The ones who know me, they know I have never been very keen on working from home. But on the other hand, it is true, I have never experienced it fully. Until, you guessed it, until “corona times”. Well, things have changed a lot. It is already our 8th week working from home and I would like to share my experience with you.
I became a fan of working from home! How is it possible you would ask? What has changed in all these weeks?
Well, a simple answer would be – I have developed a new personal set of rules which help me organize my day. I think organization is the key. Leading others starts with leading yourself, and there is no better way than creating simple daily routines to help you organize your day. I used to believe that working from home is all about long working hours, coping with things that disturb us, lack of communication, lack of productive time and engagement. Of course, all things mentioned can be very true… if we are not well organized.e your day. I used to believe that working from home is all about long working hours, coping with things that disturb us, lack of communication, lack of productive time and engagement. Of course, all things mentioned can be very true… if we are not well organized.
Creating your own daily schedule would be a first step. Setting up an alarm clock, eating your healthy breakfast and reading news before work, and of course, cuddling your cat to kick-start your working hours is a way to go. Entering your “mini home office”, a specially dedicated room in your house, helps a lot understanding your brain it is no leisure time anymore. They say it takes 21 days to create a habit, so in our case, I hope you all have already created healthy habit of being organized. If not, important steps not to be forgotten are: do not allow exceptions to your daily schedules, be decisive and persistent. Tell others of your new commitments and you will be under social pressure of dropping your resolutions. In the end do not forget to reward yourself. Reward nonetheless will come in all extra “free-time” you have after coming out of your “mini home office” every day after 4PM. Because you have managed to do all your daily tasks and you do not have to check on your computer in the evening and you can be careless on weekends. Because you were organized.
Of course, there is no single formula to all of us. Each one has to find his or her perfect routine.
This is another perspective I have not been aware of before “corona times”. The world has really become more digital than ever in the recent weeks. Our socializing has become digital. We are sharing more and more of our personal lives with each other online. While not wearing a corporate attire or makeup, I believe we are sharing different sides of ourselves and our perception of each other is more genuine. We are sharing our own homes and personal lives with colleagues. Some may even be developing greater value for empathy while listening harder on the video calls. There is #hope and there is #empathy in being connected online. And there is a new perspective of how work can be done – it is not always urgent to hop on a plane to participate in a meeting.
Last but not least, let us not forget the importance of socializing. Of course we cannot wait to see each other again but socializing online has become very popular in these times. At BOC Institute we are proudly presenting our Virtual Bistro, a tailor-made socializing event, connecting all size of groups through a fun and entertaining experience. You want to strengthen and motivate your team, but you do not know how? We have the right answer for your needs.
Nobody knows what the “new normal” will bring us. Our transition back to the “brick-and-mortar” offices will be an opportunity for a more empathetic workplace, to support each other and anticipate the needs of our teams. It will be an opportunity to listen better to each other. Because I believe working remotely - at least a couple of days weekly – will be our new normal and a competitive advantage for those organizations quickly adapting to it.
Take care and do what you love no matter where you are.
Hugs, Urška.
