In the past three years, we’ve had to look for creative ways to collaborate. We’re in the era of real-time virtual technology mixed with in-person meetings. It’s overwhelming. When we’re overwhelmed and spread too thin, we tune out and barely participate in one meeting as we often try to multitask. Zoom, Teams, Slack, WhatsApp, and many others give us no reason not to collaborate on our day-to-day jobs. However, with so many meetings, are we
The trials and tribulations of working from home are many
1. Wearing a headset during all your conference calls and Zoom meetings is so important. Do I need to hear every detail of your meetings? A better question is, “Do I want to hear every detail?’
2. Establishing designated rooms for each of us. Having my husband take over our kitchen and dining room has made meals a challenge. The kids and I get the evil eye every time we grab a snack or a drink. Forget using the microwave! I think he believes that he is still in his office at work.
3. Go over our daily schedules before we start working. It would help determine who can take the barking dog out for a walk during important calls and reminding our teenagers that there is no video gaming or FaceTime during school hours. Now we both expect the other to come to the rescue.
4. No talking about work once we close our laptops. This one is tricky since talking about what is happening in the news is very stressful. We have tried to pick new shows to watch or other activities. We have selected small home projects to do, and we have become puzzle experts.
5. Having set work hours. It seems like a no brainer, but things get in the way when you are at home, like reminding your teens to get out of bed, eat lunch, or do their assigned homework, you seem to work all day. There is no longer once I leave the office that I am leaving work behind for me to concentrate on home life. There are blurred lines. It seems like some of us are working much longer days. Working from home is flexible to some degree. I am beginning to set 90 minute/2 hour blocks of time where I am not to be interrupted, and I keep working. I look at what I need to accomplish and project a stop time for the day.
Having these five guidelines in place may help create a healthier and happier working from home environment. I am attempting to put them in place now that we are ending week three. And as far as cooking, I am doing a lot of that, much more than I have ever done! I am still trying to convince my teens that spending time with their parents is very cool. I may need some luck with that one!
Author
Kristen Curran-Faller
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