5 for Friday: Telecommuting Edition

JANUARY 4, 2013 7:00 AM

This week’s 5 for Friday rounds up some top advice for maximizing your productivity when you telecommute.

• Tips for Telecommuters: How to Tackle Productivity Drains, Bond with Coworkers, and Impress the Boss. Input and Output:“Telecommuting has several challenges you may need to face, from internal productivity issues, to obstacles in bonding with colleagues, to making sure you stay on the boss’s radar. For employees, telework options can encourage work-life balance, save on costs in multiple areas (e.g., gas, car repairs, clothes, eating out), align with personal environmental concerns, and boost self-esteem and satisfaction from feelings of greater control.”

• Top tips for telecommuters. NBCNews: “Research shows those who thrive in the at-home workplace are self-motivated individuals who are highly disciplined and have only moderate needs for social interaction. The best telecommuters are generally people who require little supervision and are good at solving their own problems.”

• How Telecommuting Works. How Stuff Works: “Even though you’re staying home to work, you should still stick to a routine. Doing so helps you maintain the mindset of going to work. Start and stop work at the same times as you normally would and take breaks accordingly. Telecommuting has the potential for both improving and worsening your performance. Discipline is essential.”

• Telecommuters need to be good communicators. Chron: “When you’re working from home, you can become isolated from your coworkers and your boss, so communication is more important than ever. You want to be sure you are doing everything you can to stay connected to those you rely on and those who rely on you.”

• 4 Tips For Telecommuting Extroverts. Come Recommended: “Extroverts get their energy from being around other people–they “recharge their batteries” by interacting with others. These people are generally outgoing and love to be in social situations, which means going to the office every day can be a net positive, because it means getting an opportunity to interact and work with others. So if you’re an extrovert who winds up working from home, or completing projects solo, you may find yourself coping with loneliness and a lack of energy. But working alone doesn’t have to be all bad for these individuals.”

http://www.monsterworking.com/2013/01/04/5-for-friday-workplace-telecommuting-edition/