2009 March

The balancing act

March 28, 2009 By Lisa

When my older son’s grade school held career day, he told his class all about his dad’s career. When he described me, he said that I didn’t do anything. At first I was hurt, then I realized he answered that way because he rarely saw me work. The only time I worked was when he and his brother were asleep, with a sitter, or at school. Now that my sons are older and don’t need me as much—they get better grades when I don’t help them with math—my challenge is to stop working so much.

Balancing home and office life can be challenging.

I’ve recommended strategies for balancing home and office life to my clients for years, and now I’m taking my own advice:

Make regular dates with your family. Schedule a weekday afternoon or an evening to spend with your family, or designate a weekend night as movie night. My neighbor used to hold “Smith family movie night” on Friday nights, complete with popcorn and candy. The trick was to find a movie everyone wanted to see and that was appropriate. If you want to make sure you’re renting age-appropriate movies, check out Clean Flicks.

Schedule mini-vacations. When my family and I went on spring break a few weeks ago, I stayed in touch with my clients but still had plenty of time to spend with my family. If it’s too hard to get away from work for longer than a week, take a three-day or a four-day vacation with your family. It will be easier to catch up with work when you get back.

Find an exercise partner (a friend or family member) and walk or run together, go biking, or work out together at the gym. When you partner with someone else you’re more likely to exercise regularly, stay in shape and enjoy a nice break from work.

Be willing to pay for free time. If you can find someone to take care of things you don’t like doing and they’d do a better job than you anyway, hire them immediately. If you compared how long it would take you to do something vs. the amount of time you could spend with your family, you’d see that it’s worth paying for free time.

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing Tagged With: Balancing home/office Life, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home

Setting the record straight

March 27, 2009 By Lisa

Don't believe anything you hear and only believe half of what you see.

I credit my older sister for putting me over the organizing edge. When we were younger and shared a room, her side was a pit and mine was obsessively neat (but I’ve mellowed a bit).

Even though my sister’s still disorganized—she’s fine with it—she knows it’s possible for anyone to get organized. But some people are stubborn and refuse to get organized because they believe some misconceptions about organization. I want to set the record straight.

MISCONCEPTION #1—Handle paper once. This is not only impossible, it’s unrealistic. Whenever I hear an organizing expert tell others to handle paper once, I cringe. Instead of pressuring yourself to handle paper once, get in the habit of doing something to move each piece forward. The point is to keep the paper in play until it lands in a file or the recycle bin. It’s a waste of time to pick up the same piece of paper and put it back repeatedly.

MISCONCEPTION #2—Always keep papers stored out of sight. Some people work better when their desk is clear, while others swear they can’t work unless they’re surrounded by stacks of paper. A company I consulted with made their administrative assistants clear off their desks at the end of the day. In the morning, everyone wasted around 20 minutes setting up their desks. You don’t have to keep your desk clear. Instead set up systems so you can find the papers you need when you need them.

MISCONCEPTION #3—Everyone should be organized to the same degree. Different people work differently (see my blog post on working styles). Just because a neighbor or friend works a certain way in his or her home office, you don’t have to work the same way. Find the level of organization that works for you.

MISCONCEPTION #4—One planning system should fit everyone’s needs. Years ago companies hired me to “fix” the associates who became even more disorganized and confused after attending a two-day time management seminar (an oxymoron, don’t you think?). The company giving the seminar sold one type of planning system and expected everyone to use it. Keep in mind that planning systems (both paper-based and electronic) are designed by a few people, for everyone to use. Pick the system that fits your working style.

Filed Under: Home office organizing Tagged With: Home office, Organizing, Small business, Working at home, Working styles

What’s your working style?

March 20, 2009 By Lisa

Over the years, I’ve seen home offices that were disaster areas and others that needed only a bit of fine-tuning. What the owners of these home offices had in common was that they were fighting their natural working styles. Everyone works differently and falls into one of five working styles, depending upon the time of day and the activity.

The way you work can affect the way you organize

Everyone works and organizes differently.

Bouncing Ball — bounces from project to project, without completing any of them. They want to accomplish everything, yet have trouble focusing on one thing at a time. (I know because I tend to be a Bouncing Ball at times.) Use some type of to-do list (paper-based or electronic) to keep you on track and focused.

Nit Picky (or perfectionist) — appears organized on the surface, yet their quest for perfection keeps them from being organized. One of the ways to avoid being a Nit Picky is to have realistic standards and attainable goals, and know that you can’t do everything perfectly.

Teeter Totter — has trouble making decisions because they fear that any decision they make may be the wrong one. When making decisions, build in contingency plans. When you start a project, make decisions and follow through. If things aren’t going as planned, change direction and then move forward.

