Disciplining Yourself if You Work From Home
Tuesday
Aug 26, 2008

Normally you would hear people sounding off that working from home is better than the office setting. Perhaps there is some sense to it but one thing that should be observed here is that of discipline. At home, you can choose to work and not to. You don’t have to worry about bosses roaming around and checking on you or finding the right position to relax. In short, you get the best of both worlds when you work from home.
But while that may be a dream to most, do remember that it can also affect you as a person. Not all people see the reason as to why it is harder to work from home. It is indeed something desirable but would you be productive when you choose to work from home?
The real answer lies on the person wanting to work from home. Ordinarily people fail to look beyond what it means to work at home and the consequences that arise from it. It is something new, especially for the people who have been working in an office setting. There will be some adjustment phases and on whether you would succeed or go down with it is something that may need thorough consideration.
Two thirds of workers would prefer to work from home, feeling they would be happier and more productive if they did, a new study has revealed.
Despite this, the survey by Plantronics found that three quarters of employees are offered no flexibility on where they work from by their job, reports the Press Association.
Make the Most of Your Slack Time
Thursday
Aug 21, 2008
When you are at work, the usual 8 hour shift is normally not used up to the max. Actually, there are people in office who claim that 8 hours are not enough but if you observe them during the working hours, you may find them slacking off or taking their own sweet time to finish a day’s work.
One reason for this is that the mentality that one should work only on a limited basis depending on the ones stated in their job description and contract may be to blame. Not all people are enthusiastic to work more than what is expected of them. There are people who can work more than what is expected from them but choose not to since they will not be compensated for it anyway.
A logical choice perhaps but if you look at it, it is a wrong approach towards a business perspective. That is perhaps why most employees choose not to do more or impress management although there are some people who do it regardless of being rewarded or not. These are career-oriented people who want to prove something to themselves and of course gain that much longed for promotion.
So as a whole, there is a wide area of slack time in most jobs. It may not be generalized but certainly, not all people make use of the complete 8 hour shift. As long as they can be able finish their job, management cannot blame them for anything. Is that justifiable?
Work On Your Cognitive Skills
Tuesday
Aug 19, 2008
When you apply for a job or perhaps undergo an annual evaluation, chances are you will undergo a series of tests which include tests on your various abilities. They are called the aptitude test, something that is standard in most companies.
Of course, the initial goal is to rank high although it would be best to answer them openly and honestly. It is not an exam wherein anyone passes or fails. Rather, they are exams to determine your shortcoming as a person. For one, there is no such thing as a perfect person and surely there will be some areas in our personality that need to be improved.
Ordinarily, people tend to ignore this belief and answer these tests regardless if it affects them or not. In reality, the organization or group giving these tests have nothing to lose. But on the part of the person taking them, he is depriving himself of improving areas that can help in molding him both into a better individual and professional.
Deep inside though, a person would know which areas need to be improved. People do not want to be embarrassed and hence such improvements are limited to what a person can do on his own. That may be a challenge for him personally but it would be better to authenticate first which among these areas really need attention and improvement.
Treat Overtime Work as Milestones not Income
Thursday
Aug 14, 2008
There is a problem when it comes to assessing why overtime work has to be done for some people. To most, it is a means of additional income. To the superiors, it is a measure of incompetence and a sign of something wrong within the workflow process which needs to be evaluated and changed.
At times, company sections cannot help but render overtime to meet deadlines and keep the operations flowing. It is something that is critical, especially if goals are to be met by the organization. Rather than hiring additional personnel or buying new equipment such as workstations, asking identified employees to render extended hours is a need.
Overtime work done once or on an as-needed basis is acceptable. But if overtime work becomes a regular thing, it is indeed something that shows something direly wrong. Assessing each point should be done and providing various solutions to help address the solution is important.
Employees work their butt out each time. Some may like the additional pay while others may not. But as far as job scope is concerned, the best way to address flaws in a work system will be identified only with the inputs of the manpower that is caught in between these issues.
Manage your Workload Wisely
Tuesday
Aug 12, 2008
There are people who will not admit it but at times, taking in workloads even if they cannot handle them may be a problem when it comes to meeting deadlines. At first, an aggressive worker who would not complain of the tasks simply because he loves the job may end up falling short of expectations.
As far as fear of being tagged as incompetent, it does not always follow that people who beg off from additional work is categorized as complaining. We all know that the best person to measure such would be the manager or supervisor. While you may at times fall in love with your job, it is the output that is important above all.
In all, there is a fine line between laziness and trashing yourself with work such as reports and paper work. Know your limits and simply get tasks to which you can manage. It is no longer an age where more work makes you the ideal employee. It is production that counts and will get the credit and not your dedication and hard work.
