Culture and Context:
The telework picnic
By Susan Miller
Published on October 3, 2006 - 03:55 AM
Did you ever notice that a good picnic is a lot of work? You have to prepare the food, pack it up, remember to bring all the necessary accessories (utensils, napkins, cups, etc.), lug the picnic basket to the selected spot, unpack the goodies, then enjoy the repast. Forget the salt? Yellow jackets? No table available except the one by the family with screaming kids? Too bad, so sad.
Likewise, telework can be frustrating and unproductive until you get the details ironed out. I’ve been teleworking for almost 12 years, and lately have made some tweaks that are making work into a picnic I want to attend.
I walk with a friend in the morning. Not only do I get some exercise, but after an hour of walking and talking, I’ve had enough human contact to last until evening. Working alone has lots of benefits, but I find that when I don’t walk, I’m more distracted. I also cook more on the weekends so I have more options for lunch and snacks. On days when there’s nothing to eat, I still find myself regularly peering into the refrigerator, looking for the perfect food that’s not there.
On the technology side, I’m de-cluttering my inbox. We’ve now got just about all our team members on IM, and while that’s a great time-saver, it really eliminates the non-essentials that fill up an inbox and make dealing email a chore. Likewise RSS has greatly reduced the volume of mail I get. I read dozens of news feeds every morning, and while that does take some time, it’s pretty efficient.
Still I’m always looking for ways to cut distraction and boost productivity. What have you learned from working at home?
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