Most of us have had to stay at home recently. However, this is by no means a vacation. Therefore, we try to catch up remotely on the tasks we normally performed in the office. Phones are getting red hot, internet connections are clogging up, and on top of all this, many of us are worried about children locked at home. We all undergo a quick practical course in home office work. You may have already reached the point where, apart from the fact that it is a different job than in the office, it becomes clear that it requires more discipline from us.
The number of meetings that we hold in the office “incidentally” is difficult to estimate. It is also often underestimated and eliminated by increasingly restrictive internal regulations. However, during the widespread home office period, it turns out how many matters we have so far dealt with “on the occasion”. Often, without leaving our desk, we would quickly consult something with the person sitting next to us. We bumped into each other on our way to the toilet or at the coffee machine. Finally, we could take a break together and discuss something we still don’t have time for over the second breakfast.
When working with many companies, I often face the challenge of “chaos” at work in the office. “Someone always wants something”, “someone comes up every now and then regarding some matter”, “I would have to be in meetings all the time”, and on top of that “every day there are dozens, if not hundreds of e-mails” that require reading and response. It would seem that when we all go to the home office, things will be calmer. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. It turns out that we have even more meetings, although only virtual ones. We keep the phone connected to the charger almost all the time, because no battery can withstand such a number of calls. There is “constantly” something again, and even more so.
Many people face the need to work overtime. With the widespread home office, maintaining a balance between work, homework and rest is even more difficult. Only when the household members go to sleep or when they have not yet got up can we focus on tasks that require reflection. During the day, the rush of tele-consultations and video conferences is difficult to reconcile with the demands of everyday life in lockdown. Lack of adequate rest and even greater stress than before will soon have a negative impact on our health.
Yes, this is the moment when the well-known recommendations regarding work discipline become even more valid. Here are five key recommendations for me:
- Each of us only has 24/7 time at our disposal – keep ONE calendar covering professional tasks, home tasks and time for rest.
- Set yourself a working time frame divided into days of the week and times of the day – a good rhythm will allow you to put some things off your mind for the scheduled time.
- Agree on “own” work times with your co-workers – during this time, each of you works independently and under no circumstances calls the others.
- Schedule remote meetings with a break between them – I recommend 30 minutes to take care of yourself and any domestic emergencies requiring intervention.
- Set meeting times strictly and be punctual – since we have even more needs to meet, we must respect time even more.
If you are interested in discussing the topic in more detail, please contact me. I will be happy to talk about it with you during a video-coffee, which has recently become my practice :-).
Author: Maciej Krupa
