Finding Work Life Balance in the New Year

I’d like to start my first post of 2007 by wishing you a very joyful and prosperous new year! The last few months of 2006 were busy ones for me with moving into a new house, setting up our home office, and spending time with family and friends during the holidays. But don’t fret . . . Jason and I are looking forward to getting back on the microphone soon to continue our podcast and discussions about The Anywhere Office.

In reflecting on how I handled this bevy of activity at the end of the year and my plans for the new year it struck me that some thoughts about work-life balance were in order.

At this time of year I often find myself thinking that I didn’t spend as much time with my family and friends as I would have liked. It’s just so easy to get caught up in the day to day hustle of things that need to be done. You may be feeling the same way: you were so busy with meetings, email, voice mail, and reports that some of the more important things in life got put on the back burner – often with a promise that you would get to it tomorrow, or next week.

Well now is your chance, as you’re setting your goals for the upcoming year, to bring focus to developing greater balance in your life. Smart Phones, laptops, and PDAs are getting more affordable; Fast internet access is pervasive, along with great tools and online services that make it easier then ever to work productively from anywhere.

Avoiding a daily commute and gaining more control over your work schedule can not only make you more productive, it can help you achieve the balance you have been longing for in your life.

If you currently work remotely, and it has been working well for you and your organization, try to increase the amount of time you spend working from home or outside the office.

If you don’t work remotely, then consider approaching your organization about the possibility. In light of many things that happened this past year, including a sluggish economy and political tumult, many organizations are reconsidering some of their earlier fears about distributed work and realizing it makes sound business sense.

Distributed work provides a win-win situation for both an organization and its employees. Companies can save money on real estate, improve employee morale and efficiency, and be better prepared to handle disasters and interruptions; employees can work when they work best, without common office distractions, and gain both time and more control over their schedules.

In fact, depending on where you live, some new bills being passed may provide tax credits and incentives for you and your organization, making a telework plan even more attractive.

We all waste precious time sitting in traffic, commuting back and forth to the office and traveling around for meetings that often could just as easily have been held on the phone or online.

So as you spend time with family and friends, reflect on how valuable and enjoyable this time is and how it enhances everything you do.

Make a commitment to do the things necessary to achieve more work/life balance. Whether it is finding a way to work outside the office, learning new time management and technology skills, or exploring ways to improve your meetings, striving for balance can improve every aspect of your life.

Master the Art of Living

Here is a quote I have hanging on my home office wall. It ties in perfectly with my philosophy of work life integration.

MASTER THE ART OF LIVING

The person who is a master in the art of living makes little
distinction between their work and their play,
their labor and their leisure, their mind and their body,
their education and their recreation,
their love and their religion.

They hardly know which is which.
They simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace in whatever they do,
leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing.

To them, they are always doing both.

From the Zen Buddhist text

Show #8: Juggling your life is not a circus trick

This week we discussed work life balance and work life integration. Thanks to Gil Gordon for joining us as our guest on the show.

If you missed the show you can listen in below or download the MP3 file.

Show # 8: Juggling Your Life is Not a Circus Trick

With all of the tools and strategies we embrace on our show, and that comprise the concept of The Anywhere Office there is the danger that your Anywhere Office can become an everywhere office blurring the boundaries between your work and your personal life. This week we were joined by Gil Gordon, telework guru and author of “Turn it Off“, to discuss strategies for work life integration and work life balance.

Here’s what we covered:

• The challenges with work life balance: The differece between work life balance, intergration, and harmony. Grass roots movements versus top down approach to flexible work benefits.
• In the News:
  • Importance versus Satisfaction – In this article from Network World salary survey respondents rate the job-related items that are most important to them, and then tell how satisfied they are with each one. Very interesting.
  • Work-life Balance: Ways to restore harmony and reduce stress – If your work life and personal life are out of balance, your stress may be running high. Here’s how to reclaim control.
• Website Spotlight:

