I find myself behind the slowest driver in all of Sunday-driver Slugville so…I rant. 

I look in my emailbox and find out that my client has just dumped a ton of work on me and given me no time to do it in so…I fret, I fume, I inhale some Halloween candy, and I fast forward through an entire hour of Project Runway in 12 and a half minutes.  Why?  Because nobody understands. 

Look, we work-from-homers need a buddy who understands–another work-from-homer off of whom we can bounce ideas, vent feelings, and rant, rant, rant.  At the office you’d share it with your cubemate, whisper it around the water cooler, or sob in someone’s sandwich in the lunchroom.  But at home?  We’re on our own, except for the dogs, cats, plants, unopened mail, and dust-gathering chotchkies who really would rather just go about their business than have to worry about our work-from-home woes. 

That’s why I’m grateful to be there for Andie, a work buddy who needs, once in a while, to have a good rant.  When she gets that “I’m just a punching bag!” feeling, I try to be there in her corner, if only to let her talk it out in what can be a very lonely environment.  We laugh!  We cry!  We share the work, but we also share the burden, and I’m awfully glad to do it. 

-Cheryl

I don’t know how families with mom and dad both working outside the home do it…and do the laundy, kid pick-ups and drop-offs, pay the bills, shop for food, and manage to feel like their lives are more than wake up, work, work, work, eat, eat, eat, go to bed and do it all again. 

One of my friend just went from working part-time to working 5 days a week.  I’ll bet that’s why I saw her with her entire family at Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner last night. 

If working at home means that I’m available to get anything done at any time, then what tends to happen is that I get almost nothing done that doesn’t have a hard due date.  I get an assignment; I write it.  I have a concert; I practice for it.  Picture day is tomorrow; I wash some clothes tonight.  Snack for book club this morning; rats–out of time!!!!!

Last spring I piloted a schedule organizer called the TIP list.  TIP stands for Tighten It uP (a name coined by my son).  I think I’ll bring it back.  It’s a DUH bullet list that’s so simple it’s ridiculous.  Somehow, though, having “Shop for food” listed in black and white under “Monday” incorporates some accountability, especially with that little white circle beside it yearning, begging, gagging for a check mark right through it. 

So I’m doing it right now.  I’m writing the fall 2010 TIP list and I’ll go tomorrow and laminate it, so it’ll be tranported to dry-erase official-dom. 

But, you know, it is Friday night.  Do you think I can do it tomorrow?

-Cheryl

–Work overload exacerbated by taking a 2-week vacation

–House a mess and disorganized

–Business finances undone, leaving me cringing as tax time rolls inexorably around

–Lack of an effective schedule for accomplishing work-home responsibilities

So which problems should I work on, and how? and did I need to delegate or hire? And why doesn’t Alice work here anymore?

For daily picking up, I picked me. The solution of hiring a housekeeper or assistant would easily overwhelm my fragile delegation skills. I’ll ask for help from the hubby and kids when I need it. Laundry is all my husband. He affirmed it was OK with him.

For home/office organization I picked me, provisionally. While I don’t like the job, it will only take 2 days. If after a month I haven’t done the processing, I will hire temp help for certain areas.

For bookkkeeping/tax accounting, I picked expert, paid delegation. The cost of not having this done and potential tax savings justify the expense. So I’m interviewing 2 potential new accountants now.

For housecleaning, I picked a housecleaning service. This may cost more ultimately than an employee, and leaves me with less flexibility, but I work from home and prefer less of a revolving door on my office, to minimize the productivity cost.

For scheduling, I picked me. I’ve discussed with my family the need for shorter, sweeter, and ultimately more relaxing vacations with no work-related fires to put out or smolder while I’m sippy fruity umbrella drinks. With school starting, scheduling has become much simpler. I’ve also found the value of a regular daily block for regular daily tasks: for example, I drive my kids home from school, so I know not to schedule recurring meetings from 2:30-3:30. I can be flexible, but keeping the time blocks helps in planning.

For work, I prefer to just maintain the happy 2 woman band. At this point, the additional potential for profit doesn’t outweigh the stress and hassle of added management responsibilities. To reduce/prioritize workload, I plan to look at profit potential and client value. When the schedule’s tight, lower paying, less regular clients will have to hear “thanks but no thanks.” I am planning to jot down a referral list so that I can add value to fellow freelancers, in hopes that they may return the favor!

Troubleshooting correctly is a valuable skill. Ultimately, to fix or improve business systems, it’s important to pinpoint and fix the problem, rather than just let resources (time, people, emotion) get sucked into the black hole of disorganization.

–Andie

from depts.washington.edu

Recounting his experiences during his reading the Encyclopedia Brittanica for his book The Know-it-all, journalist AJ Jacobs found himself inserting into everyday conversation the numerous obscure factoids he’d discovered.  Not surprisingly, he soon earned the nickname ‘the great conversation stopper.’

