Maggie on CBS – The Challenges of Working From Home
Where do you work best?
Wouldn’t it be great if your boss asked you this question?! Even if he/she doesn’t ask, you can create a thoughtful response and bring up the subject yourself. Be careful though. In my experience, too many people dream of working from home or the beach but few have fully thought through where they work best.
Your answer might surprise you. I’ve been my own boss for seven years and LOVE working in a clean, comfortable, quiet space with a view. My best work has happened when I overlooked the ocean, a forest or a lake. I even had a great coaching session from the John Hancock Tower in Chicago. I need to be my most inspired in order to inspire others. Even when I haven’t had a view of nature, I’ve painted and framed up landscapes to help me get "in the zone."
But telecommuting isn’t for everyone. Just recently, I spoke with a client who’s new dream job involves working from home most days. Initially excited about the added flexibility, my client didn’t realize he’d miss the social interaction around the water cooler. He’s also realized he needs more face time with the boss to build rapport quickly and be included in key meetings. So now we’re working on the right balance of telecommuting and office work so he can make a proper ask of his boss and create the best working scenario. If you or someone you know could use help figuring out their work situation, go to my Contact page.
I recently shared my story on CBS re: the challenges of working from home.
Working at home with a two-year old running around does not produce the quiet space I need. Now I do most of my work from virtual office space. All over the US and the world, organizations are popping up that allow you to rent a professional office for a day or even an hour.
Don’t wait for your boss to set up your ideal work environment. If any of this resonates with you, I’d love to hear where you work best by commenting below. Stop and reflect now. Think about the times when you had your best ideas or felt you were most productive. What about the environment inspired that kind of performance in you? Write down your thoughts. Talk with your boss about it, ask for his/her feedback and create your ideal work scenario today.
Don’t find fault. Find a remedy. ~Henry Ford