May 17, 2020

The Work from Home Supplies You Must Have

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made from these links may result in commissions.

There are many people who are working from home for the first time. This can be pretty jarring if you are used to having an established routine, rapport with coworkers, and having everything you need at your fingertips. Luckily, working from home can be even more productive (if not more!) and comfortable if you plan properly and have the right work from home supplies.

This list of must have work from home supplies includes things that will make working from home more enjoyable and efficient.

Writing Desk

Working from your bed or couch is not ideal. This super affordable writing desk helps you easily set up a home office in any area of the house. The desk is lightweight and easy to move around to find the location that works best for you. It is large enough to fit your working essentials such as a monitor, laptop, and keyboard. Having a dedicated office space can help improve your work-life balance, posture, and even productivity!

Monitor

A monitor is at the top of my work from home supplies list. One of the things I miss most from my office is my double monitors. See, I’m getting old so looking at my small laptop screen all day long starts to wear on my eyes. This monitor has been a game changer. I feel way more productive and my eyes aren’t as strained at the end of the day.

Wireless Keyboard & Mouse

Another thing that I missed dearly when I started working from home was my keyboard and wireless mouse. This set was actually the very first thing that I purchased. Setup is as easy as inserting the receiver into your computer. It’s really convenient to have a full sized keyboard with a number pad so this purchase is well worth the small investment!

Foot Rest

I like to be comfortable when I work so I love this foot rest that you place under your desk. Prior to finding this footrest, I had used an old bankers box when I wanted to put my feet up. This is not only more visually appealing but it is way more comfortable.

Lap Desk

The beauty of working from home is that you can really work anywhere, even your couch or bed from time to time. This lap desk is awesome and even comes with a built in mousepad and wrist pad. This lap desk allows you to work comfortably from anywhere.

Noise Canceling Headphones

Sometimes you need to focus and tune out the outside world that is why I recommend noise cancelling headphones to anyone working form home. This set is very affordable, very stylish, and extremely functional. They look and act just like the Beats headphones but much cheaper.

Power Strip

A good power strip is definitely a must-have work from home supply. Sometimes you need to power your laptop, headphones, and phone all at the same time. This cool little power cube is an excellent way to charge all of your devices at once. It’s very affordable and the cube design allows you to fit all kinds of chargers.

Water Bottle

The first few weeks of working from home I felt like I did nothing but eat. Everything I had a break I would venture into the kitchen and grab something to nibble on. Seven pounds later I realized that I needed to get this in check. They don’t say people have gained the quarantine 15 for nothing. At the beginning of each day I try to get all of my meals prepped and I portion out my snacks for the day. This helps me make better meal choices.

Another thing that I have found to help me from mindless snacking is having a water bottle by my side. I’ve found that when I drink enough water I end up eating less. I love this particular water bottle because it holds a gallon of water (which is aggressive, I know but some people swear by it) and it also keeps you on track and motivated.

Almonds

Speaking of snacks, almonds are an excellent healthy snack during the day. Almonds are packed with fiber and protein and and they leave you feeling full for a long time. I find that a handful of these will hold me over until the next meal. Having healthy snacks nearby when you are working from home will help avoid potato chips and other unhealthy foods.

A few small investments can make all the different in your work from home comfort and productivity.

What are you essential work from home supplies? do you have any supplies that help you be more productive? What do you miss most from working in the office? Leave a comment below!

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May 6, 2020

The Top Questions to Ask at a Job Interview

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Why is Asking Questions at an Interview Important?

I have interviewed hundreds of people over the course of my career for a variety of roles. One main mistake I see applicants make time after time is not asking the right questions at the interview. I’m going to show you not only why asking questions is important but what the top questions to ask at a job interview are.

One common misconception about interviews is that they are all about the company getting to know the applicant. However, the interview process is just as much about the applicant getting to know the company as the company getting to know the applicant. It needs to be a good fit for both sides.

The interviewing process is a lot like dating. Throughout the interviewing process, you and the company are learning about each other, analyzing each other’s actions, and deciding whether you want to take the next step and commit to one another. To make that decision you both need to learn and feel comfortable taking that next step. One-sided relationships never work out.

Asking questions at an interview also shows that you prepared and demonstrates professionalism. By researching the company and preparing thoughtful questions, you show that you took the extra step and are diligent. That extra effort will be noticed and appreciated by the interviewer.

And finally, another very important reason why asking questions in the interview, is that it demonstrates confidence. It’s always a red flag when a candidate doesn’t ask questions. To be honest, it seems a bit desperate. As an interviewer, I hate when I’m interviewing someone and they don’t come with questions. It gives the impression that they are up for any job that comes their way, which is not a good look when interviewing for a job. Going back to the dating analogy, desperation never leads to a positive relationship.

