Telecommuting effectively

Working from home can be one of the greatest joys and the most difficult situations a working person can face.

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As more people demand quality work situations, and as more employers seek to fill those needs in an effort to retain quality workers, telecommuting has become much more effective. But are you really ready to be a telecommuting employee? Only you can decide.

Some of the bigger advantages are travel time and dress code. Your office is usually only a few feet from your bedroom and you can show up in your PJs. Work hours for a telecommuting position are typically more flexible than for a traditional job and the telecommuting parent is often much more available for emergencies.

There are, however, some disadvantages. Some who telecommute effectively still feel a sense of isolation. Most jobs have at least some slight opportunities for socialization that the telecommuter may miss. There’s also usually a minimum of direct supervision which means it’s sometimes easy to put projects off until the last minute.

There are also some myths. One myth is that a parent can hold down a telecommuting job while being the primary caregiver to a child (or two or three). The reality is that effective telecommuting requires you to work, which requires time without distractions. If you’re dealing with customers or bosses on the telephone, you’re going to make a less than favorable impression when your two-year-old chooses the middle of the call as a good time to start screaming for attention.

To telecommute effectively, you have to be ready to face the challenges that working from home will spur. You should set up an office and make it known that you are “at work” when you’re in that office. Learn to say no to those who think you have plenty of time to do errands, participate on committees and head up school events just because you don’t travel to an office every day. Just as with any career, the person who telecommutes must decide how much priority the job will get, then stick to it, regardless of the ideas of others.