working remotely

Returning to the Office? How to Make the Transition Easier for Your Pet.

By in Learning 1 Comment Tags: ,

Man_Working_With_Dog

Have you been working from home for a while now? Do you have a dog or cat who has gotten used to you working from home? And do you worry about how your pet might react when you return to the office? If so, you’re not alone. A lot of people have similar concerns.

My current office mate, Gizmo, is going to miss me when I’m gone.

But luckily, according to pet-behavior specialists, there are things you can do to make the transition easier for your furry sidekicks. Here’s how to prepare them for the change in routine:

  • Start going out – Get them used to you going out (and show them that you actually WILL return) by leaving the house during the day. Start with 15 minutes, and then leave for progressively longer periods of time. Your pet will start to feel more comfortable with the idea of you being gone.
  • Spend a little time apart – If you have pets who like to be near you at all times, try to get them comfortable with being separated from you by shutting your office door for a couple hours a day. It will teach your dog or cat that they’re OK on their own and will help them to become a little more independent.
  • Stick to a schedule – Start following the schedule that you’ll be on when you’re working in the office. Get up at the appropriate time in the morning, and feed, walk, and interact with your pet as you normally would before commuting to work. Get your dog or cat used to the routine, and stick with it. Animals feel very stressed when their routine is disrupted, so try to make them feel comfortable with the new schedule.
  • Try to make it fun – When you leave your pet, try to give them something fun to do while you’re gone. A puzzle toy or treat-dispensing toy can be a wonderful distraction.

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Horovitz, B. (2021, March 22). The pets we’re leaving behind. The Wall Street Journal, R7.

Working From Home Can Be Tough on Your Eyes

By in Living Well No Comments Tags: , ,

Tired_Eyes

When we’re at work, we often spend a lot of time looking at computer screens (as well as smart phone screens, tablets, etc.). And now that many of us are working from home (and working longer hours), we’re spending more time looking at computer screens than ever before. This has led a greater number of people to experience a condition known as “computer vision syndrome.” According to the American Optometric Association, this condition includes symptoms like dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, achy neck, and sore shoulders.

If you’ve been experiencing symptoms like these, there are definitely things you can do to make yourself feel better. Here are a few tips:

  • Sit up straight – Good posture is important. Keep your back straight (no slouching!) and your feet flat on the floor. Your wrists should be raised slightly above your keyboard (rather than resting on it). And you should be looking down at your computer screen, just a bit. It’s easier on the eyes than looking straight ahead or upwards.
  • Make sure you have good lighting – Your work area shouldn’t be too bright or too dim. You want it to be bright enough for you to be able to see what you’re doing without squinting. But you don’t want it to be so bright that the light is hitting your computer screen and causing a painful glare.
  • Make your font size bigger – If you make your font size bigger, you won’t have to squint and strain your eyes when reading text on screen.
  • Blink a lot – We tend to blink less often when staring at a computer screen. And that’s a problem, because blinking produces moisture, which keeps your eyes from feeling irritated and dry. So make a conscious effort to blink often throughout your workday. Your eyes will thank you!
  • Look away from your computer screen – A year ago, I wrote an article about the “20-20-20 rule.” Basically, it states that for every 20 minutes that you work at your computer, you should stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It’s a way of giving your eyes a much needed rest. Working near a window will help you to put this technique into practice more easily.
  • Make sure you have the right prescription – If the prescription for your glasses or contacts is out-of-date, your eyes are going to feel more achy, strained, and tired. So get your prescription checked if you suspect that your vision isn’t as sharp as it should be.
  • Take a break from technology at the end of the day – When you’re done with work for the day, try taking a break from looking at screens. Read a book, play a board game, or cuddle with your cat. Your eyes will feel rested and rejuvenated!

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Boyers, L. (2020, September 11). 8 ways to reduce eye strain while working from home. Verywell Health. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellhealth.com/digital-eye-strain-work-from-home-5077257

Close Encounters – Working With Dogs, Cats, and Kids

By in Humor No Comments Tags: , ,

Working_With_Dog

Like a lot of you, I’m working from home right now. My office is my kitchen table. My laptop is my window into the world. And my cat, Gizmo, is my coworker.