So now that we know why it is important to ask questions, let’s look at the top questions to ask at a job interview are.

The Top Questions to Ask at a Job Interviewer

Can you describe the culture here?

Culture is very important when you are trying to find the right job. In a nutshell, culture is the personality of a company. Is the company uber professional and straight-laced -or- are they laid back and informal. What values and norms do they adhere to? What is important to the company? How do employees treat each other?

All of these things will give you insight into whether this would be a good fit for your personality. If you value and enjoy a super informal environment and doors open approach, you may not do well in a very hierarchal formal setting.

Where do you see the company in 3, 5, 20 years?

This is a very important question to ask at an interview to ask as it gives you a view of where the company is headed.

The first thing you should be looking for is does the interviewer have a clear answer to this question? Strong companies have strong visions that everyone is aware of. If they hesitate to answer or don’t have an answer that could indicate that the company doesn’t have a clear vision and mission. If the interviewer is the manager, this could indicate that they aren’t strategic or in tune with the company. Big red flags.

If the interviewer does have a response, you should assess whether it is a vision that you can get behind. Does their future state excite you or leave you wanting more? It’s pure magic when you have the opportunity to work for a company and have the opportunity to contribute to a vision that you are aligned with. Try to see if you can make that happen with the company before you interview.

What does success look like for this role? How would my performance be measured?

These questions will help you assess what the expectations are for the role and how your performance would be measured.

Once you have the answers to these questions you can start to assess whether you are indeed the right fit for the role (sometimes you are not and that is okay). You can also get a feel for the company’s expectations and gauge whether they are realistic.

What skills and traits are needed to be successful in this role?

This question will give you insight into what skillset is required for someone in the role. Once you gain this information, it’s important to think of your skillset and whether you have (or could acquire) what is needed for the role. You don’t want to set yourself up for failure so if the job requires skills that you just don’t have or don’t enjoy, this may not be the right job for you.

In addition to giving you an idea of what skills are required, it gives you insight into what skills are valued by the interviewer. The interviewer will often cite traits that they value most. This can be really helpful info for the rest of the interview process as well as if you were to take on the role.

What does a typical day or week look like in this role?

Job descriptions are often vague and don’t often reflect the true nature of the work that you will be doing. By asking what a typical day looks like you are able to get a better idea of what the role consists of.

Would you be on conference calls all day or be more hands-on? Do you have flexibility with your schedule? Is it fast-paced or more relaxed? You should take this response and see if it matches your preferred work style.

You have to enjoy what you do if you want to be successful. So you have to ask yourself if you love having a lively and busy environment if you really want to sit in a cubicle all day? If you prefer quiet time and the opportunity to reflect do you really want to work in a busy and high-paced work environment. Ask your self, could I see myself doing this every day for the next 2-3 years. If the answer is no, then keep searching for a role that would excite you.

Can you describe the training and development opportunities here?

If a company doesn’t invest in you, do not work there. It’s as simple as that.

And here’s why… If you invest your time and skills with an employer, they should invest in you. Not only is it good for employee engagement, but it makes good business sense. A company that doesn’t invest in its greatest resource (it’s employees), it demonstrates that they are short-sighted. While they may be successful right now, their viability will start to diminish as their competitors continue to evolve.

When you ask this question, pay close attention to the immediate training that is provided for the role. Smart companies take their time with training and do what they can to set you up for success. Don’t be afraid to ask for specifics here. How much training is provided? What type of training is provided?

You should also pay close attention to professional development opportunities. Do they encourage employees to expand and refine their skillset? Do they provide training opportunities such as web-based training or reimbursement for professional development courses? These investments make a big difference!

Do you have any concerns or questions about my fit for this role that we can discuss?

If you are still into the job after asking these questions, ask this question every single time at the end of the interview.

You only have sixty minutes (give or take) to showcase your fit for a role. That leaves only so many questions that they can ask which means that you won’t have the chance to showcase everything. Asking this question gives you an opportunity to see if there was anything that was missed during the conversation that you can address.

As an example, once I had interviewed for a role where a technical competency was required. Through the natural course of the conversation, this skill was never brought up. When I asked this question at the end fo the interview, the interviewer answered that they wished I had more experience with this competency. I then had the chance to address that and mention that I did have that competency and how. If I didn’t ask, the interviewer would have left thinking that I didn’t qualify and I would have never known about it.

Asking this question gives you the chance to address any concerns that they may have. You can talk about how you could overcome a lack of experience of capability. You are doing yourself a huge disservice not asking this question.

There you have it. The top questions that you should ask at a job interview. Asking these questions will give you the confidence and knowledge to make an informed career choice.

What are your top questions to ask at an interview? What are your challenges when asking questions? Leave a comment below to discuss.

