icon
Dubai: 00971 4 3362552
Abu Dhabi: 00971 2 6315338

  • No products in the cart.

Working From Home: Set Yourself Up For Success – At Home

Quick Tips

Working From Home: Set Yourself Up For Success – At Home

Diane Burrus
by April 20, 2020

Set up an appropriate workspace that is separate and distinct from your “home space” and conducive to working effectively without interruptions.

  • Design your workspace for efficiency, with all the documents and materials you need.
  • Create a healthy workspace – good light, comfortable temperature, ergonomic adjustable chair, computer keyboard and mouse suited to your needs, telephone headset, etc.
  • Set boundaries with your family members.
  • Ensure your family members understand that although you are home, you are working.
  • Establish ground rules for work hours, interruptions, noise, etc.
  • Do not use working from home as a substitute for child-care.

Focus On Performance And Results

  • Be clear on your priorities, focusing on the expectations, tasks and responsibilities you and your manager agreed upon as measures of success.
  • Be proactive in communicating regularly with your manager, co-workers and customers to stay connected and resolve issues as they arise.
  • Ensure that your accomplishments, project status, outcomes and deliverables are visible to your manager and co-workers as appropriate – avoid being out of sight, out of mind.
  • Invite and encourage feedback from co-workers, manager and customers about how your virtual work arrangement is affecting them.

Be Accessible, Responsive, And Reliable

  • Utilise appropriate communication methods to stay connected with your manager, co-workers and customers.
  • Update your email, voicemail greeting, staff calendar, etc. on a regular basis with your schedule, availability (or not) and contact information.
  • Check your email and voicemail frequently.
  • Demonstrate trustworthiness by being predictable, reliable, taking promises seriously, and following through on commitments.

Manage Your Work And Preserve Time For Your Life

  • Find ways to ‘disengage’ from work and have quality personal time when traditional boundaries between work and home life are no longer clear.
  • Set reasonable limits to your work hours and determine how to meet work requirements and still preserve personal time.
  • Build in short breaks and work during periods of peak energy.

Source: Diane Burrus, WFD Consulting