Home Office

Facing the imminent need of stay at home as possible as we can, to protect yourself form this worldwide health emergency , it is so worthy to share our best practices form those who has years of experience in home office.

In have been in part time jobs and home office for 15 years now, so I can share with you my best practices to help your day-to-day work at home and deliveries can go normally. 15 years ago IT was not as good as it is now, therefore IT can support your home office be as efficient as it can be at your real office. Just some basic rules have to be settled:

1. Establish a place for work at home. A place where you can work with good light and fresh air. Also for kids in school age if any. A space for each one.
2. Set rule with family members. It is possible that all family members might be at home at the same time during working days and could be temptations on the way: schedules to begin activities, to have some rest (meals) and ending of activities. REMEMBER THAT IT IS NO HOLLIDAY TIME.
   1. Wake up early and get dressed just as if you go to work (do not stay with pijama all day)
   2. Take advantage of the time you do not drive to have a nice breakfast in family.
   3. Respect your schedule (get away from the fridge)
   4. Kids and teens also need an schedule as if they are at school. Try to be coordinated.
3. Focus and Concentration. It is  important that each of family members commit themselves to NOT INTERRUPT others work or activities.
   1.  If you have virtual meetings establish schedules and notify family members.
   2. Set specific hours to check your cel phone if there is no urgencies.
   3. Get away from TV.
4. Accomplish work deliveries. This is the most complicated to be adjusted when you are out of office. Distractors are on your way all the time. However, if you accomplish 1,2 and 3 points, you will not have any trouble to be efficient and on time.
5. HOME DUTIES. Due to the health contingency, hygiene and clean spaces is a must, not an option. Home are clean when there is nobody there. But when  all family members are at home, chaos is coming (if you do not have domestic help this can be worse) unless you set rules:
   1. Take your shoes off when you are at home. Slippers of socks  are an advice.
   2. Apply 5´s metodology of quality: Seiri: To separate needed tools, parts, and instructions from unneeded materials and to remove the unneeded ones. Seiton: To neatly arrange and identify parts and tools for ease of use. Seiso: To conduct a cleanup campaign. Seiketsu: To conduct seiri, seiton, and seiso daily to maintain a workplace in perfect condition. Shitsuke: To form the habit of always following the first four S’s. You can look for more information at internet.
   3. You clean what you dirty. You collect what you throw away
   4.  All family member can help in all duties.
   5. It is so important that any family member can be responsible to clean their own places since we do not know how long we will be at home.
6. Invitation to use common sense. It is also important to use common sense to help:
   1. Do not panic doing  extra-shopping.
   2. Do not leave home unless it is necessary (shopping, gasoline, etc)
   3. Do not say “it will not happen to me”, because it is happening worldwide, even if it is hard.
   4. No family  and friends meetings.
   5. No physical contact with anybody.
7. THE BEST YOU CAN DO IS STAY AT HOME HEALTHY RATHER THAN being at the hospital.