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April 20, 2020

How to Homeschool While Working from Home

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Right now, many of us are in uncharted territory and are asking ourselves the same question, “How do I homeschool while working from home”? Working from home with kids around is a challenge in and of itself. Add a while curriculum to teach your kids and that can lead to a recipe for disaster.

—< Click here to read How to Work From Home with Kids >—

Luckily, it is possible. Here are some tips for how you can homeschool while working from home.

Be Realistic

The first and most important tip is to be realistic. Your child is not going to sit down at the kitchen table and do schoolwork from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. That is just not going to happen. It doesn’t even happen at school. Also, you shouldn’t expect yourself to complete your best work in this environment.

Everyone has been thrown out of routines. Everyone is dealing with a myriad of questions and concerns. Just be flexible and have realistic expectations for your children and yourself. And always remember, this is temporary. This is just one small portion of their educational experience and your career. You can’t mess either up too bad.

Find What Learning Setup Works Best for Your Family

Every child is different. Every career is different. Every space is different. Every technology is different. Every family is different. You get the drift.

Everyone has a set of unique circumstances that you need to account for so this means that your learning setup may be unique. What works for Sally down the street, probably won’t’ work for you, and that is okay.

Instead of using a defined schedule and setup, figure out what will work best for your situation. Experiment a little with different schedules, learning locations, and learning styles. Maybe your children do better first thing in the morning. Maybe it works out better if you sprinkle in learning all day long. Maybe it works best if you have outside learning. Maybe it works best if they do schoolwork in their bedrooms.

Get feedback from your family. Ask your children when they learn the best, when they tend to have more patience, and when they find it easier to work. Giving them the opportunity to be heard will help increase their engagement in the process. It’s hard to argue with a decision that you helped make (although they still will try from time to time).

Establish a Homeschool Contract

Once you get your children’s feedback and opinions, draft up a homeschool contract. In this contract write down what your mutually agreed upon schedule will be, discuss minimum expectations, describe consequences for non-compliance, detail rewards for good behavior, etc. The more that you can spell out, the better.

These are all things that are in place at your child’s school so if you need some help with coming up with the terms, ask your child. Ask them what happens when they break the rules or fail to complete an assignment. Ask them what rewards they get for doing a good job.

You should also spell out expectations of you. For example, you will be available every night for 2-3 hours, you will warn them in advance when you need to change the schedule or expectations, etc. This will show your kids that you are invested and willing to commit to the home school arrangement as well.

Once you have the terms all spelled out, have every family member sign it. Having all of your family members sign the contract is important as it affirms their commitment to the plan. It also provides you with some support if they break the rules.

Stick to the Routine

Once you find a routine that works for everyone, try your best to stick to it. Of course, you need to be flexible, but sticking to a plan provides consistency and structure which kids (and adults) crave.

Try to establish routines with housework, meals, school work, your work, and even free time. This will help everyone know what to expect each day.

Communicate Your Needs for Working from Home

At the beginning of each day, take a few minutes, and have a family meeting. At this meeting discuss your schedule and let everyone know when you are available and not available. Let them know if you have a pressing deadline or an important conference call. And then have each family member do the same. Ask your children and spouse what their day looks like Ask them if they need any support from you or others.

(Use this magnetic dry erase calendar to post everyone’s calls, deadlines, and activities)

This communication allows you to be on the same page and help everyone plan their day more effectively. Hopefully, it helps you avoid the last-minute mandatory Zoom call.

Work with the Teacher

If you or your child is struggling with the workload, don’t hesitate to reach out to the teacher. They are there to support you during this journey. Tell them what is challenging you and your child and see if they have any suggestions to help.

This especially goes if you are having a hard time getting your child to focus or complete their work. Teachers know your child in a way that you don’t. They know what makes your child tick, what educational styles work best for them, how to get them to focus, etc. Partner with them to ensure that you work with the student in the right manner.

Find Alone Time

I am an introvert. I need to be alone sometimes in order to recharge and be my best self. It has been hard to find that time when you are homeschooling and working from home. You are with each other ALL. THE. TIME.

Don’t feel bad if you need to work time in for yourself. Even if it a short walk in the evenings, a quiet bath, or a drive around town. You need this space to recharge.

Also, make sure that your partner has that time and space as well. Set up a schedule and communicate this with the family. Doing something to take care of yourself does not make you a bad mom, rather you are setting a powerful example for your kids to make sure they are taking care of their own needs.

What advice do you have for how to Homeschool While Working from Home? What challenges are you facing?

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April 14, 2020

How to Stay Connected to Your Team While Working from Home

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through these links may result in a small commission.

Many people are working from home for the first time. The first couple of days are likely amazing. You love the freedom that working from home provides. You love the extra time in your day from not having a commute.

