Preparing For Holidays

Posted on by richardbingham

As a homeworker taking a holiday is just a little bit different to office workers, mainly around being more organised and verbose.

Delete Meetings and Reject Invites. As you’re always physically absent it’s hard to tell if your missing. Go through your electronic calendar or physical diary. Also consider messaging invitees for critical meetings that will take place and you’ll not be attending.

Document State. Ensure all commitments and work schedules have current information, with clear updates and plans for while you’re away and immediate return. This covers you In case of questions or things go badly.

Set Expectations for Progress. Ensure people taking over your responsibilities know what to do and setup a debrief meeting on your return – this will encourage them to take ownership. Share the delegated ownership with higher management AND within your out-of-office message.

Prepare for your Return. Make a to-do list for when you’re back – things you didn’t get to before you left or important things you might forget about.

Clear The Decks. I clear out my whole email inbox before I go. Moving anything useful into a folder and deleting the rest. It makes the hour/s scanning new emails on my return somewhat more manageable.

Leave ‘Emergency’ Contact Details. Ask key people to call or text with serious problems but that you’ll not be looking at work email. This helps you stick to that promise!

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Is Coworking Better Than Working From Home?

Posted on by richardbingham

Highly popular companies like WeWork offer a hybrid between a company office and homeworking … known as coworking. This offers a fully-serviced communal office space for anyone from any business who will pay a daily charge. They usually offer:

  • Minimal contract tie-ins or simply pay-as-you-go fees.
  • No extra cost overheads like property taxes and utilities.
  • On-hand staff like receptionists, cleaners and security officers.
  • Business resources like printers, copiers and flipcharts
  • Access to additional office and meeting rooms.
  • Inclusive fast internet connections
  • On-site cafe and other informal breakout spaces for collaboration and discussion.

I currently work two afternoon-evenings a week from a coworking location, so let’s compare the pro’s and con’s of each.

Structure. One reported complaint of homeworking is that the loss of a routine (the commute, breaks, weekly activities) which at first glance seems like a benefit, may actually limit productivity. Most people operate best based upon certain core structures, and it takes a strong discipline to create and maintain them for yourself. As such the logistics of using coworking can address this.

Location. At this point, coworking facilities are commonly only available in larger cities, and so distance may be a pragmatic consideration.

Birds of a Feather. People using coworker spaces are there to benefit from it. The organization offering the space also is working to enhance the experience too. It means benefits will be more deliberate, including resources and opportunities for physical interactions and engaging in a community – unavailable from home and perhaps better than traditional offices run by uninspired facilities departments.

Shared Motivation. Similar to above, in a coworker space everyone is motivated for productivity and success, whereas at home you might not get the same ‘buzz’ – faced with incomplete domestic duties and other life-related distractions.

Decoration. Coworker facilities are often very new and are well-designed for a professional appearance to enhance work. They have to be to attract customers. This is probably far beyond a domestic office, and often-times better than a traditional office too.

Clear Separation. When you leave the office building you will usually leave your work-head there. It prevents you going back to work and over-extending your work day. Overworking is well-established as one of the biggest problems with homeworking.

Preparing to Work. Traveling to a professional place of work allows you to prepare your mind to focus on the things you’ll do there. It might be remembering incomplete tasks from yesterday or considering creative approaches to a problem, but the commute can get you in-the-zone. Coworking spaces add this where homeworking does not.

Cost. Clearly homeworking is free and coworking is not – although is less than you might expect (prices around $20 day). That said if you’re starting out and need to buy homeworking resources (desk, computer, equipment, or even do home alterations) then that might not be true.

Security. If you’re working on sensitive information your company might need to ensure they are happy with your working on a public network and alongside strangers. Data breaches and security concerns are very pertinent in some industries and checking with your organizations policies is recommended.

Noise. Some people like the ambient noise of an office, however there is no agreement on levels as half a dozen people on the phone at the same time can be distracting. Just like working from the cafe.

In Conclusion. Most people recommend some of both if possible. Take the benefits of both and the variety so neither becomes arduous. I would agree with this.

