Coronavirus: “Work from Home” Productivity in Trying Times

About 75% of my work is done from my home office. When not there I’m likely in a plane, train, automobile or a Hilton property near a client’s office. Currently so many new people are being pushed to adjust their work lives to the risks of the Coronavirus.

We keep learning new things about the virus and how we should react daily. I need to wash my hands for 20 seconds. I didn’t know that was even possible and have prided myself on a quick 10 second wash with soap and warm water for decades.

We are also to avoid large crowds which means no March Madness in 2020. It also means many of you are learning something new. How exciting!

Okay, not so exciting once you realize that working from home doesn’t mean sleeping in and working in your PJ’s. Well, it can mean that for you, but you might want to start looking for another job right away.

If you have your routine down let me know how you ramp up your productivity. As someone who does this all the time, I thought I’d take a few minutes and share some productivity creating and sanity preserving steps to take.

1. Getting Ready

Pick your workspace carefully. A desk if you have one or a table, either can work but if you can choose a place where you can spread out a little and can close the door. If you be in natural light, do that for yourself. We can descend into a basement but spending a day without natural light is a not a recommended way to choose to live.

2. Clue in Friends and Family

Often we know we are at work, but when you start working from home family and friends may interrupt you just like you were hanging out at home on a Saturday afternoon. It’s understandable, but not okay. Every interruption will take away from your productivity. So set up the ground rules well you may find you are more productive at home than at the office where people can stop by and interrupt you repeatedly.

3. Getting Started on Time

Have a designated start time and start on time every day. Set your schedule and be at your computer, table, desk on time every day. This single step can be your most critical productivity guarantee.

4. Dress Like the Professional You Are

Dress for the day as you would in the office. If you aren’t doing video calls on Zoom or a competing system already, you soon will be. Dress for work and it will put you in the right mindset and when you are on those video calls you won’t be making up excuses for your hair, cloths, or for that “broken” camera on your computer. (Hey, we all know the camera works just fine!)

5. Working from Home isn’t Working 24 Hours a Day

Set some boundaries for time with family and dinner. Just because you are working from home doesn’t mean you have to work 16 hours a day. Build the limits in that work for you and your job. It will take some work to get it right, but without it you can become resentful…and so can your family.

I hope you have a productive time working from home. Feel free to let me know your personal tips when you have a second.