I wrote an article about Gizmo a few months ago. He’s very cuddly and supportive, but he’s not the best employee. He can be distracting and demanding. He doesn’t understand the concept of personal space. And he has an unhealthy obsession with my laptop. If he sees something moving on the screen, he’ll do whatever he can to capture and kill it. (Good luck with that, Gizmo.)

But it’s clear that I’m not the only one who’s dealing with distractions. Newscasters have been having similar issues. As they broadcast from their homes, they’re sometimes interrupted by their pets and kids. And the results are often more entertaining than the news stories that they’re reporting on.

Check out the video below, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. It’s a bunch of clips of newscasters being upstaged by their two- and four-legged family members. (The newscaster with the bird is my favorite.) Hopefully it will make you smile – and remind you that you’re not alone in your efforts to care for your family and get work done at the same time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iADeliu4Fc4&t=391s

How to Celebrate Halloween With Your Coworkers (Even if You’re All Working From Home)

By in Holidays and Celebrations No Comments Tags: , ,

Cool_Pumpkin

Celebrating Halloween with your coworkers might seem a little difficult this year. If you and your coworkers are currently working from home, you won’t be able to have a Halloween office party, share sugary snacks, or show off your amazing Halloween costume in person. But never fear! It IS still possible to celebrate Halloween together and have a lot of fun! Here are a few ways you can do it:

  • Have a virtual party/costume contest – Ask your coworkers to dress up in their coolest Halloween costumes, and then show them off during a video conference call. Enjoy hanging out, chatting, and relaxing. And at some point, everyone on the call should be asked to vote for the best costume. The winner could receive a small prize, like a gift card.
  • Have a pumpkin carving contest – Ask your coworkers to carve a pumpkin and get really creative. Each of them should then submit a picture of their final creation. Everyone can meet virtually to review the photos and vote for the winner.
  • Have a Halloween/Fall scavenger hunt – Make a list of things that you and your coworkers need to do to complete the Halloween/Fall scavenger hunt. (It might include things like “carve a pumpkin,” “take a walk in the woods,” “visit a haunted/scary location,” etc.). Ask your coworkers to take a picture of each of the things that they accomplish, as proof that they’ve been completed. Then, at the end of a certain period of time, everyone can meet virtually to share their pictures with each other. Those who have completed all of the challenges could receive a small prize.
  • Watch a scary movie together – If you have the technology available to you, consider screening a scary movie online, while you and your coworkers watch it together. As the movie plays, you and your coworkers can comment on what’s happening, yell at the actors when they make dumb decisions, and enjoy every scary moment together.

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Sowierszenko, M. (2019, October). How to celebrate Halloween with your remote team. Remote-How. Retrieved from: https://remote-how.com/blog/how-to-celebrate-halloween-with-remote-team

Spawn, L. (2019, October 28). 4 ways remote co-workers can celebrate Halloween together. Thrive Global. Retrieved from: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/4-ways-remote-co-workers-can-celebrate-halloween-together/

Working From Home Makes Bad Bosses Better

By in Leadership No Comments Tags: , ,

Happy_Pyramid

It can be difficult to work for bosses who are micromanagers. Micromanaging bosses try to control every aspect of their employees’ work. Instead of giving their employees the freedom to work in their own way (and take advantage of their own personal strengths), they try to enforce their own personal style onto their employees. This can cause their employees to become frustrated, disengaged, and less productive.

But the pandemic has changed things. Now, with everyone working from home, bosses can no longer micromanage. It’s just not possible. They can no longer monitor and control exactly how their employees are getting their work done. They’re being forced to shift gears.

Instead of trying to control every aspect of a project, they have no choice but to focus on results. And instead of asking employees questions about how they’re getting their work done, they’re starting to ask more important questions. This includes questions like “What can I do to help you get your work done?” and “What obstacles can I remove for you?”

