An ongoing guide to staying productive, sane, and healthy as we navigate this unique time.
Just the other day, I was online, looking for a new pair of walking shoes. Why, you might ask? Since I’m not on the road anymore, and working from home (WFH), my wife Mary Ann has decided that for our own good we should walk several (yes, I said several) miles per day. Her definition of a gradual progression is two miles the first day, three miles the second … you can see where this is going! But I digress. After two days, I knew I had the wrong shoes. I went online and, in my search, a company named Wolf & Shepherd popped up. Very nice shoes – and very expensive. Exactly what I was not looking for. But not only did they have some great shoes, they had a list of tips for working at home. 10 minutes of internet browsing later, I saw another article: “Quick Tips for Video Conference Calls.” Serendipity! Two articles in 10 minutes! So as to not bore you, I will provide one or two tips every week to not only get you through these times but hopefully leave you with some skills that will stay with you when you do get back on the road. I figured the first tips should be the best way to start a new day as a Road Warrior without a Road.
Tip 1: Don’t abandon your morning routine. It’s easy to stay in weekend mode. Don’t. This means setting your alarm every night to wake up as close to your normal time as possible. Yes, it can be set a little later if you were commuting to your office every day. It’s a fringe benefit, and you should enjoy it now because before you know it, you’ll be back to driving to work. Brush your teeth, comb your hair, and get out of your jammies. Your mind is a creature of habit. Get your butt moving and trick it into getting into gear.
Tip 2: In a Zoom-based world, dress for the office. When you have video conference calls scheduled that day, please, I beg you: dress appropriately. If it’s with your office or department mates, dress neatly – at least from the waist up. If you have a video conference call with a customer or another company, dress professionally. These last few weeks of video calls has freaked me out. I’ve seen bedhead, jammies, ratty clothes, a faraway look that clearly says, “Hey, I just got up. What do you expect me to look like?” Be a professional. Never, in a million years, would you walk into your customers’ offices looking like a that. Why would you think differently for a video call? If your competition looks and dresses appropriately, then you’re behind the 8-ball the second they see you – you’re just about sunk.
These first two tips are easy. They just take some discipline. I have found that when I take this approach, my day is much more productive and goes by much faster.
If anyone has any tips to help your fellow Road Warriors get through this, just let me know!
See you next week.
Stay healthy and be safe!