I’m not so much of a factoid dropper–not so much as AJ in the Brittanica days, at least.  And I certainly avoid classic know-it-all topics like weaponry, war, Soviet era trivia, bears, beets, and Battlestar Galactica.  What I’ve found, though, is that working from home, as a freelance writer, no less, is one of the greatest conversation stoppers around. 

Last night, for instance, I attended a service awards banquet put on by my husband’s company.  It’s a nice event; we attend on service anniversaries that are multiples of 5 (this year marks my husband’s 15th year at the company).  It’s a rare occasion to meet coworkers and their spouses.  And it’s also a rare opportunity to resolve that age-old dilemma of whether or not, after you’ve hugged everyone else at the table, to hug the boss.  (I hugged.)

I’m somewhat known around the community for a family humor column that I wrote in the local newspaper; the column ceased publication about 6 months ago, but it’s funny how many people still tell me, “I love reading your column!”  That aside, when the column came up at the table last night, I broke the (very late-breaking) news that I no longer write for the paper, but that I still freelance.  Doing what, they asked.  Medical writing, for pharmaceutical training, mainly. 

Silence.  Next topic. 

What’s going on there?  Is it too obscure a field?  Is it too abstract, too surreal, too hard to imagine a writing application that isn’t fiction, reporting, or the liner notes to the latest Pink Floyd collection?  I, for one, once met an author and former NPR producer at a book festival a couple of years ago, and I was so giddy you would have thought I was talking to Keith Richards.  I’ve always thought, doesn’t everyone want to be a writer?  And isn’t it amazing to meet someone who actually gets paid for it?

Alas, no. 

I’m OK with it, though.  I know I don’t live a glam life, writing from my fabulous, million dollar, minimalist apartment that overlooks the French Riviera.  I’m just here in Dover, Delaware pounding the keys.  But I’m just vain enough that I’d like for someone to show some interest, and not the kind of interest that goes, “You’re not a doctor, are you?!!?!?  Then how do you have the QUALIFICATIONS to write about MEDICINE?!??!!?!”

OK, maybe silence is better than the alternative. 

How’s this for an alternative to the alternative, though?  The other day I had lunch with a neighbor, friends, and fellow carpool Mom whose true crime history of Susanna Cox is right now at the publisher’s and poised for production.  It was so much fun to be a cheerleader for someone who’s been laboring in obscurity lo these many months–so much so that no one else in the ‘hood even knows she’s a writer.  Cheers to you, Trish, and congratulations.  And thanks for being a work-from-home writer-buddy.  The world may not understand…or care…but at least we’ve got each other. 

-Cheryl

Source: www.anntaylor.com

I’m having a cultural collision moment this week. Normally, as Cheryl has pointed out, I work in a “hygiene optional,” pajama-wearing environment.  My go-to wardrobe with 2 small kids leaves me ready for action at a moment’s notice, if you’re talking signing a child’s permission slip or mountain climbing (my running shoes have traction!). For dash out the door work meetings, not so much.

So what do I, who usually has only 1 or 2 suits, an active casual wardrobe, and a couple of frilly dresses, do when attending a (gasp!) week long meeting?

I decided to tackle it in a “natural planning way,” described in the excellent book by David Allen, Getting Things Done.

Define your purpose and principles: To enhance my professional image at our industry conference, I needed a comfortable but professional career casual/career formal wardrobe that would last me 3 days (for the plane, jeans only!). I had a limited budget.

Outcome visioning: not being burdened with an excessive interest in style trends, I did research in clothing catalogs to find key purchases to update my wardrobe, “seeing” myself in various outfits.

Brainstorming: the challenge was looking more professional with a limited current work wardrobe and budget. I decided to start with shopping my closet, which has work clothes in a variety of sizes and colors. Channelling my inner costume designer, I was able to pull together 2 on-trend outfits using what I already had.

Organizing: Knowing what I had, I was able to make purchases to supplement my wardrobe, without going broke.

Next actions: Finally, once the stuff arrives in the mail (internet shopping: the freelancer’s friend!) I will check the supplies against the vision, to ensure I’m ready to go. I will also be more aware of the ongoing need for “image clothes” for the future, so will update the goal to: maintaining a professional image wardrobe.

The good news is, it will be small!

–Andie

Speaking of being the boss, Wednesday’s edition of my local paper had members of their editorial staff list their top 5 TV bosses.  Just so you know, here’s mine:

1.  Bill Buchanan (24)

2.  David Wallace (The Office)

3.  Jimmy James (NewsRadio)

4.  Mr. Slate (The Flintstones)

5.  Alan Brady (The Dick van Dyke Show)

And please, don’t get me started on Don Draper from Mad Men.

