SIXTY DAYS INTO working from home, I've changed some routines and become more aware of collaborative calendaring. I also know I need to upskill.
My mobile phone says I've reduced my SMS traffic by 35% since the middle of March 2020. That's because my phone no longer automatically sends text messages to tell my wife we're on our way to collect her from work.
I have no cross-talk with colleagues during 1030 tea breaks or around lunch hour. I think we need to set up some sort of chat space to encourage the brain farts I'm used to hearing.
I have a new “night shift” when I read printed pages. And I've bought a printed book for every week of our social distancing.
My weekly live on-screen workload has ballooned by 600%. I have to limit myself to no more than four hours of live presentations every day.
I need to learn how to listen better.
My late late IM traffic is up by 150%. It's asynchronous traffic.
I protect my walking time by putting it into both Google Calendar (used by the family) and into Outlook (used by students and colleagues). I need to set up a Zapier routine to ensure the Microsoft and Google calendars synchronise.
I no longer create material for third level education on weekends. We're stuck into several major DIY projects.
I know I am not unique in managing this unplanned transition to remote work. Like many in my newsfeeds, I need to set up a home office with a door, plan better routines for home schooling of children, juggle student learning, and repurpose core elements of my job.
[Bernie Goldbach teaches creative media for business on the Clonmel Digital Campus of the Limerick Institute of Technology.]
Previously: "I like to work remotely behind big panes of glass, InsideView blog, December 5, 2016.
