Problem-solving unforeseen challenges in order to boost productivity and regain work-life balance when working from home.
Engineering is not a task completed in solidarity in a cubicle. It’s a collaborative effort requiring a team of experts combining their individual expertise and experiences to solve a problem. And let’s not forget, no good engineering problem has ever been solved without a good calculator and a white board.
My engineering firm employs about 60 people in multiple locations across California. However, our leadership has always endeavored to operate our firm as “one” office. To accomplish this, they’ve provided us the software, programs, and tools necessary to seamlessly manage and collaborate on projects across offices. We truly embrace the teamwork aspect of design engineering as we understand that it takes a team to solve real world problems.
A while back, my firm began allowing employees to work remotely. I was at first excited as this would allow us to save loads of money on after-school childcare and help my wife and me to juggle all the evening activities that become part of daily life when you are raising two small kids. I was already experienced in collaborating with colleagues who worked outside my home office. I was proficient using the tools provided by my firm and was confident I would also be successful as a remote worker. It was supposed to be business as usual.
I did not anticipate or prepare for the challenges ahead. I did not anticipate the challenge of parenting and working simultaneously. I underestimated the distraction presented simply from being inside my own home, instead of at the office. These challenges and distractions combined to disrupt my work-life balance instead of enhancing it. I had a problem to solve, and my calculator and whiteboard would be of no help.
One of the biggest challenges I faced when I began working from home was parenting and working at the same time. My kids were 4 and 7 when I first started, and the amount of attention they wanted from me was much more than I thought it would be. All they knew was that I was home, and they were home, they loved to play, and Daddy loves to play. They were always doing their very best to distract me, always asking for snacks, telling me stories, startling me for fun (it’s a lighthearted prank we play on each other), asking to play catch, and they loved crashing my virtual meetings – the list goes on.
Another big distraction was my comfort while working from home. I don’t have a dedicated office in my house, so our kitchen table became my home desk and a table chair became my desk chair. Our table is a countertop-height table and in case you were wondering, table chairs were not meant to sit in for eight hours a day. Needless to say, the ergonomics of my “home desk” were horrible and after just a few hours, my shoulders, wrists, and back would begin to ache.
Besides my children and the setup of my home desk, there were a multitude of other minor distractions that combined to wreak havoc on my productivity. Everywhere I looked I saw something that needed to be done, something to distract me from work, including clothes to fold, dishes to wash, things to clean, things that needed to be fixed, etc. These types of distractions were surprising to me as I have little trouble ignoring distractions while onsite at work. However, while at home, I found that thoughts of what I needed to do would take root and grow inside my head until I almost had no choice but to take care of them before returning to work. I am also sure that staring at them all day didn’t help either.
Something had to change. I needed to adjust the way I worked from home to boost productivity and regain work-life balance:
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I needed to find a way to parent and be an engineer at the same time. I first tried to simply explain the situation to my children. It went something like, “While Daddy is at work, don’t bother him. Entertain and feed yourselves and be quiet while in the dining room.” What they heard was: “I can do whatever I want as long as I am quiet.” I would not suggest ever telling your kids this. It did not turn out well (they painted things that should not have been painted).
I realized that what they really wanted was attention. They are young kids and young kids crave interaction with their parents – they seek it out. They also didn’t quite understand why Daddy was on a computer all day instead of playing with them. So, I started taking a short break every hour or so to spend some time with them. This accomplished three things: One, it gave me periodic breaks from staring at a computer screen. Two, it mirrored my office routine as I typically get up from my computer every hour-and-a-half or so to stretch my legs and rest my eyes. And three, it gave them just enough attention to get them through the day. - I needed to fix my home desk. I set up my home desk to be as similar to my office desk as feasible. We purchased a more comfortable chair which would sit high enough so I could work with my body in the right position. I also set up my screens so they would mirror my office workstation. Never underestimate the importance of a comfortable workstation whether it be at home or in the office. I still can’t believe I didn’t think of this before I started working from home.
- I set out to reduce the distractions of my house. The solution was threefold. First, I changed my position so that I sat facing the wall instead of out toward the living area. Yes, I embraced the mantra of “out of sight, out of mind.” Second, I had to eliminate the distractions. I made sure the dishes were done before starting work, folded my clothes at night, prepared snacks for the kids and myself, etc. Basically, I made sure all my chores were completed and I was prepared for the following work day as if I was going into the office. These steps along with setting up a comfortable workstation at my house greatly increased my resistance to distractions.
When I began working from home part-time, I did nothing to prepare for the differences between working in the office and working from home. This led to a drop in productivity, which led to working longer hours, which resulted in a work-life imbalance. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is essential for a successful and satisfying work experience and working remotely can be a great tool for maintaining that balance.
While there are many benefits of working remotely, I did not initially enjoy them, as many nights I found myself working late to catch up on the day’s work. Something had to change. I had to change the way I worked from home, the way I prepared for my day, and the way I interacted with my kids while working from home.
I wish I could tell you that I made a grand discovery, or that I found the magic key to working remotely. I don’t think I did. The small changes I made were basic, commonsense things I should have been prepared for and implemented from the start. I do know that through trial and error, I found solutions that worked for me and my family. I found solutions that helped boost my productivity and regain the work-life balance for which I had been searching, all without my trusty calculator and whiteboard.
Jason Wilson, P.E. is a project engineer with MKN. Contact him at jwilson@mknassociates.us.
