Right now, all across the world, IT departments are working diligently to adjust to their organizations Work from Home (WFH) requirements. We at Quest understand this can be a challenge so we have compiled some resources that may be useful to you at this time. Many of us at Quest work from home, so we have compiled some advice and lessons learned that you can share with those who may have never worked from home before.
Work from Home Tips from the Team
- Set and maintain regular hours
- you don't have a commute anymore but that doesn't mean you can sleep all day
- just because you're not in an office doesn't mean you can skate out at 3pm either
- be careful to not drastically extend your day because it is easy to logon early and stay on late
- Let family and friends know when those work hours are and set those boundaries
- Schedule and take breaks
- you don't have a commute anymore - enjoy that coffee in the AM
- don't work through lunch unless absolutely necessary
- it may not seem like a big deal today but over time this can wear you down
- Designate an area
- this area is work/this area is not work
- it'll help you and the other folks you're sharing space with understand what's going on and it'll help you unwind at the end of the day
- a good chair goes a long way - don't just lounge in the recliner
- don't eat lunch in the work area, don't do work stuff where you relax
- obviously that's not doable for everyone but try to make a special area to help stay in the right mindset.
- Get dressed
- don't work in your PJs (and certainly make sure your laptop camera isn't if you forget)
- there's no need for suit and tie but its a good habit to keep you in the "this is work" mode
- Food
- don't snack all day!
- prep your lunches - doing a weeks worth of lunches on Sunday is a lot cheaper, easier, and better than hitting **insert favorite fast food here** every day
- if you're a breakfast person, great, you have extra non commute time in the AM. make your favorite breakfast...just don't make a buffet every day
- Distractions
- pets will not understand - breaks should suffice and if not put them in their pen/bed/etc
- deliveries are made during the day - throw a sign on the door not to ring/knock unless needed. Most understand and heed the warning
- DO NOT turn the TV on. Background noise is nice but the TV is too enticing and will suck you in. 4hrs later your report still isn't done
- Show up
- remote meetings are still meetings, so show up and participate
- if you haven't already been using slack/teams/etc it may be weird at first but socialize with your coworkers
- use threads in slack or conversations so the room doesn't get flooded
- use that email more than before. no need to prairie dog the cube, poke your head around the corner, go visit, etc - you're home, use email
- Start and end with a routine of some sort
- get up, get coffee, grab a light breakfast, enjoy the sunrise with your dogs then start
- wind down by wrapping up the emails of the day and "closing out" those threads
- Remote etiquette
- if you're on the phone a lot, a good headset goes a long way
- airpods work in a pinch - only use one while the other charges and switch when the battery gets low
- folks understand these are special circumstances so the dogs barking and kids in the background aren't terrible but keep it to a minimum
- mute your line if you're eating or doing other things
- Other useful articles/threads on the subject
We know you'll do it, so a quick glance how much time you'll be out (after hours - not work hours)
Want some Work from Home tips specific to your Quest KACE SMA? Click here.
If anyone else has any other tips or tricks feel free to post in the comments below!
The following article was brought you by your friendly neighborhood Quest KACE Professional Services Team.
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