In short, they’re becoming better bosses. And their employees are becoming more satisfied, engaged, and productive as a result.

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Culbert, S. A. (2020, August 3). How the pandemic can turn bad bosses into good ones. The Wall Street Journal, p. R3.

The Importance of Taking Breaks When You’re Working From Home

By in Living Well 2 Comments Tags: , ,

Hammock

When you’re working from home, it sometimes starts to feel like you’re always on the clock. The division between your work life and home life can start to get blurry.

You no longer leave your work at the office at the end of the day. Your home is your office. And your work is always just a few steps away.

I know you’re probably very thankful to be able to work from home. And you’re probably working longer and harder than you used to. You want to do a good job and be productive while working from a distance.

But it’s also important to look after your mental health. And that’s why taking breaks is so essential. According to psychologist Jen Hartstein, people need to take breaks in order to feel rejuvenated, energized, and engaged.

Before you started working from home, you most likely took breaks during your workday. You might have enjoyed a little downtime when commuting to and from the office. You probably spent some time each day chatting with your coworkers or taking the occasional coffee break. And you were probably more likely to use your vacation days.

Now we’re no longer doing these things. And this can be detrimental to our mental and physical health.

It is possible, however, to turn things around! Hartstein recommends that we make the effort to consciously incorporate breaks into our day by doing the following:

  • Take advantage of the time that you previously used to commute to work – If you used to spend 20-30 minutes getting to and from work every day, use that time to do something for yourself. Read a newspaper, listen to an interesting podcast, or take a walk. It will help you to gear yourself up at the beginning of the workday, and unwind at the end of it.
  • Schedule break times – Just because you’re working from home, you don’t need to feel guilty about taking an occasional break. It’s good and healthy for you to step away from your computer now and then. Taking short breaks throughout the day will help to keep you focused and energized.
  • Use your vacation days – You might not have anywhere to go for vacation. But having a “staycation” at home can be really relaxing and rewarding! Try to plan fun activities. Get involved in a hobby that you haven’t had time for, try cooking an elaborate meal, or watch an old movie that you’ve always loved. The time off will rejuvenate you, and help you to be more engaged and productive when you return to work.

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Cosgrove, J. (2020, August 3). A psychologist explains why people shouldn’t feel guilty taking time off from work during the pandemic. Yahoo Life. Retrieved from: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/why-taking-time-off-work-vacation-201532675.html

How to Successfully Collaborate With Your Coworkers From a Distance

By in Communication 1 Comment Tags: , , ,

Video_Conference_Call

When you’re working from home, teamwork is essential. In order to get things done, you need to be able to communicate with your coworkers, share ideas, make group decisions, and get their input and assistance.

But collaborating with your coworkers when everyone is working remotely can be difficult. It was simple when everyone could just gather together in a room and discuss a project together. But trying to do something similar on a video conference call can be more challenging. On a conference call, it’s easier to be distracted and get off track. And sometimes, it’s harder to be heard.

Luckily, there are things you can do to make these types of collaborative sessions more productive and effective. Author Ximena Vengoechea suggests that you do the following:

