101 Tips for Telecommuters—Successfully Manage Your Work, Team, Technology and Family

Table of contents

1. Copyright
2. Foreword
3. Special Foreword Why It's Good to Work at Home
4. Preface
5. Acknowledgments
6. About the Author
7. How To Get (and Give) More Information
8. How to Use This Book
   1. Where to Begin
   2. Assess Yourself for Telecommuting Success
9. Working Well in Your Home Office
   1. Focus Your Life
   2. Focus Your Work
   3. Focus Your Day
   4. Avoid Time Wasters
   5. Maintain a Healthy Balance (Manage the Workaholic Within)
   6. Stay Motivated (Manage the Slouch Within)
   7. Get and Keep Your Office Organized
   8. Get and Keep Your Day Organized
   9. Keep the “Administrivia” Under Control
   10. Manage the Maddening Mounds of Mail
   11. Determine the Best Location for Your Home Office
   12. Draw a Clear Line Between Your Work and Living Space
   13. Determine the Best Address for Your Home Office
   14. Design Your Office for Efficiency
   15. Design Your Office for Good Health
   16. Be Your Own OSHA Inspector
   17. Dress for Success (According to the New Rules)
   18. Make a Habit of Avoiding Bad Habits
   19. Reject the Refrigerator that Beckons You
   20. Work During Your Peak Energy Times
   21. Make “the Rounds” for Efficient “Erranding”
   22. Stay Fit and Healthy
   23. Take Breaks to Relax, Re-Energize, or Recover
   24. Multi-Task to Maximize Your Productivity
   25. Isolation Trap Avoid the (Real or Perceived)
   26. Track Expenses and Expenditures
   27. Simplify and Improve Continuously
   28. Reward Yourself and Celebrate Successes
   29. Take Responsibility for Developing New Skills and Managing Your Career
10. Working Well with Your Family
    1. Negotiate Expectations and Agreements
    2. Get Your Family on Your Team
    3. Manage and Minimize Distractions
    4. Establish Clear Interruption Rules
    5. Take Care of Childcare
    6. If You Mix Childcare and Work (God Help You!)
    7. “Take Your Children to Work” Guidelines
    8. The Shift to Home-Based Work with Older Children
    9. Meeting the Challenge of Eldercare or Family Care
    10. Minimize Household and Family Stress
    11. Working With and Around Your “4-Legged Children”
    12. Resolve Disagreements Promptly
    13. Accept the Guilt— and Move On
    14. Answering Phones: Decide Who and How
    15. Get the Respect You Deserve (How to be sure you and your work are taken seriously)
    16. The Happy Marriage/PartnershipGuide to Office Sharing
    17. Schedule Periodic “How Goes It” Meetings
11. Working Well with Your Team
    1. Establish a Rock-Solid Foundation of Trust
    2. Keep Your Boss Informed
    3. Know and Nurture Your Team
    4. Stay in Touch with Co-Workers
    5. Be (Creatively) Accessible by Telephone
    6. Don't Ignore Those Who Resent You
    7. Network to Stay Visible and Informed
    8. Stay on Track for Promotions (and Other Good Deals)
    9. Know When to Ask for Help
    10. Master Effective (Virtual) Interaction Skills
    11. Technology Talk: Keys to Communicating Without Speaking
    12. Determine the Need for “Live” Interactions
    13. “Distance Delegation” that Delivers Results
    14. Manage the Performance Management Process
    15. Reach Agreements that Foster Commitment and Collaboration
    16. Resolve Conflicts Effectively and Proactively
    17. Master the Fundamentals of Productive Virtual Meetings
    18. Make Everyone Skilled and Comfortable in Virtual Meetings
    19. Just Say “No”
    20. Work Productively With Co-Workers Who Share Your Home Office
12. Working Well with Your External Partners
    1. Know Who Provides Your Critical Services and Support
    2. Be Your Own Purchasing Manager
    3. Select Service Providers that Meet Your Criteria
    4. Set Service Expectations and Get Your Desired Results
    5. Negotiate Deadlines and Details
    6. Establish Consequences for Unsatisfactory Service Performance
    7. Get It In Writing
    8. Know When to Outsource
    9. Establish a Partner Mindset and Relationship
    10. Treat People As People
    11. Reward Good Work
    12. Bartering for Best Results
    13. Network Your Partner Network
    14. Follow-Up for Best Results
    15. Get the Most Out of Business and Professional Associations
13. Working Well with Tools and Technology
    1. Assess Your Real Needs and Choose the Best Technology for You
    2. Know Your Backup Options (Before a Crisis Occurs)
    3. Be Prepared With the Basic Tools, Too
    4. Get Wired—Electrify Your Telecommuting Experience
    5. Computer Choices and Conundrums
    6. Beyond the Computer: Essential Tools (and Toys) for the Well-Connected Telecommuter
    7. Rarely Is a Phone Just a Phone
    8. Make Your Phone Calls Chase or Wait for You
    9. Manage the Madness of Multiple Machines that Ring or Beep at You
    10. Skip the Massage—Get a Headset
    11. Which Chair to Buy (When You'd Really Rather Have a Recliner)
    12. Learn to Love Voice Mail (and Other Impossibilities)
    13. Videoconferencing: The Next Best Thing to Being There?
    14. Meet the Challenge of Internet Connections
    15. Have Technology, Will Travel
    16. If Talking to Yourself is Interesting, Try Faxing to Yourself
    17. Protect Your Equipment (and Your Livelihood)
    18. So, Do You Really Need a Speakerphone in the Bathroom?
    19. Make Telecommuting Work Well for You
14. Telecommuting Implementation Guide
15. “Make a Case for Telecommuting” Guide
    1. Plan and prepare with corporate benefits in mind
    2. Explain why you will be an effective telecommuter
    3. Explain how you will make telecommuting work
    4. Suggest a telecommuting pilot
    5. Addendum to Appendix A The Telecommuting Trend
    6. What Is Telecommuting?
    7. Who Telecommutes?
    8. Making Telecommuting Work
16. Telecommuting Resource Guide
17. Index