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Work from home requires discipline and structure
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Work from home requires discipline and structure
Recruiters tempted to go it alone during the downturn might find that working from home isn`t as liberating and uncomplicated as they`d hoped, says business coach Ric Willmot.
"The excitement and trepidation rise as you take your seat at your desk realising you are independent, answerable only to yourself, free to manage and prioritise your time, efforts and schedules. Many consultants, trainers, coaches and speakers are escapees from the corporate world; relishing the freedoms afforded self-employment and entrepreneurialism."
But, he says in an article, the transition is rarely trouble-free, uncomplicated and without stress. "Friends will telephone while you are working, assuming you have an abundance of time to chat. Others will call in mistakenly believing you have ample time for socialisation as well. You may also consider that you have the discretionary time to quickly complete some household chores during your productive work time."
An abundance of distractions competes for your attention when working from home - ranging from young children to dirty dishes to television - which can destroy your concentration, he says.
There are, however, steps you can take to successfully work from home, and these include:
Formalise your working environment. It`s tempting to treat working from home informally, "especially considering you are your own boss and answerable to no one (excepting maybe your bank manager)", Willmot says. He advises formalising how you will manage and prioritise your work tasks at home. "This can incorporate scheduling of regular tasks, such as telephone calls to clients, report-writing, invoicing, and so on.
"It will benefit you to clearly understand how you will handle various scenarios which may impinge upon productivity, like: drop-ins by friends and relatives, interruptions by family members during important telephone calls, or children`s illnesses requiring they remain home from school. You might consider designating scheduled appointments for household chores, family errands, and recreational activities that you might otherwise be tempted to slip in to your working day."
Maintain balance. Many work-from-home professionals "work far too hard, and not nearly smart enough", Willmot says. "Be realistic and be kind to yourself; emotionally, physically and creatively. Your success or otherwise will have less to do with the number of hours you work and more to do with the results and outcomes you produce."
There is no reason why home-based entrepreneurs can`t be sitting by the pool at two in the afternoon, he notes, and they shouldn`t feel guilty about dropping by the `office` at nine at night to send emails and write a report. "Just because you have your office at home does not necessarily require you work `office` hours. But it is incumbent upon you to be disciplined to do what is needed, when it is needed."
Pronouncements for the home. Just because you`re clear about your work patterns and priorities doesn`t mean your family will have the same understanding.
"There is no valid reason why you cannot close the door to your home-office as a simple indicator to your family that you cannot be disturbed and/or you are on an important telephone call and quiet is important. Explain the measures to your family in advance, and then use those measures as needed, but only as needed so that they are not only understood but respected by others in your home."
Location, location, location. "Where your office is located within the confines of your residence will play a big role in the potential distractions and how enticing those distractions may become to you," Willmot says. "Ideally, your office should be away from the busiest areas of the home; not in the thoroughfare of life. Neither should it be in your bedroom! It does need a door... that closes."
You also need a separate and dedicated business telephone line "that nobody else in the family answers, ever!" he says. And it is better that you have your own office equipment that is not for family use. "Computers, printers, scanners and alike are tools of your business. Let the family have their own in another area of the home."
Achieve more by doing less." Whether it be home duties or business needs, where it makes sense and is readily done with minimum supervision, outsource tasks," Willmot says. "Get a housekeeper, have the lawns and gardens handled for you by a contractor, hire an external bookkeeper, use a virtual assistant; you get the idea. Utilise others to quickly accomplish tasks that distract and unenthuse you so that your creative and productive energies remain focused on bringing in the high-premium business results."
Managers need new mindset for work-from-home success
Work-from-home arrangements can also save recruitment agencies money during the downturn - by reducing the need for large office space and resources - and help consultants save on transport costs and commuting times. ....
Source:
http://www.recruiterdaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&stream=All&selkey=
"The excitement and trepidation rise as you take your seat at your desk realising you are independent, answerable only to yourself, free to manage and prioritise your time, efforts and schedules. Many consultants, trainers, coaches and speakers are escapees from the corporate world; relishing the freedoms afforded self-employment and entrepreneurialism."
But, he says in an article, the transition is rarely trouble-free, uncomplicated and without stress. "Friends will telephone while you are working, assuming you have an abundance of time to chat. Others will call in mistakenly believing you have ample time for socialisation as well. You may also consider that you have the discretionary time to quickly complete some household chores during your productive work time."
An abundance of distractions competes for your attention when working from home - ranging from young children to dirty dishes to television - which can destroy your concentration, he says.
There are, however, steps you can take to successfully work from home, and these include:
Formalise your working environment. It`s tempting to treat working from home informally, "especially considering you are your own boss and answerable to no one (excepting maybe your bank manager)", Willmot says. He advises formalising how you will manage and prioritise your work tasks at home. "This can incorporate scheduling of regular tasks, such as telephone calls to clients, report-writing, invoicing, and so on.
"It will benefit you to clearly understand how you will handle various scenarios which may impinge upon productivity, like: drop-ins by friends and relatives, interruptions by family members during important telephone calls, or children`s illnesses requiring they remain home from school. You might consider designating scheduled appointments for household chores, family errands, and recreational activities that you might otherwise be tempted to slip in to your working day."
Maintain balance. Many work-from-home professionals "work far too hard, and not nearly smart enough", Willmot says. "Be realistic and be kind to yourself; emotionally, physically and creatively. Your success or otherwise will have less to do with the number of hours you work and more to do with the results and outcomes you produce."
There is no reason why home-based entrepreneurs can`t be sitting by the pool at two in the afternoon, he notes, and they shouldn`t feel guilty about dropping by the `office` at nine at night to send emails and write a report. "Just because you have your office at home does not necessarily require you work `office` hours. But it is incumbent upon you to be disciplined to do what is needed, when it is needed."
Pronouncements for the home. Just because you`re clear about your work patterns and priorities doesn`t mean your family will have the same understanding.
"There is no valid reason why you cannot close the door to your home-office as a simple indicator to your family that you cannot be disturbed and/or you are on an important telephone call and quiet is important. Explain the measures to your family in advance, and then use those measures as needed, but only as needed so that they are not only understood but respected by others in your home."
Location, location, location. "Where your office is located within the confines of your residence will play a big role in the potential distractions and how enticing those distractions may become to you," Willmot says. "Ideally, your office should be away from the busiest areas of the home; not in the thoroughfare of life. Neither should it be in your bedroom! It does need a door... that closes."
You also need a separate and dedicated business telephone line "that nobody else in the family answers, ever!" he says. And it is better that you have your own office equipment that is not for family use. "Computers, printers, scanners and alike are tools of your business. Let the family have their own in another area of the home."
Achieve more by doing less." Whether it be home duties or business needs, where it makes sense and is readily done with minimum supervision, outsource tasks," Willmot says. "Get a housekeeper, have the lawns and gardens handled for you by a contractor, hire an external bookkeeper, use a virtual assistant; you get the idea. Utilise others to quickly accomplish tasks that distract and unenthuse you so that your creative and productive energies remain focused on bringing in the high-premium business results."
Managers need new mindset for work-from-home success
Work-from-home arrangements can also save recruitment agencies money during the downturn - by reducing the need for large office space and resources - and help consultants save on transport costs and commuting times. ....
Source:
http://www.recruiterdaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&stream=All&selkey=
