Home Office basics
Friday May 20, 2005
Sun has a great program called IWork and I'm part of the Work From Home project. So to the non Sun folks, I don't have a Sun office, there isn't the name Scott Jolly hanging on any doors in any building. Sun saves tons of $$$ on facilities, hardware, parking, etc. and I have a great quality of life with no commute and no worry of "did I wear that the last time I saw Paul and his team".
This program is totally an employee trust issue. I would say that WFH folks are probably more productive than the traditional crowd at Sun. We aren't distracted with a commute, the NCAA basketball pool, deciding where all 5 of us want to go for lunch (those are fun aren't they - deciding where a group of people is going to eat?), etc. I'm on concalls and doing other stuff at the same time.
Some keys to being out of the office, ie Remote. Be available thru many different delivery channels, phone, email, Instant Messanger (IM). I have 2 phone lines at home. The house phone and the one in my office that only rings in my office. The office line is only for my office, none of my friends and family know or use it. I also have BOTH DSL and cable modem internet service. I would rather pay an extra $50 per month than have someone say, "Scott's DSL is out AGAIN"... That is not the image that you want to give if your smiling face isn't seen all the time.
Another office key is checking email often and answering the phone... I usually come up to my office early morning and check email. This is pre breakfast and before getting the kids ready for school. It is a quick scan to see if something needs action ASAP. I also usually check after the little ones go to bed. Again, not a major production, just a look and see for important email. I (now) make it a habit to try NOT to do big work after 8:30pm or so... I would certainly trade to no commute for a few peeks at email.
I will post more Home Office tips over the next few days/weeks. I've worked for several different groups within Sun over the past 4 years and have been working remotely since leaving Silicon Valley with great success, if I do say so myself.
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Posted by Marion's Weblog on May 20, 2005 at 02:33 PM EDT #