7 Ways to Be Productive in Your Home Office

I've been working out of my home either part-time, or full-time for the bulk of my career now.  Honestly, I've had my ups and downs with it.  There are some pitfalls to working at home, and some simple ways to avoid the dangers.

These seven tips have helped me to become an effective remote worker.  I've learned them through years of hard knocks and observation: 

1. Dedicate Your Space  - I started out working from home full-time when my oldest son was first born.  We lived in a 80+ year old home with hardwood floors, plaster walls, and zero insulation.   Working out of a spare bedroom, I spent most of my days on conference calls.
   
   I realized I wasn't isolated enough when my conference call co-workers would ask "Is your baby OK?".  Connor was "Colic-y" :)
   
   We moved about six months later, and I built an office in my backyard.  I wouldn't say that everyone needs to do the same, but having a quiet, dedicated space makes me seem more professional, and helps to minimize the distractions.
2. Manage Your Time Proactively - This leads me to time management.  I have always been naturally spontaneous.  I enjoy reacting to the moment and acting on it.
   
   When I'm working, I've learned that I have to plan my day, inject a few work breaks, and stay focused.
   
   If I don't, this is becomes my days schedule:

• Child #1: "Dad, where's my baseball mitt?"
• Self: "I have time to read the news"
• Child #2: "Daddy, can I play on the Wii?"
• Wife #1 (of 1 :) ): "Tim, can you check the car seat?  It seems loose."
• Self: Personal Email
• Child #3: "Ummmmm......   Daaaaaddddyy.......   Ummmmmmmm......  Welllllllll............", etc...
• Self: Hey why did Pandora stop playing,  I better fix that....
• Child #4: Bursts into room, does a dance and climbs in my lap
• Cat #1: Paws at my face until I throw her out.
• Self: Oooh .... Shiny thing......
• Wash, Rinse, Repeat.....
  

Take some time to study the masters of time management.  I personally have found these two to be useful:
• "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" Steven Covey
• "Getting Things Done": David Allen


3. Be Visible  - A short time after taking a new postion (working from home), my manager once said to me:
       "Tim, I've had several people come to me and ask if anyone has filled your position."
       I asked, "What do you mean?"
       "I mean they don't know your there.", he said.
   
   It's easy to disappear from everyone's radar when you work from home.   As a remote worker, you have to learn to promote yourself.
   
   Some tips and ideas to be more visible:
   
   • Be specific about what you have worked on during team meetings.  Don't waste time, but recognize that most people won't have any idea what you've done if you don't tell them.
   • Actively participate in email discussions.  This is your opportunity to be on the same playing field as your co-workers.
   • Pick up the phone and call people when you have questions.  This is a big one.  If you would have yelled over a cube wall, or walked down the hall, then you should definitely pick up the phone.
   • Call or email everyone who should be interacting with you regularly, just to let them know you're there and available.
4. Connect With Co-Workers  - Manager in team meeting:  "So project X is underway, and the CEO has his eyes on it.  How is it going?"
     [You ask yourself: "What is project X, I've never heard of it"]
   Team mates: "It's going great.  We've got the requirements defined, and we're ready for Tim to do his part."
     [Huh??]
   I ask: "I'm sorry, but can you tell me what Project X is again?"
   
   If you work remotely as part of a group that is usually in the office, you've probably felt left out at some point or another.
   
   Replace the water cooler talk with regular conversations over the phone, or with instant messenger.  A lot of information moves about in an office through informal conversation.  Find excuses to pick up the phone or chat with each of your co-workers regularly.  I suggest at least weekly, if not more.
5. Make Time for Face Time  - In the end, nothing beats a face to face conversation.  If possible, I try to find a way into the office weekly.  I schedule team meetings during that day so we can all connect, and I generally don't plan on getting a lot of technical work done on that day.  Instead I focus on decision making, collaboration, and relationships.
   
   If you can't make weekly work, then schedule quarterly visits, or arrange for video conferences.
   
   Connecting a face to a name is a key part of building trust in relationships.
6. Stay Relevant  - Working at home, you will get left out of the loop at times.  You'll miss conversations, and people won't understand, or even notice that you don't know about them.
   
   One struggle with being at home, is finding ways to stay "in the know" without those conversations.
   
   As a home worker, you need to become a leader of ideas and projects.  If you're in charge, you will always be in the know.  People will look to you for information, and that will keep you relevant.
   
   When you're not in charge, inject yourself into conversations when possible.  Be on the alert for changes that you may not have been informed of.  Then, contact someone who does to fill you in.
   
   Tip:  Find an insider.  Build or leverage a relationship with a team-mate, or even your boss to seek out this information and keep you informed.
7. Build an External Social Network  - Many people build their friendships and social status on the relationships they have at work.  When you're working at home, those opportunities disappear.
   
   I highly recommend reaching out in your community and building personal and professional relationships independent of your workplace.  This gives you better life balance, confidence, and a broad network/safety net if your work environment changes for the worse, or you lose your job.
   
   I personally joined Rotary, and Toastmasters.  I identify strongly with the ideals of Rotary, and I find kinship with the people there.   Toastmasters has helped me to grow professionally.  It given me a lot of tools to accomplish many of the previous items (Staying relevant, Being visibly, etc...)
   
   Other people may connect with their church, with intramural sports, local government, etc.   Whatever you do, you will need a social outlet.  Work won't fill this need when you work out of your home.