  • Keep it focused – Video conference calls can be very tiring and it’s easy for participants to get distracted. So it’s important to keep them focused. This can be done by controlling the scope, cutting down on the number of participants, and making sure the meeting doesn’t run long.
    • Control the scope of the meeting. Think about the purpose of the meeting. What do you hope to accomplish? Make sure you have a clear understanding of what needs to be discussed and try to keep the other participants focused on that topic.
    • Cut down on the number of participants. Only include people who are really essential to the project. If too many people are in the meeting, they may have difficulty voicing their opinions and there’s more likely to be confusion and misunderstandings.
    • Make sure the meeting doesn’t run long. Meetings should be no longer than one hour. If you are unable to accomplish what you wanted to within that hour, schedule a follow-up meeting.
  • Make sure your meeting participants are prepared – Before the meeting, make sure to explain the purpose of the meeting and what you hope to accomplish. If meeting participants need to review certain documents or materials before the meeting, make sure to tell them that this is required, and make sure those materials are easily accessible.
  • Keep people engaged – During the meeting, stick to your agenda, try to prevent the conversation from veering off course, and try to keep things moving along. Make the meeting interactive by asking people questions, or asking them to use the tools in your video conferencing software to express their opinions. You may also want to consider enlisting one or two people to help you keep the conversation going if things seem to lag. And keep people’s minds from wandering by giving them jobs. For instance, you could ask one person to take notes, and another person to watch the time.
  • Use technology to capture people’s ideas – If you were brainstorming with a group of people and you were all in the same room, you would probably write down their ideas on a whiteboard or on stickie notes. You should do the same thing in your video conference meeting (for instance, by using a virtual whiteboard). This will help participants to get creative, generate more ideas, and notice trends and connections.
  • Wrap things up – At the end of the meeting, recap what was discussed and list any important decisions that were made. You want to ensure that every participant comes away with the same understanding of what happened during the meeting. Talk about next steps, and identify the people who will be responsible for completing follow-up work. Ask participants to email you with any thoughts or ideas that they didn’t have the opportunity to share. And finally, thank them for their time and effort.

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Vengoechea, X. (n.d.). 7 tips for running a successful team brainstorm – even when everyone’s remote. The Muse. Retrieved from: https://www.themuse.com/advice/remote-brainstorm-tips

Managing a Blended Workforce

By in Communication No Comments Tags: , , ,

Happy_Manager

Right now, many employees are working from home. But in the near future, it’s possible that some individuals will be returning to the office, while others will continue to work remotely. This means that managers will need to manage a “blended workforce.” They’ll be responsible for leading and supporting a group of individuals who are physically located in a variety of places.

This may be challenging. Communication, collaboration, and teamwork can all be more difficult when people are unable to gather together in one location. But there are things that managers can do to make their blended teams more productive, engaged, and effective.

  • Make sure that all of your employees clearly understand their roles and the tasks that they’re supposed to be accomplishing. This is especially true of employees who are working remotely, since they may not be able to get clarification as easily as those who are working in the office.
  • Stop thinking about where or how your employees get their work done. Focus on results. If your employees are doing quality work, it doesn’t matter if they accomplished it while they were in the office or working at their kitchen table.
  • Make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. During team meetings, it may not be a good idea to have the employees who are currently in the office gather in a conference room. These employees will be more likely to dominate the meeting – and the people who are online may be forgotten. Instead, you might want to consider having all employees (including those who are currently in the office) join team meetings using their personal computers. It will put everyone on a level playing field and give everyone the opportunity to contribute.
  • Make sure that employees are aware that their work is important and beneficial. It’s very motivating for employees to know that their work has had a positive impact. It’s an effective morale-booster and makes people want to do their best work.
  • Communicate with your team – a lot. Check in on them regularly (whether they’re working from home or from the office) to find out how things are going, and to assist with any problems or roadblocks that they may have encountered. If you want your employees to feel supported and connected, frequent communication is key. And remember that this blended working arrangement is probably new to them. So even if you’re feeling a little stressed and overwhelmed yourself, always try to be kind, empathic, and understanding when you’re communicating with your team.

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4 tips for managing a blended workforce. (2020, June 22). Retrieved from: https://sidekicker.com/au/blog/4-tips-for-managing-a-blended-workforce/

Harris, C. (2018, November 28). Keeping the team together: Six tips for managing a blend of remote and in-house employees. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2018/11/28/keeping-the-team-together-six-tips-for-managing-a-blend-of-remote-and-in-house-employees/#69cdf6ab3948

Wearing Pants at Work

By in Living Well 1 Comment Tags: , ,

Guy_Wearing_Pants

With a large percentage of us working from home, the “office dress code” is a thing of the past. There’s no longer any need to change out of your pajamas or brush your hair. And on the rare occasions when you actually might be seen by your coworkers (for instance, on a video conference call), there are comfy clothes for that! Lately, I’ve seen a lot of ads for things like “a pajama top that looks like a work shirt” and “a bathrobe that looks like a cardigan.” (I’m actually kind of tempted to buy that bathrobe/cardigan thing. It looks pretty awesome.)

