There are some that work at home because our company literally has no offices in their location, and if we want to keep their skills, it’s the only option. I know people that moved to be close to family. Another person works at home to take care of their ill husband, ensure he gets his medicine, respond to any emergencies, and more easily take him to the doctor. Others do the same for ailing parents. Some are at home because their commute is hours. A few have medical conditions that make an in-office job impractical or impossible.

As you can see, there is more to being work-at-home than meets the eye. When you provide proper resources and engagement to these individuals, you are not just impacting their work deliverables, but also the health and well-being of their entire family. Before asking someone to “just come in tomorrow” like it is no big deal, consider that it just might be, and then consider if working differently will help reach the same goal without disrupting their world.