Then after the novelty wears off, you start to notice that you may become a little lonely. Working from home can be very isolating, especially if you are used to working closely with others.

Luckily, with a little creativity, it is very possible to stay connected while you are working from home. You can start to enjoy the best of both worlds!

I’m going to share some tips for how you can stay connected to your team while working from home.

Video Chat

Video chat is a great tool for staying connected with your team while you are working remotely. Seeing each other one video allows you to keep that personal connection that many people lose when you are not in the office. You can use Skype or Zoom to set up video calls.

In fact, video calls allow you to learn even more about your coworker’s lives which can increase connection. For example, you can learn more about their personal tastes, their pets, family members, and how they dress outside of the office. This all helps you learn more about each other and humanizes them outside of the office.

Set a weekly video chat at a minimum. Make sure that you set some time aside in the chat to just talk and connect. For example, our team has set up a video chat every Monday and Friday where we just chat. We don’t talk about anything work-related, just the casual chit chat that we all miss from the office. It has been one of my favorite times of the week!

Virtual Lunch Date

Many coworkers are used to grabbing lunch together or hanging out in the break room together. This time is actually really important to employee’s mental well-being and employee engagement. In addition, a study by Cornell shows that groups that eat together tend to perform better than groups that don’t. It’s important that you don’t lose this personal connection time.

When you can’t meet with someone in person, schedule a “virtual lunch date”. Schedule time with one or more of your coworkers to eat lunch and chat. This is a great way to stay connected and stay caught up on what is going on in their lives.

Virtual Theme Party

Speaking of food, schedule a “virtual theme party” to stay connected. Once a week pick a theme for the day, hopefully coinciding with your weekly video chat.

During this “party” everyone can dress up, eat/drink related food, and listen to themed music.

Sounds super cheesy, but cheesy things often connect teams and deepen engagement.

For example, host a “Virtual Fiesta”. Have everyone dress for a fiesta on your team’s video calls (with festive music playing in your background). For lunch, team members can eat tacos and drink virgin margaritas. If you send emails fo the team, you can include fiesta themed clip art. Whatever you can do to insert some fun and novelty into the day.

These things all sound silly but they brighten everyone’s mood and break up the monotony of working from home.

Virtual Book Club or Professional Development

It’s always a good time to build your skills. Use professional development as a way to stay connected to your team while working from home.

You can select a skill that you can all work on for the week, such as public speaking or data analysis. Or you can all read the same book or take the same online class.

Have each team member do a quick presentation on what they learned (working on those public speaking skills!) during a team meeting. Just make sure that you don’t make it too formal or involved. The point is to keep it fun and engaging. Once you make it an exercise, it can backfire.

Ramp up the Recognition

Working from home can be isolating and you can feel that you are on an island trying to get things done. Your work may not be as visible to your team members and boss resulting in you receiving less recognition. This can be damaging to your engagement and productivity.

To help prevent that, be more mindful and intentional with the recognition that you give. Try to recognize one person a day for something great that they did and be very explicit with it. People often don’t realize that they are being recognized so make sure they are aware that is what you are trying to do. Write a note saying something like “Heather, I wanted to recognize you for handling that client situation so well.” The more you recognize others, the more the whole team will recognize others which works wonder for morale.

Another fun exercise is to recognize each person on your team each week on a team call. Knowing that you will need to recognize someone publicly, will keep you on the lookout for things to recognize them for. Doing this regularly will keep you connected with each other and the work that you are doing.

Tokens of Appreciation

Who doesn’t love a token of appreciation? Take the opportunity to brighten your coworker’s day in order to stay connected while you are working from home.

It can be as easy as a handwritten note or an electronic Starbucks gift card. These small gestures will be remembered and go far in building a deeper connection with your coworkers.

How do you stay connected to your team while working from home? Do you have any best practices or suggestions? Leave a comment below!

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March 21, 2020

Working From Home With Your Spouse

A lot of us have been thrown into an unusual situation, working at home with your spouse (and your kids!). With the right preparation and approach, this can actually be a time of enjoyment and family bonding (stay with me here).

Let’s take a look at some things that you can do when working from home with your spouse.

Set Ground Rules

Don’t assume that your spouse knows what you need from them and don’t assume that they know what you need from them. Take some time and go through logistics and lay down some ground rules. What is the protocol when they are on conference calls? What about when they are working on something? Do they need undivided attention or are they good with the occasional check-in. What are their work hours? What are your work hours? Will you try to take lunch together or stagger them? If you have kids home, who should be watching them at what times?

The more that you can hash out upfront, the more friction and stress you can avoid in the future.

