Time Management: Working From Home

Time Management: Working From Home
Instructor: Dave Crenshaw
Released: 4/25/2022	Course Details 1h17m General
Skills Covered Time Management		Course Link
Professional Certifications and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Project Management Institute (PMI) – 1.25 PDUs National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) – 2.2 CPE
Working from home is a wonderful opportunity, but time management can be a challenge. With so many demands on your time and attention, it’s a tricky balancing act to stay productive. In this course, author and productivity expert Dave Crenshaw offers best practices for anyone who works full time or occasionally from home. Dave begins by showing how to set up a dedicated workspace for maximum productivity, including tips on setting up your computer to ensure you stay focused. Then Dave walks through how to craft your daily schedule for peak productivity and plan meaningful breaks to avoid burnout. He explains how to collaborate with remote coworkers, including how to use virtual meetings productively. Get advice for working parents and other caregivers who might be balancing professional and personal responsibilities in the home. Learning objectives Create a productive environment by limiting distractions. Evaluate and choose the best technology to increase your productivity. Differentiate between constant effort and a healthy working rhythm. Define expectations around communication while remaining responsive. Identify the benefits of relationship building. Learn how to manage interruptions and emergencies at home. Source: LinkedIN Learning

Establishing Your Home Base

Create a productive workspace

Keep work in the workspace. Designate a space only for work.

Ideal workspace:
Dedicated room, with a door that is relatively soundproof away from the front entrance. Have enough space for a filing cabinet and workspace.

Identify visual and audible distractions

Exercise

Set a timer for two minutes.
Sit quietly.
Write down visual and audible distractions.

Visual Distractions

People – walking by
Lighting
Screen – TV
Window – outside activity

Use a shade on the window to hide some distraction or place a visual barrier.

Audible Distraction

Children
Construction
Pets

Use headphones with soft sounds to remove the audible distraction.

Apply the processing technique at home

Processing: The Act of Deciding

What the next step is
When to do it
Where its home is

Gathering Point
A place where unresolved, unprocessed items gather.

Process personal and career items at the same time. The time spent processing will be reduced and you will see the relationship between personal and work items.

Combine personal and work gather points.

Home
Final resting place for items. Don’t intermingle personal and work files in their final resting place.

Utilize the best technology

Get the best tool you can afford.

Monitors – wide monitor or two monitors
Docking station
Keyboard – ergonomic
Mouse – gaming mouse with extra buttons for functions
Desk chair – comfortable and mobile

Crafting Your Schedule

Keep work hours in balance

What is your starting line?

Sleep
Health Needs

When working from home, you lack the natural transition from work to home. Schedule transition time to power down from work.

Create boundaries and respect them.

Find your peak productivity time

Most Valuable Activities – covered in Time Management Fundamentals. The things that mean the most to you in which you can focus intently. Schedule lower level activity when you are most likely to be interrupted.

Expect interruptions.

Plan meaningful breaks

Create an oasis in your day.

Work Oasis

10 to 20 minutes
Every 90 to 120 minutes of activity

Personal Oasis

30 minutes
Something fun and an enjoyable

Adjust when schedules collide

Expect work interruptions. Build buffer time into your schedule.

Move but do not remove. Example: you may need to move your MVA (Most Valuable Activity) to attend an emergency meeting. Move the meeting but do not remove it from your calendar.

What this move a result of a random occurrence or is this a pattern?

Communicating Productively

Determine your company’s ground rules

Discuss your working hours. Establish email response times. Set expectations. Determine what you need to do to put their mind at ease.

Best practices for virtual meetings

Close distracting browser windows
Close email
Arrive early
Set up camera
Share your screen

Reduce background noise. Remove visual distractions in your frame. Invest in a strong internet connection. Match the standard dress code.

How to work across time zones

Offer meetings in attendees’ time zones. Can’t be available 24/7 so set expectations with employees in other time zones.

Responding to quick questions

Establish consistent one-to-one meetings.

“Can this wait until our scheduled 1-to-1 meeting?”

Establish different expectations for different channels.

Productivity and co-worker relationships

Be aware of the obvious (significant life event reminders)
Be aware of cultural or country holidays.
Take time to learn about co-workers hobbies.

Loose Bricks
A personal hobby or interest

Considerations for Working Parents and Caregivers

Build boundaries with loved ones

Aim for Agreement

When you willwork
When you will be available

Discuss specific numbers. For example: at 5 o’clock it’s family time.

Quiet time – set time of the day when everyone must remain quiet in the house (1pm to 4pm).

Create a schedule for pets – take the dog for a walk or play with the cat at schedule times to create a habit.

Manage interruptions and emergencies

Add extra buffer space – 1 & 1/2 hours in an 8 hour work day – leave room for interruptions. If the interruptions does not occur, you have bonus time available.

Plan focused time for loved ones. If you kids arrived home at 3pm, maybe schedule buffer time at that time to allow them to talk to you about their day, decompress.