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.