Treat your Spouse like a Coworker

During the workday, treat your spouse like a coworker. That means if they annoy you, don’t feel free to tell them about it (hopefully you don’t do that at work). Be courteous to each other. Clean up after yourselves and don’t leave dishes and messes around for your “coworkers” to pick up. Ask if you can help them out. See what you can do to help them when you can.

This mutual patience and respect will go far in maintaining a good working relationship.

Have Dedicated Workspaces

Try to create dedicated working spaces in your home that are separate from each other. This space will help minimize distractions and the temptation to chat between conference calls. If you are in tight spaces with your spouse, use a partition to help create the illusion of separate spaces. This is especially important if your job requires a lot of focus.

Make sure that the space is equipped with everything that you need. A must-have for a work from home set up is a wireless headset for conference calls. This will help you avoid background noise and be more clear on calls. You should also invest in a monitor and wireless mouse/keyboard if possible.

Have Alone Time

If you are like me, I am not used to spending 24 hours with my spouse. I am a fairly independent person and need some alone time each day. This is critical for my wellbeing. That doesn’t make me a bad wife or person. In fact, knowing exactly what I need enables me to be a better wife and person.

To help you get this time to recharge, take time to do something for yourself every day. It could be going down to the basement to binge a couple of your favorite shows, going for a long walk around your neighborhood, or just sitting out in your car blasting your radio. Whatever provides you with the space and time that you need works.

And make sure to provide the same thing for your spouse. Encourage them to take time for themself as well. Even if they don’t openly take you up on you offer, try to give them some space every day. Even if it’s just 30 minutes, it can work wonders for a marriage!

Embrace the Chaos

Above all else, please remember that things will not always go as planned. Embrace the chaos. This is such an unprecedented time in our lives. If your kids start screaming in the background, you are not alone. A lot of your coworkers probably enjoy the opportunity to get to see that side of your life. If your spouse walks in and loudly asks you what you want for lunch while you are giving a presentation, don’t sweat it. Right now, it’s all bets off for what is normal and acceptable in the workplace. We are all in survival mode at work and at home!

At the end of the day, we are all in this together. Just laugh it off as much as you can and embrace the chaos. Things will be normal again at some point.

What are you favorite working from home with your spouse tips? What is your biggest challenge? Leave a comment below!

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March 18, 2020

Toys to Keep Your Kids Occupied

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If a purchase is made using these links we earn a small commission.

Many folks are working from home with their kids for the first time. They are beginning to understand the struggle that is trying to get their work accomplished while being a snack gopher for their kiddos.

Take it from an experienced work from home mom, find and stock toys to keep your kids occupied. There will be times when you absolutely need them to be occupied and leave you alone (i.e. when you have a client call, need to finish a report, etc.). Having a stash of special activities/toys that you can use during these times will be a lifesaver.

This list of toys to keep your kids occupied has been proven to be effective. I have only selected toys that will give you a good ROI (time they are occupied v. investment).

Bridge Books

Bridge books and educational books are not only educational but they can keep your kids occupied for a good amount of time. There are books for every age, grade, and subject so choose one that will best match your kids level and interests. You can also find a lot of activity books at the dollar store.

Lego

Legos are excellent toys to keep your kids occupied. We keep our Legos under lock and key so we don’t have to pull them out of the bottom of our feet. When we pull them out they are quite the novelty.

You can step up the fun factor by giving your kids a challenge like “make your dream house” or “create your favorite character” using the legos. You can also find a lot of Lego activities online that your kids can complete.

Osmo

Our house LOVES our Osmo kits. Osmo turns your tablet into an interactive game. You can download games and educational activities and purchase different game kits (such as the Super Studio Disney Princess and Pizza Co. Game) There are even some free games that you can play. It has been a really great toy to keep in the house because it is fun and educational.

Skymags

Another favorite in our household is the Skymags. These are little magnetic shapes that your kiddos can use to build anything their imagine can dream up. This is also one of the toys that I don’t mind playing with as well.

Again I keep these bad boys locked up and bring them out for special occasions so the kids become engrossed when they are able to play with them. You can also pick these up at Home Goods and Marshalls sometimes for fairly cheap.

Craft & Art Supply Kit

This item may be a little more messy but it is effective in keeping your children busy. Give them some art supplies and see what masterpieces they come up with.

You can also make it more fun by giving them an artistic challenge like
“make a crown” or “make a sign for your bedroom door”.

Indoor Trampoline

Kids need to get energy out. An indoor trampoline is an excellent way for them to expend some energy and keep them busy long enough for you to knock out some work. Disclaimer, you may want to ensure that they are kids are old enough before you leave them unattended.

Snap Pop Beads

These little bead are a great toy to keep kids occupied. They are essentially little beads that you can snap together to make necklaces, rings, bracelets, and other creations. You can get at least 20-30 minutes at a time with this one.