  • WorkLifeBalance.com – Tips, articles, newsletter, and training for work life balance. Has an excellent definition of work-life balance. Here is the diagram of the Four Quadrants we mentioned.
• Guest: Gil Gordon – Telework Expert, President of Gil Gordon & Associates, and author of “Turn it Off“

To listen to the show you can use the flash player below or download the MP3 file. Use the PLAY IN POPUP link below if you want to use our flash player and roam the web while listening.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:44 — 10.7MB)

5 Steps to Approaching your Current Employer about Telecommuting

I was interviewed by Jeff Zbar today for an article he’s writing for South Florida’s Sun Sentinal about how rising gas prices are prompting some companies and employees to explore telework as a possible solution. Jeff, aka the Chief Home Officer, will be joining us on next week’s show to talk about the pros and cons of working in a home office.

One of the questions he asked me was how employees should propose telecommuting to their employers. Although I was only able to give him a few short tips I figured I would post an article here I wrote a few years ago about that very subject.

5 Steps to Approaching your Current Employer about Telecommuting

A question I am often asked by people who would like to telecommute is, “How do I approach my manager or boss about this subject?” Many people fear that if they suggest telecommuting, or even working from home occasionally, that they will be viewed as “less than serious” about their job. Of course, if your company already has a formal telework plan in place it is much easier, but what do you do if they don’t?

Before you approach your boss or manager there are 2 main things you need to consider:

• Is my job right for telecommuting? If your job involves doing a lot of independent work such as reading, research, number crunching, report or document writing, or phone work then at least a portion of your job can be done outside the office – and might actually benefit from being away from common office interruptions. On the other hand, if your job requires a good deal of face-to-face contact or access to information or systems that are only available in the office, then your job might not be a good fit for telecommuting.

• Would I make a good telecommuter? There are certain traits that help make someone more successful at working outside the office. Successful telecommuters are usually self-starters who do not require much “hands-on” help from mangers or colleagues. They also need to be organized and possess good time management skills. If you don’t have all of these skills don’t worry, they can be developed over time.

Many companies have heard of the benefits of telework but they still have fears or misconceptions about what is involved. Here are 5 steps you can take to approach this topic professionally.

1. Go in with a plan, not a request. Do your research and be prepared to address any questions, fears, or objections that your manager and/or boss might have. Put together a short proposal including:

• Why you want to telecommute.
• From what location you will be telecommuting.
• Is the space and equipment sufficient?
• How will they know you are working?
• How many days a week you will work from a remote location. (Usually only a day or two a week to start)
• How often will you be “checking in?”
• Why do you, in particular, have the skills necessary to work from home?

2. Think like a Manager or Supervisor. Approach this proposal/conversation thinking like a manager. Don’t explain how it will benefit you; instead focus on how it will benefit the company and increase your productivity.

3. BE FLEXIBLE! Don’t initially propose this as a permanent arrangement. Explain that you’d like to try it for 2-3 months with an evaluation at the beginning, middle, and end of the trial to evaluate your progress.

4. Have measurable goals and objectives. How will they know you’re working? If you spend a lot of time preparing reports, figure out how many hours or days they usually take you to complete. If you work in a customer service position, then track how many calls you put out to clients. The bottom line is to find some way to quantify your current level of productivity so your boss or manager will have a basis for comparison.

5. Ease their fears with facts. Find recent statistics and articles about other organizations that have implemented telework programs successfully. It’s best if you can find those that pertain specifically to your job description. If you can show that other, similar companies are successfully executing telework, then the perceived risk is reduced.

I hope you found this article helpful. I cover this topic and other ways to find more flexible work and legitimate work at home jobs in my book Lose Your Commute.

What time do you work best?

One of the huge advantages of working in an “anywhere office” and having a flexible work schedule is the ability to shift your work hours to the time when you are most productive. I came across this interesting post on the Rational Rants blog on ZDnet:

Working hours: Productivity is highest on your own time by ZDNet‘s Mitch Ratcliffe — Researchers have identified “social jet lag,” the disorientation of the body clock by fixed working hours that don’t mesh with the body clock. What times would you work best?

What are your thoughts about this? Post a comment and let us know.

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