Ima Mess — keeps things “just in case” or because they “may need it someday.” The problem is that when they need it, they can’t find it. If you’re keeping something that isn’t serving a specific purpose, recycle it or donate it. Weed through your files and get rid of anything that you know you’ll never refer to again. Add drawer dividers within drawers you use often, to make it easy to see and find what you need.

Lookout — follows the out-of-sight, out-of-mind philosophy and fears putting anything away. Files are piled on the desk, office supplies are stored on open shelves and magazines are stacked on the floor as a reminder to read them. Keep things in sight but still organized by using desktop file holders, colorful document boxes to hold supplies on shelves, and stacking bins or baskets to hold magazines.

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office design, Home office organizing, Home office setup Tagged With: Perfectionist, Projects, Storage, Working styles

E-mail checkup

March 19, 2009 By Lisa

Do you remember memos—a waste of time and paper? My former boss, who was a frustrated writer, enjoyed sharing his random thoughts through memos while his staff dreaded receiving them. When e-mail replaced memos as a quick and easy way to communicate with others, writing clearly became important to business success. There are a few ways to make your e-mail messages more effective. Morning in the doctors office

Try to educate recipients rather than impress them. Instead of using words that no one knows or ever uses, use simple words. Trying to impress someone usually backfires.

Proofread, check spelling, and then proofread again. One of the best ways to come across as unprofessional is to send e-mails filled with typos. Use your e-mail’s spell check feature but keep in mind that it won’t check for improper word usage (“for” instead of “four” or “to” instead of “too”). Read every e-mail again before you push send.

Keep your e-mails short and to the point. If you have to send a long e-mail, make it easy to read by using bulleted points, bold type, or italics to emphasize key points. You’ll make it easier for the recipient to find the points that need his or her attention.

Make it easy for recipients to respond to your e-mail messages. Include your phone number, e-mail address, pager and cell phone number as part of your e-mail signature. Also—and I know it’s common sense—make sure your contact information is correct.

When dealing with clients, find out whether e-mail is the way they want you to communicate with them. I know it’s hard to believe, but some people rarely check their e-mail and unlike me, they prefer to talk on the phone.

Limit the number of e-mails you send to a client. Your client may need project updates or other information, but contacting them too often may border on annoying, rather than efficient. It’s important to stay in contact with your clients yet it’s also important to respect their time.

Filed Under: Home office organizing Tagged With: E-mail, proofreading, spell check

Should you stay or should you go?

March 17, 2009 By Lisa

I wouldn’t trade working from home for anything. There’s no dress code, it’s easier to stay focused, and if I want to work late at night I have a three-second commute. But working from home isn’t for everyone. If you’re thinking about working from home or questioning your decision to work from home, consider these pros and cons. stay-or-go21

Pro: Your overhead is low and you can furnish your office however you wish.
Con: You’ll need to carve an office out of living space in your home.

Pro: You can set your own hours.
Con: You have to be disciplined and keep some type of schedule. By disciplining yourself and getting on a regular schedule, you can still be productive while enjoying the benefits of working from home.

Pro: Associates or other business professionals won’t be nearby to bother you.
Con: You risk feeling isolated, “out of the loop,” and even lonely. Consider meeting regularly with other professionals for coffee or lunch.

Pro: You don’t have to waste time traveling to meet with clients or waiting for clients to arrive.
Con: Clients will see how you live and work, unless you find a way to set your office apart from the rest of your home. French doors, a folding screen or even room-dividing bookcases can help.

Pro: No commute so you save time, energy, and money.
Con: You can’t escape your work, especially if your home office is in your bedroom.

Pro: You can merge your personal and professional lives.
Con: Trying to juggle both personal and professional obligations at the same time can be a challenge.

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office design, Home office organizing, Home office setup Tagged With: Working at home, Working with clients

Avoiding a pain in the neck

March 13, 2009 By Lisa

Before I started Workingnaked.com, I rarely spent more than a couple of hours at a time sitting at my desk. As much I enjoy working on my blog, after several hours at a stretch, I have to admit that sometimes it’s a pain in the neck – literally. I’ve made a few changes in my office to give my back, neck, wrists and even my eyes a break. If you’re feeling the wear and tear of sitting in front of a computer all day, here are a few simple changes you can make:

Working from home should be pleasurable, not painful.

Use a desk or a computer workstation that is ergonomically correct. Look for a non-reflective work surface (if you have a glass desktop, add a desk pad to cut down on glare) and a pullout keyboard tray. An articulating keyboard tray makes it easy to adjust your keyboard to the right height.

