Working From Home: 5 Tips for Successful Work at Home Strategies When Working for Yourself or a Major Corporation
Written by Anne Corley Baum
Anne Corley Baum is the Lehigh Valley executive and vice president, distribution channels & labor relations for Capital BlueCross. She has run leadership training programs through her own company Vision Accomplished, which focuses on leadership development. Anne is also the author of Small Mistakes, Big Consequences Develop Your Soft Skills to Help You Succeed (Momosa Publishing LLC, ISBN 978-1-7323016-2-7, e-book ISBN 978-1-7323016-2-7, March 1, 2019, $10.00) the first book in the Small Mistakes, Big Consequences series. Her second book, Small Mistakes, Big Consequences for The Interview, will be out this coming July.
She has spent years serving in leadership roles and teaching leadership to high potential employees on their way to the C Suite. She is a certified protocol and etiquette consultant and has run programs on perfecting your professional image, leadership and executive coaching, how to succeed in the international arena, and dining at the corporate table. She has also led programs for young adults including interviewing and job skills and etiquette and dining programs for children and teens.
With the nation moving to a completely digital and remote platform, Anne has provided 5 tips for successful work at home strategies when working for yourself or a major corporation.
Anne Corley Baum
Create an in-home office or workspace – set aside a specific space in your home dedicated to work and only work.
Equip it with everything you need, computer, pens, files, paper, and sticky notes.
Make it a comfortable and usable space with a good chair, desk, table, or a standing desk – if that’s your preference. Give yourself a corner office with a nice view!
Infuse the space with things that make you happy like a candy dish (remember you won’t have guests to eat the extra candy!), plants, flowers, encouraging quotes or signs.
When you enter the space, do so with a mindset of accomplishing your goals. When you leave the space, leave your work in the office.
Be present in everything you do – when you are at work in your space, give it your full attention. Focus on the calls, conversations, and emails. Avoid multi-tasking, and be respectful of the time that others are dedicating to you. Your work will be better, and you will achieve more when you concentrate and give it your all. When you are multitasking, you run the risk of missing information, misunderstanding a situation and making unnecessary errors.
Schedule your day – time “on” and time “off” – Determine your work hours and stick to them. Share your availability with others and schedule calls and appointments only during those times. Unless absolutely necessary, don’t do your work during your “off” time. Dedicate that time to yourself, your family and other activities that are important to you that keep you balanced and healthy.
Plan your work and work your plan – whether you are working for yourself or a large corporation, it’s important to set SMART goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound. These goals are the roadmap to achieving your mission and vision. When you have a plan of where you are going, you are far more likely to get there successfully and efficiently. Working from home is no excuse for not having a plan of action.
Take good care of yourself – working from home can be both a blessing and a curse. The advantages are many: planning your own schedule, being home with pets or family, short commute, and the ability to work from any location. On the other hand, without careful time management, working from home can become all-consuming. Make sure work does not permeate every moment of your day. Take care of yourself and allow time for the other important things in life like friends, family, nature, and your health. As we all know, at the end of their days, no one ever says they wished they had worked more!
“Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” —Dolly Parton, singer