Lulu Jr Illustory Book Making Kit

This kit lets your children write and illustrate their very own book. The included guide walks your children through the process of writing and illustrating their story. Once completed and mailed using the pre-paid envelope, your kid will receive a 7″x9″ bound hardcover book with up to 20 pages (including a dedication page, title page, and “About the Author” page). Adorable and a great way to keep the occupied so you can jump on that conference call.

Fire Tablet

Sometimes you have to do what you have to do, screen time included. If you are working from home, a device is a great way to keep kids occupied.

I feel less guilty giving my kids free reign over the Fire 7 Kids Edition. The kids edition of this tablet is loaded with Amazon Free Time which gives children access to over 20,000 apps, games, books, videos, audiobooks, and educational content. You can also easily add screen time limits and set educational goals.

What are you favorite toys to keep your kids occupied? What strategies do you use to get some work done when working from home?

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March 12, 2020

How to Work From Home

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There are a lot of people that are working from home for the very first time due to the Coronavirus. Believe it or not, working from home can be very challenging.

There are a lot of distractions and nuances when working from home that you don’t have to deal with when you are in the office. However, with a little planning and practice you can be even more productive working from home.

Here are some tips for how to work from home…

Keep Your Morning Routine

Try your hardest to keep your morning routine. Get up at the same time, shower, get dressed, grab coffee just like you would if you were heading into the office. Now, you don’t need to get dressed as you normally would (that is one of the biggest perks of working from home), but you should get up and put yourself together a bit. This will give you a sense of normalcy and some added confidence to get your day started.

Have a Dedicated Work Area

It can be really tempting to work from your couch or your bed. Don’t give into this temptation. Find a dedicated work space and work exclusively from there. This space could be an office, guest bedroom, half of your living room room, even your dining room table. It doesn’t matter where it is as long as it is a space that is comfortable and conducive to work.

The reason that it’s important to have separate spaces is that is creates a sense of boundary. It can be very easy when you are working from home to blend working/non-working time. You tend to either work too much or too little. You either work 15 hours a day or binge watch three season of The Office without established boundaries.

Keep Standard Hours

When you are thinking of how to work from home, make a plan to keep standard working hours. You should start your day and end your day at the same time just as you would if you were in a traditional office.

Not only does this prevent you from burning out (interestingly, most people tend to OVER-work when working from home) , but it also gives you a sense of routine. Routine and structure are important and can be missing when you start to work from home. After a while, a lack of routine can start to impact your mood and confidence. Humans are creature of habit so try to stick to a regular schedule.

Set Boundaries with People

If you live with people that may be home when you are working it is important that you establish clear boundaries. Spend some time discussing when you will be working and what the expectations are. Be really honest with what you need them to do and NOT do.

If you haven’t worked from home before, it can be a big adjustment for everyone. Make sure that you are communicating early and openly in order to avoid tension or frustration on both sides.

Set Goals Each Day

Each morning, set a goal of things that you would like to accomplish that day. This serves a couple of purposes. For one, it can keep you focused on what you need to get done. Working from home means that you have your fair share of distractions.

But additionally, keeping a track of things that you accomplished will give you a much needed sense of accomplishment. Sometimes when you work from home you can feel that you didn’t really do anything because you didn’t get up and go into an office. It’s important to remind yourself that you are contributing at the same or an even greater level.

Working from home is truly a win-win for everyone. Once you get the hang of it you will find that you have a greater work/life balance, more productivity, and overall better wellness. However, have some grace with yourself as you are learning how to work from home. It may take some time, but you will get there!

What struggles do you face when working from home? Do you have any tips for how to work from home?

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March 10, 2020

How to Pay Attention on Conference Calls

How to Pay Attention to Conference Calls

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Is it difficult for you to pay attention on conference calls? Do you find yourself listening to an entire conversation and not remembering anything that was said? Have you ever had to fake technical difficulties to avoid looking stupid when asked a question? If you answered yes, this is for you my friend.

Paying attention on conference calls has been a pretty big challenge for me recently. I am the only remote employee on my team. Therefore, I have to take all of the calls on the phone while the rest of the team are taking the meeting together in person. Boy, does that make things challenging. It has really challenged my attention to stay focused while I’m on conference calls which leads me to miss valuable information that the rest of my team is getting.

But if you, like me, get easily distracted on conference calls, you are not alone. In fact, a study by InterCall shows that 65% of do other work or are otherwise distracted when on conference calls. So to round up, if you have a call with 10 people, 7 of them are distracted. We are at the very least in good company.

So what can you do? Follow these tips to pay attention on conference calls.

