At one time or another, we’ve all fantasized about quitting our 9-to-5 office jobs to work from the comfort of a couch in pajamas. Working from home has become the veritable Holy Grail of workplace arrangements.
No commute saves time and money. There are never any weather delays. There aren’t chatty colleagues or micromanaging bosses patrolling the hallways. And let’s not even get into how amazing it is to work in athleisure.
And where it once felt like an impossibly lofty dream, it has now become a reality for so many, courtesy of a pesky pandemic.
This then begs the question: How on Earth can we reasonably be expected to go back? Kicking and screaming, that’s how.
It almost seems cruel.
So for companies who are – or were a mere year ago – still four walls of brick-and-mortar, you may have your work – work, get it? – cut out for you as you broach the subject with your boss.
If you’re considering suggesting a permanent telecommuting gig, here are some qualifying questions to ask yourself before you ask your boss.
Ask yourself the following questions – and answer them honestly – before making your case to change your work arrangement.
Can you git ‘er done without the fear of your boss catching you scrolling on social media? Because you can – and will – be tempted to throw a load of laundry in the wash, but you’ll still need to keep yourself motivated.
Without a boss physically looming over you to nag, err, remind you about deadlines, projects or workloads, that responsibility will fall to you – and you alone.
It’s hard to resist the siren song of every ding, ping and ring of every email, social media notification and text message that tries to interrupt your flow so laser focus will be all that stands between you and productivity.
Without face-to-face interaction – and fear of judgment of your slovenly workspace – it’s easy to let things slip through the cracks, literally and figuratively. You’ll need to be super organized to stay on task.
A clever approach to maintaining the human element of virtual work is to remember to use ‘email as the pillar, and instant messaging as the glue.’ You’ll need to communicate, communicate and communicate some more.
Some people need human interaction to be productive. If you, on the other hand, find that you are more productive without water cooler meetings and cubical drop-ins, remote work might just be your cup o’ tea.
File under: Does Not Compute. Virtual work isn’t compatible with technological ineptitude as audio and video conferencing, instant messaging, and other online meeting tools are mission-critical connectivity tools.
Just as it’s said that you dress for the job you want, your home office needs to be equipped similarly. A designated home office space that works well for you – and for the work you need to do each day – is a must.
For many, working from home means they are afforded the flexibility they need to better accommodate their personal lives, like being more available for their children.
How’d you do?
If you answered ‘yes’ to all of these, good news! Telecommuting might just be for you. But if not, fear not! Many of these questions – if you answered ‘no’ – can be opportunities for growth so with a little work and dedication, you could very well find yourself answering ‘yes’ to all of them in no time.
Here we’ve compiled a tactical checklist for determining if you’ve got the right – literal – stuff to work from home.
Now, the real test: Asking your boss.
The best time to discuss working from home is after you've done your homework – also known as everything we covered above.
Because while a sustainable, long-term work-from-home arrangement will require significant pivots in your leader’s mindset, practices and communication methods, it is inarguably the direction many workforces are moving.
It’s currently a white-hot topic in articles and trending news – but even in less tumultuous times, many companies had been gradually testing the remote work waters to determine if going virtual could be a long-term, sustainable possibility for their organizations.
Simply put: The iron’s hot; it’s your time to strike.
The pandemic turned ‘Can we make this happen?’ to ‘It’s happening … ’ to ‘How can we make it sustainable for the long haul?’
You can even lean into what some major industry leaders are doing, too.
“According to news reports, a wide array of prominent businesses have agreed to allow staff to permanently work from home, including tech giants Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Square and Shopify. Even Deutsche Bank is considering allowing remote work two days a week.
“Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman said in April that his company has "proven we can operate with no footprint" and that it will have "much less real estate" eventually. His statements echo findings by Moody's Analytics, which recently revealed that commercial real estate was under pressure well ahead of the Covid-19 crisis.”
Now, you need to be ready, willing and able to discuss – and ultimately sell – your ability to successfully work from home and how it will benefit your job, team and company. This article will help you make your case.
Be prepared, be confident and be flexible.
Your boss may not be ready to jump into remote work with both feet – yet – so be open to a counteroffer of a combination of working in the office and at home throughout the week.
In time, you could prove not only that you’re more than capable of working productively from home, but you could blaze a trail for your teammates who long for the same.
You trailblazer, you.