Your own worst boss

Working remote takes some getting used to. Managing your own time is not a skill that is fostered in traditional work environments where employees are expected to fulfill certain hours of the day instead of producing a defined amount of measurable work (more in this post). When switching to a remote environment, people need to learn how to manage their time and any conflicting diversions. Learning to prioritize is the first step. Knowing your goals, and tracking your own ability to produce will help to hone in on how and when to work. 

It is actually more common for employees new to a remote environment to overwork. It is difficult to set clear boundaries. There is often a general assumption that if work is not seen it is not done. However, there is actually nothing more effective than personal accountability.  No manager will ever be able to manage an employees time or hold them accountable as well as any one person may do for themselves.

From the book "The intelligent organization" by the Pinchot's- "Workers will be far more efficient if they have a hand in designing their own work than if work design U performed by management and handed down for compliance. This fact flies in the face of bureaucracy's most basic tenet, that it is the job of management to design and coordinate workers jobs."

This same point can be made not only about the work that employees do, but to my point, about how, when and where they do it.

The polarity is between “work” and “life”. Being in a remote/flexible working arraignment allows the two to become more integrated, and people can become more effective at both. Less of a distinction is actually a better thing.  It is important to prioritize work, so as to achieve set goals, but all other aspects of life are equally important, and need the same attention. Balance is the key to being the most effective in all aspects of life.

So, if you find that your day is calling to be re-prioritized to focus on something which is not “work”, fine! Then return to working when you are more able to be effective. Manage your time so that you are most effective, and not with the expectation of toiling through traditional working hours.

This method of prioritization will also help you to gain perspective on your work preference. If you find that it is getting more and more difficult to meet production goals, then it may be that you are attempting to do work that is no longer your preference, and that the prioritization process needs to be focused around finding work that is fulfilling and more able to integrate into your life. This blog speaks more to “Refreshing work”.

Being in the flow (where it feels easy to work) is the best place to be, though this does not always happen, even if you are working on something that interests you during a time when you work best. When an author is moved to write, it may feel like the pages just pour out. There are other times however, when the blank page is a formidable foe. All types of work have these two extremes. Authors often overcome writers block by going out to be inspired, but sometimes it simply means just putting the time in. So, while in this post I encourage taking the time to find what to work on and when, creating structure around work is also important. More on structure to come.