Don’t Put Yourself On Mute

Did you panic just a bit there. You heard me right. If you want to make sure that you pay attention, don’t put yourself on mute. This will force you to be engaged in the conversation and participate more freely. Also, this will prevent you from partaking in distractions like eating, responding to emails, or doing a load of laundry.

Offer to Take Notes

If you know other are counting on you to take accurate notes, you will be much more likely to listen and not be distracted. So if there is a call where you know you need to pay attention, offer to take notes and send to the rest of the team. This will make you look like a team player and force your hand to pay attention.

Commit to Contributing to the Conversation

Make it a point to review the agenda and look for areas you can contribute. Doing this before the call will help you pay attention to the duration of the call because you will be looking for the opportunity to insert this knowledge/update/insight. Plus adding to the conversation will make you look good and help you be more engaged in them work itself.

Stand or Walk Around

This sounds counter-intuitive but if you need to pay attention on a conference call, get moving. Stand and moving moves your blood to flow more freely and improves attention, memory, and cognitive abilities. Plus, it’s hard to eat lunch or browse TMZ when you are on the other side of the room. Invest in a wireless headset to make this easy to do.

Give Feedback

If you regularly not engaged in a specific call, you are likely not finding any value in the call. Many times we continue to have recurring conference calls just because we have always had them. If you aren’t finding value any longer, don’t be afraid to connect with the call organizer to provide feedback. You can ask them what the intent of the call is, whether your presence is still required, or whether you can just freshen up the agenda. Sometimes a small change can get everyone engaged again. But the key here is to make sure that you are providing that feedback. There is a good chance that the meeting organizer is unaware and would welcome feedback from the group.

Do you have a hard time paying attention on conference calls? How do you pay attention on conference calls when you get distracted? Leave a comment and share your strategies.

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March 9, 2020

Affirmations for Presentations

Glassophobia is the fear of public speaking and a lot of us have it. In fact, up to 75% of us have it. Even the most successful CEO still gets nervous sometimes when presenting to a large group.

Using affirmations for presentations and public speaking is a great way to overcome the fear of public speaking. Repeating a few of these affirmations before a big presentation can help calm your nerves and improve your confidence.

Check out 30 Powerful Affirmations for Work and Affirmations for Stressful Days.

Positive Affirmations for Presentations & Public Speaking

I am a calm and confident public speaker.

I enjoy public speaking.

I am fearless when speaking to a large crowd.

I have a great voice for public speaking and come off knowledgeable and confident.

Words and thoughts come effortlessly to me.

I am fearless.

I am excited and positive about this presentation.

Giving this presentation will be fun and exciting.

I am an engaging speaker and people enjoy listening to me speak.

I can clearly communicate the vision to my audience.

I understand this material and concepts.

I can confidently answer questions that are presented.

There is not a question that I can’t answer confidently.

I am prepared for any question or piece of feedback that I will receive today.

My audience will appreciate this information that I am going to share.

The material will be well received and appreciated.

I am making a difference in my company by sharing this information.

I am the best person to share this information with my audience.

My presentation will invoke action from the audience.

My audience will feel inspired and ready to take action after my presentation.

Are you afraid of PUBLIC SPEAKING? What helps you before you give a big presentation? Leave a comment below!

How to Hold Effective Meetings

Disclaimer: As an Amazon affiliate, I will earn a small commission on purchases made from the links in this post.

Holding effective meetings is an art form. Luckily, it is a skill that you can easily develop with practice and intention. Use the following tips to ensure that you are holding effective meetings in your business or organization.

1. Don’t Have a Meeting

The first key to having an effective meetings is to only have a meeting if you truly need a meeting. If something can be accomplished with a phone call or email, don’t call a meeting. Meetings should be reserved when you need collaboration from the attendees. For example, brainstorming a new product idea definitely calls for a meeting, but an update to existing project can probably be accomplished by an email A quick rule of thumb is if there is going to be mostly two way dialogue, have a meeting. If it is mostly one way communication (you informing people of something) utilize another channel like email or audio/video recordings.

2. Start with a Clear Objective

You should start developing you meeting with the why in mind. What are you looking to accomplish? This should be indicated in the meeting invite itself, the agenda, and any supplementary information (presentations, readouts, etc.). Additionally, start your meeting off with stating what your objective is very clearly. Don’t try to bury it in a bunch of fluffy speak, a simple “our objective today is to identify a product to launch next quarter” makes it very clear to everyone what you are trying to cause.

3. Look at the Invite List

U.S. Companies lose between $73-238 BILLION dollar a year to ineffective meetings. I bet you can recount a few meetings recently (probably event today) that you didn’t need to be on. Help eliminate this waste by only inviting the people that truly need to be there. We don’t give workers enough time to actually do the work, we tend to take up much of our time TALKING about the work. By not including someone on an invite, you are freeing up much needed time on their schedule.

