This week we'll take a more in-depth look at working remotely
than we have before. As no stranger to this work-style, I'm writing right now in the afternoon quiet of the salon (lounge/dining room) in our lovely clubhouse at
La Estancia de Cafayate in the outback of northwest Argentina. Surrounded by sun-lit mountains and the beautiful golf course and grounds, I find inspiration everywhere.
Work-from-home and other remote work arrangements are gaining new popularity every week. A couple of weeks ago, I alluded to some
important communication considerations
(note the third to last paragraph) for remote work, and I continue to recommend attention to those matters.
This week I'm highlighting
an article by
Carrie McKeegan, offering the at-home worker some useful tips on how to make remote work successful.
Carrie has good reason to know that of which she speaks. She's
CEO and co-founder of
Greenback Expat Tax Services, whose staff are all over the world and rarely, if ever, work in company-provided offices. She herself lives on the lovely (as I can attest) island of Bali, Indonesia.
She suggests some specifics to make that happen:
Get dressed.
Set, and follow, a schedule.
Use dedicated space (one I've obviously skipped, as described in my opening).
Side benefits of these suggestions:
- You'll be more comfortable and healthier doing your work (and that can't hurt productivity!)
- Your family and others around you will benefit from the boundaries in time, space and attention she recommends.
Given the potential space-, time-, and commute-saving benefits, it's likely remote working arrangements will continue to be more common. When it's done right, workers can be happier and more productive, and employers can save on space while enjoying the productivity benefits. And anytime the cost of doing something is reduced, that saving shows up some place. Maybe it'll be an effective "raise" for the employee. Maybe reduced salary demands to the employer. Maybe both.
If you're an employer, consider the benefits of having some or all of your people work remotely.
If you're an employee, consider discussing with your boss the idea of working remotely. The one-and-a-half-minute video at the end of Carrie's article suggests some ways of adding credibility to your suggestion.
In either case,
Carrie's recommendations are well worth checking out, to give the arrangement the best chance of success.
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