More and more people are working from home these days. With the proliferation of always-on broadband it’s easy to be away from the office and still do your job as if you were on site.
I believe that many people can be far more productive from home than they can be in the office, because:
- It’s quieter – Offices are noisy places. The computer fans, the banging doors, the mobile phone ring tones, air conditioning and all the other background noises add up. It’s much easier to find a quiet spot at home – particularly if everyone else is out – to focus without the din.
- Less distractions – People are sociable animals and if your office is anything like mine then there’s usually what seems like a constant stream of people looking for a chinwag. As well as the social pull there’s always someone wanting to talk about a different task or project other than the one you are trying to work on.
- Flexible day – When I work from home I tend to do some work the evening before and then do a bit less on the actual day I’m at home. Means I can spend more time with my daughter whilst just keeping the occasional eye out for important emails. Not having to be in the office from 9-5 lets you strike a better work/life balance and a happy worker is a more productive one.
- More time – The daily commute is for most people – drivers especially – time wasted. It can also be very stressful if you are stuck in busy traffic, your train is late or you missed the bus. Avoid the wasted commute time, stay at home and start work early. People are always more productive before lunchtime.
- Single tasking – It’s easier to focus on a single task at home. You don’t get pestered by workmates about other projects and problems. You can focus laser-like on the task in hand and have it completed in next to no time.
- No meetings – There’s lots of ways to kill someone’s productivity but if I had to choose the worst offender it would be meetings. Many of them have no agenda and no purpose – they just fill a gap in the day for people who have nothing better to do and kill productivity for those that do. When you are at home you can’t be grabbed for a quick meeting and it’s easier to avoid requests.
So, get onto your boss and get a work from home agreement. Ditch the smart work clothes and spend the day working on the laptop in your garden wearing only your boxers and a dirty t-shirt. Bliss!
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