What do they bring to the workplace?  Integrity, understanding, business savvy, name recognition, and a sense of humor (or, in the case of Don Draper, dripping cool, lies, secrets, infidelity, irresistable persuasion)–things that every business needs, even if you’re working at home (except not the lies and infidelity, yes?). 

Now that that’s done, I have one question:  since I’m using it for management training, can I write off my TV? 

-Cheryl

In the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey reminds us to be proactive. In other words, we should examine our thoughts to determine whether what we are thinking about is in our circle of concern–which includes areas for which we are directly responsible, and those for which we are not. The areas in which we exert direct control, he refers to as our circle of influence. The idea is to focus our thoughts and actions productively, remaining in the circle of influence.

Over the past weeks, I had been practically living in the land of concern.  And as you can see in the graphic, when you’re reactive, or focused on concerns, your effectiveness shrinks. Plus it feels bad! When you focus your energies on positive thoughts and actions, your influence increases.

For this week, my mantra has been to think about things I can control, take action to improve what I can, and pray about areas in my circle of concern. It’s worked out a lot better.

–Andie

I just finished reading AJ Jacobs’  latest book, entitled, The Guinea Pig Diaries, in which he recounts how he tried on such experimental lifestyles as radical honesty, George Washington-style civility, and disciplined unitasking. 

In the book, Jacobs, an editor for Esquire magazine, talks about his own work-from-home situation quite a bit.  In addition to mentioning his love for the all-day-pajamas dress code (yeah!), he describes his remote work-from-home back-up location (his mother-in-law’s apartment–which doesn’t work out so well when she arrives home early from vacation, before he’s had a chance to clean up his collection of recently emptied soda cans). 

He also brings up the challenge that comes with setting boundaries during work-from-home work time.  On that final point, he describes an awkward telephone exchange with his mother: 

“A.J., I’m trying to buy Julie a present for–”

“Can I call you back?”

She seems a little put out.  I usually talk to her, seeing as I’m not an air traffic controller and can take a couple of minutes out of my day.

“It’s just that these are work hours,” I explain. 

It’s two-thirty in the afternoon and I’m trying to be one of the only people in America who still works a nine-to-five job.  I want to work, then stop.  I don’t punch a clock, but I do jot down my starting and ending time.

“I’ll call you at five-fifteen.”

Maggie Jackson, the author of Distracted, says it’s essential to set borders around work.  She does it physically, by sitting down, stretching her arms, and saying to herself, Okay, this is work time.   [from p165]

Sure, Jacobs is on a unitasking bent here, but I see the beauty of what Jackson has to say.  It’s easier said than done, though, right?   I’m at home, so that says to the outside world, “She’s available!” 

Perhaps I should consider a more business-like message on my voice mail to field calls from those who just might not get it.   Something like,

Hello.  You’ve reached Cheryl’s home office.  Cheryl isn’t available right now because she’s working…with clients…for money.  She knows it’s kind of abstract because she doesn’t work outside of her house and because her work is so part time that on any other day she might be baking cookies, playing tennis, or watching the TiVo right now.  But trust her.  It’s not that she doesn’t want to talk.  It’s just that she’s working.  Working, mind you, doesn’t mean ”busy” in a Cats in the Cradle kind of way.  She loves you and wants to spend time with you.  Just not at this moment.  She’ll call you back later…if she’s not baking cookies, playing tennis, or watching the TiVo in her non-work time. 

Cheryl does lead a complicated life, doesn’t she?  And aren’t you just a little bit jealous? 

Effective?  We’ll see.

Source: www.charlesandhudson.com

Sometimes it’s better not to do it yourself. I’ve been coming up against my limits repeatedly in the last couple of weeks, and have found delgation to be both necessary and a big challenge. Some issues I’ve had have included (sorry Cheryl!):

• Not knowing which work was best for delegation
• Waiting too long to delegate
• Too busy to adequately explain how to do the work
• A feeling of being overwhelmed
• Disorganization (which leads to more “doing it yourself” until you get a breather)

But I soldier on, trying to master this elusive skill. Delegation is the lever with which to move the work. As they say, “many hands make light work.”

–Andie

Every Thursday on my other blog (Scheir Madness), I have a “Thankful Thursday” entry. It’s my little effort to cultivate a habit of thankfulness despite the challenges, disappointments, stress, and demands of my everyday life.

In the spirit of “Thankful Thursday” I offer this list of reasons to be thankful for working from home:

1. Personal climate control
2. Relaxed dress code
3. Breaks whenever you need them
4. Flexible schedule
5. Optional grooming
6. No time off required for deliveries or workmen
7. Office parties–anytime!!
8. No traffic worries
9. Coffee on tap
10. No lame motivational/inspirational posters