The Bright Side of Working from Home

Facing an instant shift to working from home for a large percentage of the global population, Career Partners International has hosted multiple webinars on how to lead and support your teams through these new challenges.  One of the repeated themes is shifting one’s mindset to focus on positives and the factors that can be controlled.  Our headquarters staff has worked remotely for years; many of us having made the transition from a corporate office to our home offices.  This setup was deliberate and intentional for our team, it allows us to better support Members and clients around the world.  Over time, through trial and error, each of us have built structure and systems into our workday.

Here are a few suggestions from across our “offices”, broken down by must-have items and unique perks, that you might adopt to make this transition a little easier.

Must-Have Items

1. Really Good Coffee
2. Quality headphones and a microphone. When life is lived via Zoom, these tools are indispensable.  The headphones are also good for drowning out background noise.  (He types blissfully unaware of the chaos a toddler is raining down in the other room.)
3. Natural light. If possible, get a view and bring some sunshine into your day.  No more beige box cubicle walls!
4. Upgrade your touchpoints. Pens, keyboard, notebooks, etc.  These are no longer getting lost or damaged so invest in items that are more pleasant to use.
5. A second “office”. Have an alternative spot to move to when you need to change gears.  Kitchen, deck, bedroom… anywhere you can refocus and remain productive.

Unique Perks

1. Seriously, drink good Coffee. The world tends to shine a little brighter when properly caffeinated.
2. Bike rides, dog walks, a nap in the hammock, or a quick jog around the neighborhood at lunch.
3. No traffic. Wake up at 7:55 for that 8:00 meeting.
4. Nobody is around to judge your unusual taste in music.
5. Save money and eat healthier with access to a personal chef. (That’s you.)
6. Get comfortable. No one needs to know that you’re wearing mesh shorts, yoga pants, or a grass skirt in a video meeting.

Working from home is not all rainbows and sunshine, but by focusing on the good and taking advantage of the accompanying benefits it becomes much more enjoyable.  Don’t forget to keep connected with your teammates.  Log into a call 5 minutes early to chat, send a note to check in via Slack, or shoot off that funny email to your group.  Just because you are no longer in the same office does not mean you cannot still be connected, productive, and happy.

Written by Chris Boyd

Marketing Director at Career Partners International