Bloomsbury Publishing - Work Well from Home: How to Run a Successful Home Office

Work well
from home

How to run a successful home office

BLOOMSBURY

A BLOOMSBURY REFERENCE BOOK
Created from the Bloomsbury Business Database
www.ultimatebusinessresource.com

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2005

All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organisation acting or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury Publishing or the authors.

First published in 2005 by
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
38 Soho Square
London W1D 3HB

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

eISBN: 978-1-40813-406-1

Design by Fiona Pike, Pike Design, Winchester
Typeset by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk
Printed by Clausen & Bosse, Leck, Germany

All papers used by Bloomsbury Publishing are natural, recyclable products made from wood grown in well-managed forests. The manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin.

Contents

Working from home is an attractive option formany people, but there is a lot to think about before you rush off to equip your office. Answer the following questions and then read on for advice on whether its a good solution for you.

How often do you stay late at work?

a) Regularly.

b) Only if I have to meet a deadline.

c) Never.

Do you enjoy working as part of a team?

a) No; I dont like to rely on anyone else.

b) Yes, but I also enjoy working independently.

c) Yes. It means I can off-load tasks onto others.

How do you plan your daily tasks?

a) I write out a schedule and stick to it.

b) I make a list of the most important tasks and hope to remember the others.

c) I tackle jobs as they come up.

What do you do when faced with many projects at once?

a) I get on with the most important ones first.

b) I choose the most interesting job and start on that.

c) I start several tasks and continue with the easiest one.

How organised is your work space?

a) Very. I know where everything is.

b) Fairly. I have been known to lose things.

c) Not at all. I dont think about the state of my desk.

How do you feel about your boss?

a) I feel that he or she interferes at times.

b) We have a good working relationship.

c) I rely on his or her guidance.

How would you describe your relationship with your colleagues?

a) Lukewarm. I keep myself to myself.

b) Good. Its professional and friendly.

c) Great. I love the camaraderie of the office.

How do you react to unexpected difficulties?

a) Im methodical and try to deal with the problem from its source outwards.

b) I try to follow solutions to similar problems in the past.

c) Im not a great problem-solver and so I panic.

How would you describe the process of delegation?

a) I see it as laziness. If a job comes your way, its up to you to deal with it.

b) Its an important process for the development of yourself and your staff.

c) Its a useful toolif you havent got time to do something, pass it on!

a = 1, b = 2, and c = 3.

Now add up your scores.

Everyone should read chapter first as its full of essential questions to ask yourself about how you might adapt to a home office.

14: In many ways, you are ideally suited to working from home. You like to work independently and have no difficulty motivating yourself. In fact, the only problem might be that you would never switch off you must think carefully about scheduling time for yourself. Chapter will help you put some parameters around your working time. You may also have a tendency to isolate yourself from others. When you work at home, its important to keep in touch with key colleagues and contacts; turn to chapter for advice on this topic.

22: You appear to have a balanced attitude to your working life and should adjust well to working from home. Dont underestimate, however, the upheaval of adjusting to a new routine; you should lay down careful foundation plans. Chapters and should stand you in good stead. Also, you may need should stand you in good stead. Also, you may need some help prioritising your tasks when youre on your own. Turn to chapter for advice on how to work out what needs doing and when.

27: You thrive on working with others and should think very carefully about whether you would make a smooth transition to working from home. You will have to work hard to motivate yourself and you may feel isolated. Chapters and will help you make the adjustment, while chapter adjustment, while chapter will help you see how you can contribute to a team even if youre not in an office. Chapter offers help on coping with feelings of isolation.

For many people, working from home (sometimes known as teleworking) is the holy grail of employment options. In an ideal set-up, it frees you up from the strains of commuting so that you can get your work done in peace without the many interruptions of being in an office, and still have plenty of time left to pursue other interests outside work.

Having said that, making the transition to working from home isnt always smooth. For convenience, cost, and comfort, theres nothing quite like a home office, but on the minus side, youre on your own, literallyand if youre not disciplined, youll be spending more time with the children, the pets, or in front of the fridge than working where you belong. It can take a while to settle into a routine.

Theres clearly a lot to think about before you take the plunge, but make a start by thinking about the following questions:

Would I feel isolated if Im at home more often than normal?

Could I separate business and personal life if both were under the same roof?

Am I a workaholic and if so, would an office at home worsen that problem?

Step one: Work out how susceptible you are to feelings of isolation

The basic fact is that some people are much more comfortable with their own company than others. Thinking about certain aspects of your personality will help you find out how suited you are to working from home.