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Working From … the cafe

Posted on by richardbingham

Some of the advice homeworkers often get includes ‘getting out of the house‘, such how to cope during school holidays. As such, here are my tips for actually achieving work in a cafe.

Visit the Bathroom First. Be ready even before you order. Once you’ve settled you should not leave your gear unsupervised unless you want it to go. I wouldn’t even trust a ‘nice-looking’ person to keep watch. As such packing everything up is a pain, plus you might loose your seat (tip: leave a book/pen/paper on the table and your jacket on your chair).

Check the WiFi. Oftentimes it’s not quite as advertised (e.g. free) or doesn’t actually work very well. Barista’s are not going to give you technical support, and the 3rd party provider is unlikely to help immediately. Consider what kind of work you’ll be doing and consider including some off-line tasks for such a situation. Sure, you might have a mobile data connection, but you probably don’t have unlimited use.

Check for Noise. I use (noise-cancelling) headphones to reduce audible distractions, and never try to do conference calls … I find there is just too much (unexpected) noise, making it hard for everyone (including you) to hear. It also looks unprofessional when others can hear espresso machines and clicking crockery in the background. I retreat back to the car if I need to speak to someone.

Check the Opening/Closing Times. Ensure there will be enough time to complete your tasks. Not every cafe opens early and closing times vary wildly in my experience.

Check access to Power. If you’re planning a full day you’ll need to recharge your machine and possibly phone. Does the place have outlets you can use, and where are they?

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Review: Stand-up Desk

Posted on by richardbingham

After 4 weeks of trailing a stand-up desk (the Sit-Stand Workstation from Contour) I’d like to share my experience and offer some observations.

Don’t Spend Too Much. My model is on Amazon for around £160 ($180), which is considerably cheaper than full desks with electronic pneumatics (at £500+). The Contour requires a reasonably solid desk upon which to mount it, and my desk has a glass top too, but the end result is actually very solid. Obviously it’s only the weight of the monitor, keyboard and mouse that it’s holding … although the thing itself is pretty heavy.

Mix It Up. I have not yet managed to stand all day, but think that a variety is a good thing. I try to get 50% of my time standing as a minimum. I seem to like to take calls sitting, and do work standing. I am also currently trailing the Pomodoro Technique (article to follow), which means lots of short breaks and works well with a sit-stand mix.

Stand Properly. Just like sitting, a good standing posture is important. If you have a habit of putting all your weight on one leg, or in odd foot positions, then just make sure you don’t stay in a bad position for too long. I seem to naturally shuffle every few minutes.

Keep Drinks Safe. Because I am raising and lowering part of my desk it makes sense for liquids to be aware from the moving area.

Longer Cables. As I put together the desk it was clear that power and other cables would be stretched when I raise the desk. Just something to look out for, else things can get dangerous.

Manage Breaks. When you’re already out of the chair, you might find yourself wandering off, away from work. Most of the time this is a good thing, as long as you don’t get more snacks and do return fairly quickly.

Keep Going. The first week the thing mostly remained in sit position. Week two saw more standing, and so did week three. So it was a gradual adoption and required a little getting used it. Now I am going to keep using it for sure.

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Making Interactions Richer

Posted on by richardbingham

I recently attended an online course titled “handling difficult conversations” and noted it interesting that all the lessons had video examples, showing good and bad interactions. Each video was a face-to-face in-person illustration – allowing you to see how a good amount of the communication was non-verbal. Paradoxically, the course itself was delivered as a virtual class, and the video example had rather wooden actors.

I am not saying the content didn’t apply to us remote workers, but I’ve asked at more than one of these classes if something around “interacting richly over the phone” was available. Answer is always a “no, not yet” so here is my attempt at some basic advice.

