A lot of business owners are trying new things in the COVID-19 era we find ourselves in. Business is having to be done in ways that were typically second, third and fourth options. One of the biggest trends I’ve seen in my own circle, is business owners having their employees work from home. This has been a hot button topic with my staff for the better part of my tenure with my company, and is something I don’t see going away any time soon. One of the silver linings this pandemic has had for my business is that we’ve been able to test and measure how effective our staff is at from working at home. Like a lot of business owners, this more or less forced our hand into trying a new way of operating. While insurance is still considered an essential business, our stance was it was the socially responsible thing to do by closing our doors and having the majority of our staff work from the comfort of their home.
Personally, I’ve had years of experience in working from home so I would like to think I have a somewhat valid opinion on the subject. My previous job was as a Business Development Rep for a Berkshire Hathaway insurance carrier based in Pennsylvania. I was responsible for around 300 agencies across 4 states and as such was either in the car, on the road or working from home. I was based in Charlotte and we did not have a corporate office within a few states. That experience was tremendous for a lot of reasons,. The principal one for this post being that I had to learn how to be productive while working from home. And do you want to know a secret? With a little discipline I was exponentially more productive while doing so. So, without further ado, here are my tips for remaining productive while working from home:
- Stick to your normal schedule/routine – it becomes too easy to wake up casually and “roll into” your day.
- Start your day with intention just how you do when you have to go into the office.
- Avoid the sweatpants and fancy shirt look. Yes, we have all done it and know you’re probably doing it too. It’s just a video call right? While that might be true, you know that you have sweatpants on and it is probably affecting how professional you act.
- Set office hours and block time off on your calendar. This has been the single most effective tool for me to remain productive while working from home. For me, if it’s not on my calendar it’s most likely not going to get done.
- Take breaks as needed. The biggest benefit to working from home is the ability to be comfortable while kicking butt. Take advantage of that and give yourself breaks doing the things you enjoy so you can be more focused and productive when you get back to work. My typical work from home break involves a walk with my dog to clear my head and spend time with my best friend (Buster!).
These are just a handful of tips that have worked in my own life. Hopefully you were able to take away something valuable from my experience. I know you can still kick some serious butt and take your business to new heights from the comfort of your home!
Written by Robbie Korth
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Robbie Korth at rkorth@parkassociates.com.