Tips for Better Work from Home
Five tools for success from people with at least ten years of at-home work experience.
One: Create a space.
Every seasoned at-home worker will tell you that establishing a dedicated space for your work area is one of the keys to remote work success. It may be in a room used for other things, but when you’re in there, it’s your office.
Do whatever you can to make it feel like an office, too, with a work surface, good lighting, and whatever tools you need to accomplish your tasks. If having photos displayed made you happy at work, there’s no reason not to have some in your home work area, too. If you need ideas, the internet is ready.
Whenever possible, locate your home work space in a room with a door that closes. Create a door hanger or other sign to let everyone else in the home know that if the sign is out, you can’t be disturbed.
Two: Create a uniform.
People who have never worked from home who suddenly do usually view this new work situation as an escape from having to “get ready” for work. And if your day is free of video conferences, that’s true. But our seasoned home workers suggest you resist the temptation to go completely rugged. Working in your jammies may sound great, and on many levels it truly is, but it’s not the formula for maximum productivity.
The pros suggest you create some kind of work uniform, even if it’s super casual. The reason? There needs to be a difference between what you “wear to work” and what you lounge around the house in.
The boundaries between work and not-work are already paper thin once you’re working in your home. A uniform and other routines will help keep those boundaries in place, and will help you take work as seriously as you should.
Uniforms are used by organizations because they change the way people think. Go ahead and create one for your home office routine and reap all of the benefits that brings.
Three: Create a schedule.
Offices are built for getting things done. Your home is not. Establishing some kind of work schedule will help make up the difference, and help keep everyone else in the house on the same page. You probably won’t get 8 hours of continuous uninterrupted work time, but you can cobble pieces of time together to get to your total.
For many people, there are small “windows” of time during the day that are relatively free of distractions. Identify those, and use those windows for work that requires quiet, concentration, or ideas. One of those windows is probably in the evening, after the commotion of the day has faded a bit.
Four: Up your video conferencing game.
Video conferencing is part of business and a key part of your image if you work from home. Make sure you’re bringing your best to every meeting.
Camera and Camera Position
Have a great video camera, period. It should have a resolution of 1080 or higher. If your laptop has a lousy camera, and many do, don’t settle for that. This is literally your image we’re talking about here. Get a better camera and plug it in. Try to position your camera in a flattering way, always pointing a little down or head-on; never up if you can avoid it.
Lighting
Video cameras have powerful sensors, and can create an image with very little ambient light. However, when they do, the image quality degrades significantly, and can result in poor coloring of your skin.
For best results, make sure your face and upper body are well lit. If possible, remove any other bright lighting sources from the camera’s view, like windows or lamps. Bright lights tell the camera to “go darker,” and that can affect your image quality and appearance.
Headset
Some people prefer to use a headset with a microphone for video meetings. Here’s what we know: headset people always sound better than non-headset people. That’s not surprising; when the microphone is right next to your mouth, you’re just going to sound better.
It’s also easier to listen carefully when you’re wearing a headset, especially if there’s any background noise. If those things are important to you, or if you’re making regular presentations, investing in a quality headset will help your voice stand apart.
Background
You can’t always control what’s in the background of your video conferences, but you can be sure that it’s neat, orderly, and clean. For most people, the goal should be to make your background as distraction-free as possible. If there’s a ceiling fan in your shot, find a new position for the camera.
That said, a well-placed, interesting item in the background can also spur conversation. If you’re using video conferencing for sales calls, you can strategically rotate items of interest in and out of the background as needed.
Five: Turn off the television.
When you first start working from home, the sound of background television can be extremely comforting. It’s almost like having co-workers around, and that can make your home office feel a little more like the real thing.
Resist the urge.
The issue with television is this: content on TV is specifically designed to command your attention. And eventually, it will. Television will be a siren song, constantly beckoning you from the other room. It’s too easy to succumb to the temptation, or knock off just a little early, or make excuses like, “It’s the news, I should watch.” It’s best to eliminate the threat altogether.
If you like sound in the background while you work, low-volume background music has been proven to increase concentration and productivity.