  • Define The Agenda – in the meeting invite ensure a clear plan for the session is defined. Keeping things on-track is important, and word the agenda clearly and without bias.
  • Use Video – ensure you use a webcam/phone videocall if possible. I would say you can get back 50-75% of the non-verbal communication this way.
  • Make Notes – it’s prudent to write notes as you go (or have someone take minutes), and I’ve done this as people are speaking – sharing the note taking to all – so people can see what is being captured. This ensures people agree to what was discussed and nothing gets forgotten.
  • Use Illustration – nothing confirms and validates a point better than an example or a visual representation. We often need to literally ‘see’ what you mean sometimes. Everyone on a call might explain and imagine the same thing in very different ways. I know people who love to use metaphors to illustrate points, often amusingly but at the same time it ensures the point is understood.
  • Reach Conclusions – state the next actions and who is assigned to do what and by when. Circulate the minutes or notes to all stakeholders. If appropriate agree the next time you will check progress as well.

While much of above is generic to online meetings, the clearer those steps are followed the richer and more productive the interactions will be.

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Productivity Test: The Pomodoro Technique

Posted on by richardbingham

I happened across (lifehacker) this productivity technique a few weeks ago and it seemed similar to what I already do. Since the easiest change is the one that is the smallest, I tried it out. Here is a summary.

In essence, this helps you run short periods of focused work, dedicated to a single task. The idea is a dedicated time slot means no lost effort task switching, and distractions are deferred. In fact, dedicated breaks are part of the process and should be strictly non-work. This helps you keep your brain fresh, returning to concentrated on the next ‘Pomodoro’ period.

  1. Choose a task you’d like to get done
  2. Set a timer for 25 minutes
  3. Work on the task until the timer rings
  4. When the timer rings, put a check-mark on a piece of paper
  5. Take a short break – 5mins. Go back to step 2.
  6. Every four 25 minute periods, take a longer break (20-30mins).

The paper record allows you to quantify and report on the effort put into your tasks.

I tried this out and it works pretty well. I used the pomodoro.cc website as the timer and rudimentary task tracker. I found the approach did help focus my attention when deliberately starting out a period of work. The breaks came naturally also, and again starting the next chunk of work made this manageable.

I believe that my own work practice did resemble this kind of stop-start approach anyway, and while I stopped using the timer I do more deliberately focus within each period in the knowledge that a break is coming soon. As such I would rate this 4/5.

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Reducing Home-bound Interruptions and Distractions

Posted on by richardbingham

Like the now ‘classic’ video below, interruptions can be painful, whether you’re on a video call, phone call, or just trying to get a task done. As such here are some tips to avoid this.

Schedule and Share It. I tell anyone in the house what my schedule is for the day. They know (from me telling them) that at those times they should not bother me, plus they should not make too much noise (vacuum, exciting pets, playing music etc). My schedule is mostly phone/video calls, however sometimes includes deep-focus tasks too. I remind folks just beforehand if I don’t think they’ve remembered too (“Hey, just going on a call – be finished at 3 o’clock”).

Close Doors. I have an office room, therefore I can close the door if I need and this indicates I am not to be disturbed, except in an emergency. Fortunately my children are old enough to understand this now. You might even consider locking the door (that would have helped the guy in the video above). If you don’t have a separate room, consider getting (or making) a room-dividing screen or simply a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign that you can put out.

You’re Not Childcare. For young children, it’s pretty impossible to work productivity and offer your children care. It doesn’t work and attempting it is a big mistake … for your work, your child, and for you! If you can only get periods of childcare, then use those to work.

Decide When To React. Remember what would happen at home if you were actually in the office. Nothing basically. As such you can let some home calls go to voicemail, or let a delivery driver put the package in the safe place or with a neighbour. Don’t jump to everything, ignore some.

Hush Your Personal Mobile Phone. Simply turn the notifications sound down, and flipping the phone over is easiest. Allocate a specific break time for checking it.

Keep Your Work Laptop Clean. Don’t be tempted to put your own things on your work laptop. Often this breaks company policy anyway, but keeping personal items (apps, music, photos, websites etc) away from yourself during work time reduces potential distraction.

Keep Availability Promises. If you want people to respect when you’re unavailable, then they need to know when you will be available. If you keep letting them down and doing extra bits of work when you said you’d be free, then they’ll probably let you down sometimes! That’s only fair!

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Returning From Holiday

Posted on by richardbingham

As the summer vacation period is nearly over, I thought I could share a few tips on how the horrid return to work can be made slightly easier.

