How I work

So, I work from home. A lot. And lots of folks are providing advice for those who have to make the shift in these interesting times. Rather than talk about what you should do, however, I thought I’d share what I do. So this is how I work.

This is my workspace. That’s a convertible desk, so I can be standing or sitting. That varies depending on what I’m working on, how I feel, etc. I’ve an ergonomic chair for sitting, and a foam pad I slide out when I’m standing. Behind me is my shelf of books, specifically L&D relevant ones, topped with awards & mementos, and a copy of each of my writings on the bottom shelf. Water bottle’s to the side, for regular access to stay hydrated. There’s a chair nearby for our little old dog who gets lonely when no one else is around.

On the other side is my laptop, which I plug into the large monitor and a hub. When I travel, it often goes with me (particularly if it’s more than a day or two). There’s a laser printer, scanner, CD/DVD drive, micro-usb cable, and a backup drive all plugged in, plus my iDevices.

I tend to get up, read the news and eat brekkie, before descending to my lair (it’s the lowest room in the house, which means it  can get cold in the winter). I hang a vest with fingerless gloves on the inside of the door to use when it’s cold. There’s a robe too, if I happen to come down at night. I’m too twitchy to typically be able to sit or stand and work for hours, so I regularly am up and about just to move. Snack breaks, or to take out the dog. For health reasons I try to get a walk in, and, ideally, some exercise. There is a torture device exercise machine in my office.

I’m doing this pretty much seven days a week, though I do try to leave time free for m’lady when it’s her weekend (which isn’t the same as everyone else). When there are times I need to crack down, I do so. I like to meet my commitments.

I do have a habit of working in fits and spurts. And the evidence suggests I’m very productive this way, letting things percolate and then there’s a burst of output. I also spend a fair bit of time consuming input to prepare for the percolation. I can’t just sit and crank on things too long; reckon I’ve a bit of ADD! So I break it up, and knock off a chunk before doing something else for a bit. Giving myself deliverables and deadlines helps, too.

I’ve experimented with various ways to project manage my time. I’ve several different projects in Pagico that I put tasks in. Also, it helps to just block out time on my calendar for tasks I need to get to. I definitely err on the side of apps that I can use regardless of what device I’m on.   When inspiration strikes, you need to be able to capture it.

Occasionally I’ll go out and meet a colleague or attend an event somewhere in the area. But otherwise, I’m a homebody except when I’m on the road, which happens semi-regularly. So I’m very used to hanging out alone. I’m not one of those who has to get fancy dressed every morning, so I just change from sleep clothes into sweats and a t-shirt. I do shave before I’m on screen (or before I go out). If I’ve a call, I can put on a collared shirt, and of course if I go out I do get properly dressed.

How do I do it? With Slack, Zoom, LinkedIn, Facebook, and email. Slack is a working setup, mostly with my IBSTPI colleagues, but there’s a social group I’m part of on there as well. I los I Zoom for meetings regularly, and the chat is how I stay in touch with the rest of the ITA. I have a LinkedIn group for the L&D Revolution, and track several others. Facebook is reserved for interpersonal communications with friends, but it helps keep me sane. I do use email to communicate, and am on a couple of mailing list communities that also occasionally do events.

With IBSTPI and others, Google Docs are a frequent way to develop and share documents. I find the Drive to be well-nigh impenetrable, but I mostly can find stuff. There really is an opportunity for better collaborative working arrangements! And of course I create my own documents, diagrams, etc, which I share.

This is how I work, most of the time when I’m remote. What did I forget to mention? And how does this compare to your approach?