CNBC reported that sales of pajamas online have shot up 143% in April, as compared to March. Meanwhile, sales of pants have dropped by 13%.

And on “Good Morning America,” one of their reporters recently did a segment from his home wearing a shirt and suit jacket — and no pants. Apparently, he didn’t realize that his legs would be visible.

So that brings us to an interesting question. How many of your coworkers are actually wearing pants right now? According to a survey conducted by YouGov, it’s quite possible that only half of them are. In their survey (conducted on April 23rd and 24th of this year), YouGov asked a group of Americans how often they wear pants while working from home. They answered as follows:

  • All the time – 53%
  • Most of the time – 22%
  • Sometimes – 12%
  • Rarely – 5%
  • Never – 7%
  • Don’t know – 1%

So 12% of your coworkers only wear pants “sometimes.” And another 12% are definitely not wearing pants right now. 

The same survey found that employees will make an effort to fix themselves up for a video conference call – but not that much of an effort. 54% brush their hair. 49% brush their teeth. And 39% put on nicer clothes. Although it’s really only necessary to look nice from the waist up. Pants, of course, are optional!

Working from home can be really challenging. It can be lonely, there are often distractions (especially if you have pets and kids), and it can be difficult to communicate with your coworkers and coordinate your efforts. But there are some benefits too! One of those benefits is cozy clothes. Every day, we can wear what we feel most comfortable in, whether that includes pants or not.

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Ballard, J. (2020, May 1). Only about half of your coworkers are always wearing pants while working from home. YouGov. Retrieved from: https://today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2020/05/01/wearing-pants-remote-work-poll-survey

How to Be a Good Coworker During a Pandemic

By in Living Well, Navigating Change No Comments Tags: , , ,

Caring_Coworker

I’m new to working from home. I think a lot of us are. We’re used to being in an office, surrounded by our coworkers. But now, all of sudden, things have changed in so many ways.

One thing that I’ve noticed while working from home is that, if we’re not careful, the bonds between coworkers can become weakened. And I can understand why. Everyone is under a lot of stress. We’re all being asked to work a different way and take on new tasks. And, most of all, we can’t easily communicate with each other like we used to. We can’t stop by each other’s offices to make small talk and connect with each other. We’re separated. And I think that’s made it harder to be empathic and understanding.

So what can we do to remedy this situation? According to author Alexandra Samuel, compassion is key. We all need to focus on how we can help one another.

Even if you normally work in a competitive environment, you should try to shift gears, and be more relaxed and supportive. Try to let small slights and annoyances slide. Let your guard down. Be honest about how you’re feeling. And, if possible, take the time to check in on your coworkers and see how they’re coping.

Some coworkers will really appreciate having the opportunity to talk about the difficulties that they’ve been having. Maybe they’re having a hard time trying to work with their kids at home, or they’re concerned about their elderly parents. You don’t need to offer any advice. Simply giving people the chance to talk about these things can help to alleviate some of their stress.

Other coworkers may not be interested in talking about their concerns. And that’s OK. They’ll still appreciate the fact that you asked about how they were doing – and they may feel comforted knowing that you’re there to listen if they feel like talking.

Pay special attention to any new employees in your department. They are probably the most likely to be feeling lost and overwhelmed.

And if you could offer to help out coworkers who might be struggling with a certain task or a new type of software, that would be wonderful. Don’t take on more than you can manage. But if you have the knowledge and capacity to help your coworkers get their work done more easily, you should do it.

It’s a scary, uncertain time for all of us. But this pandemic could actually help us to form stronger bonds with our coworkers. Ultimately, it could transform our offices into more caring, supportive, empathic places to work.

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Samuel, A. (2020, April 17). New rules for being a good colleague. The Wall Street Journal, p. R4.

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