Nuke Your Email Inbox. Before you go either clean out your inbox (if you don’t use inbox-zero already) or just move all old messages to a new folder. This means everything coming in while you’re away is in one place.

Pre-Filter your Email. Before you start the mammoth scan of email (I had 2700 new mails on my return this year) sort emails by subject and sender and see if there are large groups of meaningless ones. Create a new filter to remove these out (surely this filter is missing anyway).

Passwords. A few times (embarrassingly) I have returned to work and completely forgotten a password to something. The time spent resetting these, or worse getting Helpdesk folks involved is infuriating. I now keep a secure password log as backup, and have also started using a slight ‘theme’ to elements of my passwords. This actually makes them stronger (multi-faceted) and at the same time easier to remember (changes are less random).

Ask for an Update. Rather than trying to decipher a long email thread which might also be missing meeting details and in-person conversations, for important topics just determine a key participant and ask them for a 10minute catch-up by phone. This saves you time and if you’re involved helps you get back to contributing quickly. Reciprocate and everyone is happy.

Record Your Ideas. Quite often while away I get (potentially) ‘good ideas’ about things related to work. Unfortunately as the tidal wave of work returns these ideas get relegated and often eventually forgotten. As such write them down, or better still put them into a document for sharing with others. Fresh ideas and thoughts are very valuable, and at the least provide some refreshing inspiration.

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Working From … the garden

Posted on by richardbingham

As summer shows its face on occasion you might be tempted to try to get some sun while working. Here are some tips.

Partially Outside. I am lucky as my office has double-doors out to the garden, meaning I don’t need to move to feel like I am outside. When it’s warm (and there are not too many bugs around) it’s nice.

Sunlight. While most laptop screens are reasonably visible in sunlight these days, being in direct sun eventually gets uncomfortable. Use a shaded spot or a sun umbrella.

Comfort. Don’t be tempted to use a sunlounger – you’ll end up with neck or back ache. Drag a decent chair and table out if you can.

Music and Mowers. If you’re out then it’s likely others are too. This might mean weird background noise on conference calls and such. Consider taking them inside in peace.

Signal. Before you start make sure your WiFi signal is strong enough where you plan to setup.

Bugs. I have a ‘waspinator’- essentially a patterned cloth bag that resembles a nest and signals ‘occupied’ to visitors. Surprisingly it seems to work! You can also try a catcher – a sweet and sticky jar of liquid setup not far away from you that attracts (and holds) nearby wasps away from you. Similarly don’t take any sweet drinks or snacks out with you.

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Avoiding Self Destructive Behavior

Posted on by richardbingham

One big problem with working-from-home is temptation. We fill our home with nice things for our time off, and when these things are nearby it takes a will-of-iron to ignore the lure. Here are a few techniques I use:

Media. As my only permitted media while working- Radio works for me. It prevents me from messing with music playlists or other audio services often designed to keep you engaged (i.e. distracted). It’s either on or off, and I always stick to one ‘calm’ station too.

Lunch hour. Keep a period scared for taking lunch. Sure get something to eat but also do those bits-and-pieces that might tempt you away from work. This includes keeping household chores and exercise to that time slot.

Good Environment. Ensure your office resembles a work area. Try to keep anything ‘interesting’ or ‘fun’ away from your work area.

Make Commitments. Share your to-do list with your boss or another person you don’t want to let down. Do regular progress meetings with colleagues and set expectations on accomplishment. If you can’t do this consider using a habit-forming app, there are some good ones out there.

Good To-Do Lists. Try to make items on your list achievable. Consider the urgent-important classification and prioritize items. Try to think of anything that is not achievable in a day as a ‘mini-project’ and as such the whole thing is not a to-do list item, only the first stage is. Keep you to-do list visible, I still write in cheap (mostly freebies) notebooks, as it’s helpful to refer back sometimes.

Reduce Notifications. Turn them off – as much as you can. Silence your phone entirely and turn it face-down. Close email if you need to focus. Even consider turning off WiFi, if you can.

Don’t get Fired. Ultimately if you get distracted, your work will suffer. Eventually you boss will notice and that could spell disaster.

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