SLA Illinois Chapter Connecting People and Information

by Lori Guidry, Business Project Manager for Threshold Information Inc.

“You work at home?”

I can always hear the envy in someone’s voice when I tell them this. And most days, I feel fortunate to have worked at home for most of the past nine years.

Still, it’s not as easy as it looks. Following are a few pointers for those considering it:

• Discipline needed. A particularly self-aware woman once said to me, “I could never work at home. I know I’d never get anything done!”  Most people underestimate the will it takes to focus when it’s a lovely day outside or when Oprah’s on. Most people are at their most energetic and productive during the daytime hours. It’s best to keep to a 9-to-5 schedule. It also makes it easier to consult with co-workers.

• Don’t overdo it. More than one fellow telecommuter has told me that they have to make an effort to keep work from consuming their entire life. It’s easy to end up working around the clock just because you can or because, as noted before, you got distracted during the day and have to finish a project.

• Keep distractions at bay. “I’m working” is a phrase you should practice saying in a firm voice. You will need to use it frequently. People will assume that because you’re home, you have time to chat or run an errand or listen to their problems. You don’t.

• Brush your teeth. It’s better to shower and put on some clothes to “go to work,” even if it’s at home. It’s a matter of attitude. Getting dressed (even in sweats) puts you in a more professional frame of mind and signals that your workday is about to begin.

• Make space. On the subject of separating work from home life, you should set up separate office space. If it’s tucked away – even better. Working at the dining room table puts you smack in the middle of your home life, both literally and figuratively.

• Get a babysitter. It’s a BIG mistake to assume that working at home means you don’t need child care, especially for pre-schoolers. Small children, or even teenagers for that matter, don’t understand “I’m working”.

Having said all this, I still feel lucky to have the job I have, although now I work at home just two days and go into the office the other three. Working at home gives me uninterrupted time to focus, saves the cost – and environmental impact – of commuting, and gives me the flexibility to occasionally steal a few hours during the day to take my daughters to lunch or visit a sick parent.

Lori Guidry is Business Project Manager for Threshold Information Inc., an information search and analysis firm with expertise in business, industry, and science research.