Remote Work Technology

CHAPTER 2The Remote Workspace: Set Up Your Mind and Your Space

There was a time many years ago when I worked from home for about 10 months. Our company was still in startup mode, and the lease on the office space that we rented came up for renewal. We thought it a more strategic move to cut costs and work from home while we were engineering some new products and services.

I was able to set things up the way we thought we would need for my new home office to be the center of operations for a few weeks or months. I had a business-class SDSL line run to my house. I had two Cisco IP phones set up at a couple of workstations, some whiteboards, and a space for team meetings. We had the technology to do it seamlessly, so we gave it a shot.

I discovered that there are many different traps that can stop a person from being productive at home. From that comfy couch in front of the television to pets wanting attention, along with well-meaning family and friends, there are many distractions to lure you away from work. I myself ended up not being in the right frame of mind for weeks at a time on some occasions and found myself fiddling with home projects during work hours. I also began to notice patterns during my day when I would have periods of lowered productivity. The good news is that these work-from-home pitfalls are avoidable if you know what to look out for, you can plan ahead and set yourself up for success.

Your Work Zone: Distinguished from the Rest of the House

Just as your ...