We have undergone a shift in the way we work. Many of us spent a lot of our time engaging directly with people, both customers and colleagues. Obviously, now and at least in the near-term, this has changed....we are now isolated. And while there is a new set of distractions related to working from home, i.e., barking dogs, kids, household noises, parcel deliveries, etc., the real issue is the tension created by loneliness and having more time. Gone for now are the commutes, impromptu corridor meetings, drop-in chats and of course the seemingly endless fire hose spray of customer and employee issues. So, we need to adjust, both for personal sanity and to ensure some level of productivity. Here some things I do when I work from home...your mileage may vary.
Routines and Boundaries
We had them before...time to get up, get ready and go to work. And when we arrived at work, we were at work until we left. I do the same thing at home. I’m fortunate to have a home office. So, I get up at the same time I always have, often go for a run, make coffee, read or write (because my mind is sparked from the exercise and caffeine), then shower, put-on my work clothes and go to my office...now I’m at work. My brain has been trained over the years in that routine. And while the location and time have changed, the routine has not. It’s this routine that helps me feel more like I’m at work. And as long as I’m in that office and it’s a work day (currently M-F, 9-5) I’m at work. If I leave that space for any reason, I’m not at work. If I go eat lunch with my kids in the other room, I’m not at work. Even if I join a Zoom Break-Room and virtually leave that space, I’m not at work. This works for me. It might not for you.
Define Your Work
Our work has changed. Like it or not, our job is different. Now, more than ever, it’s important to define what your work is for...and who it’s for. Much of our previous work was reactive...catering more to the immediate needs of our customers and colleagues. This has likely slowed tremendously or ceased. The unplanned, interruptive nature of our workflow has morphed into gaps of free time. Now, how to create work to fill that gap...this is the challenge we all face now.
My work is still to serve the people around me...to support them through challenges and to inspire them to seek change. But now, I’m challenged to work differently, through a different lens and with different constraints. Now, I’ve shifted from direct analysis, support and helping on the front lines to the development of an environment which allows everyone to remain connected and engaged. My job now is to foster a spirit and level of comfort which leads to collaborative projects. Hopefully, these projects will result in a better experience for everyone once we return to our business. Simultaneously, I’m encouraging everyone to use the same community platform to personally level-up, learn new skills and challenge themselves in ways they might not have previously imagined. My dream is we all become more comfortable creating something from nothing, painting on a blank canvas, as a positive by-product of being forced into this “new normal” way of working.
The questions on the table at the moment are...how will we redefine our work? And, how will we fill in the gaps?
Choose wisely.