If you aren’t sure who is needed in a meeting, you can always include someone as “optional” so they can choose whether they should join or not. Leave that determination up to them.

I will say however that there is nothing worse than getting on a call and the right people are not on, so take some time and identify who those key players are and make sure they are on. Do a little due diligence before the meeting and ask around who should be included to maximize the use of time.

4. No Multi-Tasking

This is going to sound a little childish, but ask participants to limit multi-tasking. Now, as adults we know we should pay attention to the task at hand and minimize but we all know how that goes. I , for one, am a HORRIBLE multi-talker on conference calls. I really need to force myself to focus because my mind tends to wander if I am not in the room. However, when the meeting organizer kindly asks us to minimize our distractions, I always make a more concerted effort to pay attention. You may annoy some people in requesting this but they are likely the ones that need reminding. (Read more about How to Become More Engaged Today!)

If you are you organizing an in-person meeting, try switching up the location. If you really need your group to focus try a conference room that you haven’t tried before. Sometimes a change in scenery can snap people out of their old habits. Also, I am a big fan of standing meetings for shorter duration meetings (20 minutes or less). Standing causes efficiency because people want to get back to their seats. They are less likely to waste time and multi-task. Plus, standing causes blood to flow more freely which helps you think more clearly. Standing or walking improves attention, memory, and other cognitive skills. So standing meetings are not only more efficient, but they cause participants to be smarter!

5. Make Sure Technology Works

87% of office workers experience stress when technology doesn’t work or is difficult to use during a meeting. I have been on so many calls when the technology derails or overshadows the intent of the meeting. Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the technology that you will use during the meeting. If at all possible, do a trial run before the meeting to make sure that you know how to set up the technology and test to ensure that it works properly.

Also, you will want to take steps to ensure that your meeting participants know how to use the technology. If you are using a new technology, make sure that the instructions are sent in advance of the call and can be easily followed. If you re worried, you can always ask participants to join the meeting early to allow for time to get everything set up properly before the meeting begins. A few minutes of preparation can save a meeting from going off the rails.

6. Connect the Meeting to Mission/Vision

We already identified that if you are having a meeting in the first place, you want people to contribute and collaborate. In order for people to do so, they must understand why.

Why is the work that you are setting out to do important? How does it contribute to the overall mission and vision of the company? What is our role in that? For example, if you are having a meeting about what product to launch next year, start the meeting with a discussion around how continued innovation helps you grow and meet the needs of your customers.

For example,

“Team, thank you for joining us today. The goal of this meeting is to work together to identify a product to launch next year. Our vision is to help all of our customers improve their lives by using our technology. The work that we are about to do today will help us continue our quest for innovation and allow us to help our customers achieve their goals.”

Connecting the meeting to the overall vision and mission of your company will help underscore the meeting’s importance. It will inspire employees to be engaged and put their best selfs forward. They will be actively shaping the customers future, rather than just joining the 2 o’clock call. What mindset would you rather have your participants be in during your meeting?

7. Ensure that Everyone Talks

The meeting organizer’s role during the meeting should be that of a facilitator. Your goal should be to ensure that your meeting participants are talking most of the time. Your role is gently guiding the discussion and ensuring that everyone has a voice.

In any group, there are people that are more outspoken and people that don’t take at all. Try to get everyone in the meeting talking, even if that means that you are calling out people to share their thoughts or answers questions. On meetings that I run, I keep a list of participants handy and look at who is contributing. If I notice someone not talking, I ask them a question or ask them to share their thoughts. This gets them engaged in the conversation at a level that they weren’t before.

Another main benefit to having the group do the talking, not the meeting organizer, is that they will feel much more connected to the outcome of the meeting. If they had an active say in what was developed and they were involved, they are much more committed and excited about the final product rather than just being an inactive bystander. The output of the meeting will be much more likely to stick if the group came up with it, rather than a few.

8. Establish Clear Next Steps

At the end of the meeting, recap what you discussed and provide clear next steps. I’ve seen some really great meetings go awry when the group leaves without a clear path forward. It can be really disappointing after you spend your time and energy discussing a topic to only have it lost with inaction.

Even if you don’t have a clear path forward, what is your strategy to identify a path forward? This could be as simple as everyone taking back a question to ponder or provide feedback on. Something, anything ,to keep the ball rolling!

9. Send a Written Recap/Notes

And finally, take a few minutes and send out a quick summary of what was discussed and a written confirmation of the next steps. This will help keep the topic and next steps fresh and top of mind and remove any chance for someone to miss what they need to do. This is also a tip to help with any team members that are neuro-divergent and respond well to written notes.

Do you have any tips for effective meetings? What has been the most ineffective meeting that you have ever participated in? What made it ineffective? Leave a comment!