It’s a Thursday afternoon during the dog days of summer - The weather is beautiful and you’re hoping to get out of the office a little early so you can enjoy a summer happy hour with a couple of your work buddies.
Only problem with this scenario is that you look around and remember that your office is your bedroom and your work friends all live hundreds of miles away. Is it still okay to close your laptop at 4:30 and go outside to enjoy a cold beverage?
For years, the idea of setting work/life boundaries was a pretty easy and straightforward task. Commutes, train rides and putting on actual shoes to leave your home were clear mental, physical and emotional indicators that a change in your day was about to occur. These indicators served as reminders that you were transitioning from home life to work life (and back again at the end of the day).
As we look ahead to the fall and prepare for another new phase of hybrid work “normalcy” it’s a really good time to reset our personal work from home boundaries. It’s worth doing a bit of self reflection by examining our work from home boundaries:
How do I know when my work day is done?
What physical, mental and emotional routines do I go through in the morning to prepare for at-home work? What routines do I have for ending work?
Are there any habits I’d like to let go of? Are there new habits I’d like to form?
How can I share these boundaries and intentional habits with my team? How do I make it safe for others to share them with me?
Here’s a habit I’ve been doing ever since I started working for myself from home: Every Friday morning, I block off one hour to plan my next week. I look at all my to do lists and projects and block off time on my calendar to accomplish the work the following week.
This “meeting with myself” serves a dual purpose - it’s a reality check on what I can reasonably accomplish in five work days while also creating as a clear mental and emotional boundary for the weekend. I know that when the “Sunday Scaries” show up, I will remind myself that my past self took care of my future self, so come Monday morning I can trust that I’ll hit the ground running.
What’s your favorite “work from home” habit? Reply back to this email and let me know what works for you!
Want more tips on structuring your work from home routines? Check out this video where I share a few different ideas for maintaining rhythm in your at-home work patterns:
Virtual Public Speaking
When presenting on video calls, do you ever think…
I don’t know where to look. Do I look at the camera? At my slides? I've been doing this for months and it still feels awkward to me.
I have no idea if anyone is paying attention. I feel like my ideas are strong but I don't know how to engage the virtual audience in discussions. Whenever I ask a question all I hear is crickets.
I feel nervous even though I know what I'm talking about. I used to present in meetings all the time in person, but now when I'm working from home I don't have the same level of confidence sharing in hybrid meetings.
We have officially launched our “Virtual Public Speaking Skills” Online Class!
This self-directed, online video class is perfect for experienced presenters looking to "level-up" their virtual communication techniques. By the end of the course you'll be confidently preparing for virtual meetings, "dominating the mechanics" of virtual presentation software, engaging with your audience in quality two-way dialogue and wow-ing each and every virtual audience you find yourself in front of!
Quick Reads:
Hybrid Work and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives - McKinsey provides recommendations on how to make an organization’s hybrid communication plan work in tandem with DE&I goals.
What’s the point of a summer internship if you don’t meet anyone? - Another great article from Emma Goldberg (NYT) on hybrid workplace culture from the perspective of summer interns. With so many people working remotely, interns have to get creative to make the most of their networking experience.
Want a Workshop or Coaching for Your Team?
Oak and Reeds offers training on hybrid communication, managing remote teams, interviewer skills, change leadership and more.
All our trainings can be conducted virtually using Zoom or in person.
Interested in scheduling a training for a team? Click the link below to set up some time to chat with Dave Collins about your training and coaching needs: