If you’re like most of us, you probably worked in an office before striking out on your own. I know I did. It wasn’t a bad thing, but I knew I wanted to be home with my little girl, and make the money on my own terms. With the transition from office to home office comes some pretty big adjustments. Heck, even those who have regular corporate jobs have had their home converted into a home office, over the last year and a half. So what’s the key (or keys) to a successful transition? Let’s get into it!
The first thing you need to do is figure out WHERE your new office is going to be, in your home. Do you have a dedicated space you can use or are you using your dining room/kitchen table? If you’re lucky to have the extra room to use, that’s great. If you have to figure out other options, it can get trickier. The key is to find a space that will work out well for you.
Another piece you will need to think about while transitioning is how you will handle distractions when they come. Make no mistake, there are so many distractions when you work remotely that you simply didn’t have while in an office. These can include kids, chores, pets, and even a spouse or partner. These can be difficult to handle when you’re in a meeting. You don’t have the luxury of a conference room. I have a cool app that I will talk about in another post that will address this, so hang tight!
The third part of this critical transition to thinking about is connecting with co-workers. Today, we have TONS of apps and other programs that allow us to communicate with each other. In the office, you were able to meet in a conference room, or something like it, but now, that’s changed so much. Don’t be afraid to use applications like Teams, WebEx, or Zoom to meet up. Have your video camera on, if you’re comfortable because it can help foster that sense of being in the same room.
These are just a few things you can do when it comes to going from an office to a home office situation. If you’re already a gig worker, you’re used to this. If you’re not, but had to because of the current world events, these are tips that I think are most important to remember. When I think back to what it was like to go from my office role, at a bank, to being a home office working mama, I remember the struggles I went through. There will be days that are tougher than others, especially at the start. Be prepared to handle them the best you can, and you will rock this transition! Put your secrets to making this crazy transition below, in the comments. I would be curious to see how you all handled it, especially given what’s still going on.
Until next time!