There’s a lot
to be said for working from home. The commute is a breeze, the kitchen is
stocked and you can take meetings in your sweats. But is telecommuting more
productive than working from an office?
For the last
three years, Lauren Libert has been one of the estimated 67% Americans that the
2014
National Study of Employers reports is spending some amount of time each
week telecommuting. A business development director for North Carolina-based N2
Publishing, Libert works full-time from her home office in northern New Jersey.
The benefits? “I have total flexibility
about when and how I get my job done. I make my own hours and I don’t have to
deal with the distractions that often come with working in a large office,”
says Libert. “Of course, there are times when I miss the camaraderie of having
co-workers close by. But at the end of the day, I get a lot more accomplished
than if I had to commute to an office each day.”
Libert isn’t
unusual. Experts point to numerous studies that demonstrate that people who
work from home are on average more productive than other workers. They’ve also
shown that telecommuting improves morale and reduces turnover.
In one
recent study, Stanford professor of economics Nicholas Bloom teamed up with
Ctrip, China’s largest travel agency, to test whether telecommuters were more
or less productive than employees who came into the office. About 250 workers
volunteered for the experience; half were randomly chosen to work at home for a
nine-month period and half were in the office. The results, which appeared in a
January 2014 Harvard Business Review
article, To Raise Productivity, Let More Employees
Work From Home, showed that
home-based employees were 13.5% more productive than office workers; they also
were sick less often and reported being happier and quit less frequently.
While the
benefits of telecommuting are clear, working from home has its challenges,
according to productivity expert Anne McGurty. McGurty is the president and
founder of the Arizona-based consulting and coaching firm, Strategize and
Organize. “There’s much to be desired about working from home, but even if you
have managers and coworkers you’re accountable to, there are still temptations
that can easily sap your productivity and motivation. These can make
telecommuting difficult for many,” says McGurty. “If you’re not careful, they
can also hurt your career.”
To make
working from home a win-win for you and your employer, McGurty suggests 5 tips
that can help you get ahead and stay ahead.
1.
Get a
room. It might sound obvious, but having a designated workspace in your
home is essential. “Some people think they can set up “shop” on the kitchen
table or plop on the sofa, open a laptop and work. In my experience, that’s a
recipe for distraction.” explains McGurty. “You need an organized space in your
apartment or home that allows you to keep your works space and your home
separate.”
2.
Keep it
professional. Another important tip for staying productive? Treat your home
office like a business. “Just because you’re working from what used to be the
storage closet off your family room, doesn’t mean the same rules governing an
office don’t apply,” says McGurty. “Ban barking dogs and playing children from
your work space and keep your desk and work area organized; it’ll help create
the right environment for getting things done. A clutter-free environment (and
computer desktop) frees up space and is also easier to manage.
Get in the habit of putting “stuff” in
the right place. “The average worker wastes six weeks a year retrieving
misplaced information on office and computer files,” says McGurty. “Set up a
system for organizing information and then use it. If you put stuff in the
right place, rather than simply shoving it aside or dumping it onto your hard
drive, you’ll be able to access what you need, when you need it.” She also
urges telecommuters to be professional in how they handle and store sensitive
work information. “It’s important to adhere to the same confidentiality rules
that would apply if you worked at the home office. Keep a shredder handy to
properly dispose of all sensitive documents and properly maintain all computer
and cloud files.”
3.
Get
ready, get set, go. One of the hidden dangers of telecommuting is
procrastination. It can creep into your day because, when you work from home,
it can seem like you have all the time in the world to get things done. But
don’t let the clock get the better of you. “Working from home takes
self-discipline, and that means getting things done in the right time,” says
McGurty. “One way to keep your day on schedule is to set a daily start and stop
time for working. The structure of a routine will help you avoid
procrastination and boost your productivity,” says McGurty. “If you’re always
wondering where the time went, consider using one of the many free online apps,
such as RescueTime, to help you track
your activities.”
McGurty also advises telecommuters to
plan out their day the night before. “Whether you keep a written list or use a
computer-based program like Outlook, creating daily goals gives structure to an
otherwise flexible workday, helping you to hit your important deadlines. And to avoid getting mired in day-to-day
details, be sure to include at least one productive long-term goal-oriented
task each day.”
4. Play to your wheelhouse. As a corollary
to setting priorities, McGurty also suggests getting more tactical about when
you actually work. “One of the bonuses of telecommuting is having the freedom
to schedule your time. If you’re a
morning person, use that time to tackle your most important goals and leave
emails and other tasks for later in the day. If you have more energy in the
afternoon, flip the order,” says McGurty. “Either way, keep your schedule
consistent to promote concentration and motivation.” Some other ideas to
ratchet-up your productivity? McGurty suggests getting a change of scenery once
in the while. “There’s a reason why places like Starbucks and Panera are filled
with people typing away on their computers during office hours. Leaving your
house for an hour or two can do wonders for your focus,” explains McGurty.
5. Don’t forget “me” time. It can be
difficult to disengage when working from home, but don’t let that stop you from
maintaining a healthy work-life balance. McGurty suggests setting clear
boundaries around family and work time. She also encourages workers to join a
gym or club, get involved in a hobby or interest that gets you out the door,
and/or take regular vacations to avoid falling into a rut and to recharge your
mind and body.
Staying
focused can be tricky when working from home. The key is to develop habits and
rituals that tell you brain (and you’re family if that’s relevant to your
situation), “I’m at work now.” After working 9 to 5 at a company for more than
20 years, Libert says that telecommuting is the way to go, assuming you have
the option. “Sure, working from home tests my discipline. But for me, the
flexibility and quality of life it provides is far greater than the challenge
of managing any occasional lapse in focus or motivation I may encounter along
the way.”
Source:
www.annemcgurty.com
www.fb.com/strategizeandorganize
http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/08/05/working-from-home-5-tips-for-being-more-productive-remotely/
480-442-2014
Source:
www.annemcgurty.com
www.fb.com/strategizeandorganize
http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2014/08/05/working-from-home-5-tips-for-being-more-productive-remotely/
480-442-2014
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