The COVID-19 outbreak has created a downstream mini-crisis: We now have a host of people working from home who've never done it before. Wayne Turmel has not only been working remotely for over 20 years, he's been teaching others and writing books about it. He's got three important tips to help you right away if you're new to remote … [Read more...]
How Using Webcams Makes You Happy
By now you’re probably inundated with news about working from home. Everyone (Including us) has advice on what to do if you’re suddenly working from home, or how you can save the world by using webcams. But here is a little thing that will take some of the misery out of your circumstances. Yes, we want you to use webcams, and for years we’ve been giving you all kinds of … [Read more...]
Chaucer Worked from Home During The Plague. You Can Too.
If you’re suddenly forced to work from home and worry you can’t get anything done, imagine you’re stuck in Europe during the worst days of the Black Death/Bubonic Plague. Now consider that some of the greatest works in Western literature came out of that time. And they had no WebEx or Slack to help. Boccaccio wrote The Decameron. Chaucer practically invented the English … [Read more...]
Preparation, Not Panic, is the Key to Remote Work During Crisis
Getting work done in a normal workweek is hard enough. But when the coronavirus causes travel restrictions, or natural disasters strike business districts, as it did this week in Nashville or during the hurricanes in Houston, everything becomes even more chaotic than normal. The key to remaining calm and productive during crises like this is to be prepared in advance. I … [Read more...]
The Laptop Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
Maybe you’re too young to remember when you got your first laptop computer. (Mine was in 1998 and it weighed about 5 pounds that felt more like 20.) Maybe you’ve never been without one for work. As an article in The Atlantic points out, what seemed like a good idea at the time really began the erosion of work/life balance that smart phones have continued. Cast your mind back … [Read more...]