Announcing you're working from home

Whether you telework, establishing a home office to work weekends and evenings, or deciding to run a business from home, eventually you’re going to have to tell people you are, indeed, working from home. I’ve been there. As one who was “working from home” before telework was really coined as a word, before research officially had been conducted, I’ve had more than my fair share of conversations with those who are about to make this “big announcement.”

Don’t show up at work one day and announce that you’ll be working at home from now on—talk it over in advance. And remember to alert the people who maintain your office computer network. They’ll need to prepare for any extra data transfers that will result from your new teleworking arrangement.

Don’t just drop the idea on your spouse either. Obviously you’ve been thinking about this for a while – be sure to give him or her some time to process this decision too and how it might impact your significant other.

When friends and neighbors hear you are now “suddenly available” during the day, inevitably all the little things that come up can end up at your door. Some things – like signing for packages from UPS, aren’t such a big deal. Other things – like “oh can you watch the kids while I run to the store” can begin to erode your time and reflect that those friends and neighbors don’t understand you really are working.

Speaking of “really working”…. Moms and dads might be more hip today, but for some, “working from home” might sound like that their adult child isn’t really taking the working world seriously. While that can always be possible, sons and daughters should be mindful to manage that messaging carefully so that there is no unnecessary parental wringing of hands.

The beauty of working from home is that you are unencumbered by the office and all its drama, constraints and lack of creativity. On the other hand, all that flexibility can suddenly mean you’re doing more laundry than conference calls, or that flexibility can mean working all the time. Balance is the key word in a flexible environment.

Think of yourself as a tightrope walker who is constantly and minutely adjusting your balance with the long balance pole. Sometimes moving quickly on things is the most effective way to get across to the next platform. But sometimes walking across too quickly…. Means losing your balance and sensitivity to weight shifts. Don’t let the subsequent reactions to you suddenly working from home throw you out of balance. You’re working from home for a reason – never lose sight of that “platform.”