Working at Home or living at Work?

 WORKING  FROM HOME OR LIVING AT WORK? — AND SEEKING PEACE AND JOY

 Well back in  2019 BC —no not ancient times “BC” =  Before. Covid—about 4% of the U.S. workforce  reported  working from /at home.  By mid 2020 that  figure had skyrocketed swelling to  42% by  some estimates.  This percent  may have fallen slightly, however, recent data are hard to come by and the number is changing constantly.  I think we can say with some degree of certainty:

• A lot of folks are. Still getting. Up, and putting on their “GOOD”  sweats
• Using their  own  computer equipment through their own internet connections
• Listening to their  cat or dog provide feedback rather than their whining  co-workers  complaining about traffic 
• Trying to find a better. Zoom background
• Letting their. Kids  watch more videos—and
• HAVING A VAGUE SENSE  OF ANXIETY THAT THIS “NEW WORK SITUATION”  WILL NEVER LEAD TO A “NORMAL LIFE AGAIN.” 

Well... the peace and joy entries aren’t generally designed to give straight advice, but  this may border on an exception—or the questions here might suggest that—you know because they are. “Are yyou still beating your kids?” Kinds of questions.  

On the other hand you should never  be afraid of questions you  cannot  answer as you should fear having answers you cannot question.  

Question. One..

What  have you learned about your old. Work routine?   Do you miss getting details from. Your friends. At work over coffee or soda?  Do you miss  seeing. Someone across the room roll their  eyes when  “that certain. Person”  has to provide.”their” input?   Are these habits  you have at work that you just can’t replace at home?  

Question Two...

What. Have  you learned about  workflow?  how  do the interruptions you create at home or cope with  differ from  those  scheduled and unscheduled interruptions you have. At work?  If you find that you have to schedule interruptions at home, how refreshed are you when you return to your work tasks?  Do you feel less like an employee and more like a project worker at home?   

Question Three

How has your work network changed?  

Do you still communicate. With co-workers or is it a deal where you mainly  only as the boss questions that you would generally shout across the hall to get answers for?  

Well  in the process of seeking peace and joy inside ant outside of work one of the things  that becomes  evident is how we pay attention to what happens moment after moment and what is happening in our “work” moments has probably changed more dramatically that we could have ever imagined.  So here’s an idea.  Open a new document and answer some of the questions. Above and then simply  indicate whether.the changes in things make you feel better or worse?  Next to all the  activities the n write down how  you could make them better... not so that you can control things, but so that. You understand your  expectations of  what a great workplace would be like.  Then write one sentence  suggesting  what you  would propose  to make  your work better in relation to  any given activity and. How you might suggest that idea  in the work setting.  

https://peaceandjoy505.libsyn.com/paj-community-culture-feature-black-river-burlesque-revue

For example:  Having a “zoom” coffee break a couple of times  a week to keep informal relationships  strong.  Maybe having one  dress-up  at home contest where  you had a theme like “dressing. Like a pirate” day or interrupting  a project meeting  on the phone to have a “whose dog can bark the loudest contest.  

Maybe you could even go so far as to suggest that your employer  give. You a stipend for  internet, computer equipment upgrades, and a little something to take your. Family. Somewhere nice when you can because you have driven. Them nuts.  

Now...let’s go one further... instead of feeling anxious about returning. To “normal” maybe think of this as training.... Training?  yes..if you can work from  that corner in your basement then you can work from a tent near that lake in Colorado or from your car in the Florida Keys (sp)... 

If there are  remote work opportunities it removes the issue of having to  settle for a crap job just because. Your  partner has to live somewhere for their job or because your kids are in school some place.  Yes... train to be mobile, an assassin ...a project superstar.   Gee and let your employer  that “you can  do what you are doing anywhere and for anyone giving them.the opportunity to understand. Your real value.   

Anyway... this whole post has about  building a workplace  culture...how to understand the one you have and the one you want.  You also have a chance and maybe a responsibility  to build a community culture too.... and having said that  here’s a brief  podcast  featuring  folks building  our culture in Port huron.  However..since it’s digital and so is their. Performance this time... you can enjoy it wherever you are... so click the link and e-mail-blackriverburlequeandrevue@gmail.com

https://peaceandjoy505.libsyn.com/paj-community-culture-feature-black-river-burlesque-revue