Use an ergonomically correct office chair that has:1) lumbar support to reduce the strain on your lower back
2) a waterfall seat (The front edge of the seat is rounded to prevent restricted circulation and compression of nerves behind your knees.)
3) seat height and back height adjustments
4) tilt mechanisms and tilt lock to reduce strain and fatigue of your leg muscles
5) tension control that adjusts to your body weight for easier reclining. (Steelcase chairs are reasonably priced and usually fit the decor of any home office.)

Keep frequently-used equipment and supplies within reach to avoid back strain. Rather than play a game of Twister to grab what you need, store items logically and within reach.

Minimize eyestrain and fatigue by selecting one or several lighting options. Your options include ambient or general lighting, natural lighting, fluorescent lighting, and task lighting. You can use one or a combination of these lighting sources to achieve the right amount of light.

Reduce the risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by using an ergonomic wrist rest, mouse, and adjustable and articulating keyboard. Wrist and mouse rests (Fellowes is one of my favorite brands) are made from foam-like and gel materials, and are available in interesting colors and patterns. Remember to take breaks throughout the day to give your wrist (and your entire body) a break from being in the same position for a long period of time.

Filed Under: Home office design, Home office setup Tagged With: Ergonomics, Steelcase, Working at home, Working naked

Till desk do you part

March 4, 2009 By Lisa

My spouse and I have never considered sharing a home office. It would be a disaster. I like to keep papers in files and he prefers to file his papers on the floor. I’m fine with one or two work surfaces and he needs as many surfaces as possible to store “stuff.”

Could you share an office with your spouse?

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t work with your spouse – and I know many people who do so successfully. However, they say that their ability to work together in business is directly related to their separate home offices.

Consider these questions before you share a home office with your spouse.

Do you have compatible work styles? Your spouse may like a messy desk while you like having a clear space to work. Use separate desks to solve or avoid that problem.

Are your internal clocks synchronized? If you’re a morning person and your spouse likes to stay up late, you may run into problems – including being kept awake by a noisy printer or phone calls. Invest in earplugs, add a door to close off your office (if possible), or convince your spouse to print in the morning.

Does your home office have to be quiet for you to be productive – while your spouse needs background noise to work? Get him or her a set of headphones. While he or she is enjoying music, you can enjoy a quiet office.

Sharing a home office with my spouse didn’t work for me, but everyone’s different. And what happens in the bedroom doesn’t necessarily dictate what happens in the boardroom – even if both rooms are in the same house.

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office design Tagged With: Home office design, Organizing, Working at home, Working styles

A professional look

March 3, 2009 By Lisa

Sometimes, it’s hard to be taken seriously when you work from home. The stereotype of the typical home office worker is someone who spends most of the day in a robe. Yet how much of that is reality?

Sure, there are days when I start writing early, get on a roll and look up to see it’s noon or later and I haven’t taken a shower. But most of the time, I try to get ready before I sit down to work. It’s too easy to spend the day in pajamas.

My old home office as seen through my (then) 5-year-old son's eyes. I've upgraded my equipment and updated my wardrobe since then.

It’s unfair, but when you work from home you have to be more organized, more disciplined and more professional than your corporate counterpart. If you answer the phone in a corporate office with co-workers talking in the background, it’s fine. If you answer the phone in your home office with the dog barking, the baby screaming and the doorbell ringing, your professionalism takes a nosedive.

Here are a few simple things you can do to maintain your professionalism:

Check your voicemail message to make sure you are the only voice on it and that your message is clear. There shouldn’t be any background noises.

Use a separate business line or your cell phone for your business. Forwarding your business line to your cell phone will minimize missed calls.

Make sure that only the people associated with your business answer your business phone. I’ve found that toddlers and teenagers are the worst receptionists!

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office design Tagged With: Organizing, Working at home

Go home and work

March 1, 2009 By Lisa

My son during his early career in phone sales.

When I talk to folks about working from home, I sometimes forget to remind people that not everyone who works from home is an entrepreneur. Home offices are the working domain of sales reps, part-time corporate employees and folks easing their way into the home office by taking the option of working flex time at home.

Companies have found that their work-from-home employees are happy employees. An article in the St. Petersburg Times reports that 900 of the 1,400 HSN employees who take phone orders work from home. HSN found that when they stopped using overseas call centers and instead sent employees home to take orders, their customer satisfaction ratings rose – and their employee turnover dropped from 120 percent a year to about 35.

If you want to work from home, there are plenty of great opportunities. (You can find many job listings at reputable sites such as Monster and Careerbuilder.) But beware of get-rich-quick, work-from-home schemes. There are plenty of those out there, too.

If you’re currently in a job that you could do from home, approach your boss with a proposal to work a few days a week or full-time from home. (Remind your boss that your space at home will free up cube space in the office.)

Technology makes it easier for anyone to work anywhere, doing almost anything. Why not take advantage of that?

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life Tagged With: Entrepreneurs, Working at home