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The Ethics for Working from Home – Some Guiding Principles

The Ethics for Working from Home – Some Guiding Principles

by | Jan 12, 2017 | Managing Yourself, Office Etiquette, working from home, World of Work

With the work from home culture gaining popular acceptance, we thought it is a good idea to talk about the guiding principles and ethics for working from home. While this option does guarantee a great deal of flexibility and comes with a promise of increased productivity, it also comes with a built-in premise. You are in a position of trust and with Trust comes Responsibility. As Oprah has said – Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.

From our experiences as an employee and employer operating in the remote working model, here are the ethics for working from home that we hold sacrosanct:

1. Adhering to work timings

If you are expected to work from 10am to 6pm, ensure that you are at your work table sharp by 10 and stick around till 6. The work from home option affords you a great deal of liberties and cutting down on your work hours isn’t and shouldn’t be one of them. Get as much as you can done within your working hours, focusing only work as your primary priority during these hours.

2. A strict no personal calls/ errands rule

This is something you would mind if you were operating out of an office cubicle, and something you should mind even when you are operating out of the comfort of your home. Take personal calls only when extremely urgent, and not without leaving a note for your team/ manager, explaining the reason. The same goes for running personal errands.

3. Being available and reachable

A prerequisite for working from home is always being reachable and available. Unlike a regular job, there isn’t a desk you can be found at. This means you always need to be accessible on phone/ email. There could be very little margin for error regarding the same, and scope for excuses like “my phone didn’t have charge”, or “there wasn’t internet connectivity”. In case you aren’t going to be available, make sure you find a way to send the message to your team. Do read this post where we talk about everything in terms of infrastructure that you need to start working from home, or as we would like to call it, the essentials for working from home – http://obolinx.com/resources/2016/03/start-working-from-home/.

4. Honesty

A work from home job is one which needs you to be honest with yourself, as well as your team. It is easy to compromise on the input, and make the output seem sufficient. It may be easy to pull it off at times, but in the long run it’s not going to leave you in a great place, or have you feel good about yourself. In our earlier posts, we have stressed continuously on the fact that work from home roles are strictly for those who have the ability for self-motivation and self-discipline. This probably, would be the most important of the ethics for working from home, and is a given expectation from you!

5. Making an effort to communicate

Having a job where you work from home can often become depressing, especially if you are a social butterfly. It isn’t the best way for an introvert to learn better communication skills, either. So regardless of what kind your personality is, it is important to make an effort to communicate with your colleagues on a regular basis and not isolate yourself. It is easy for communication to take place when you operate out of a traditional office environment. And what may seem as small talk, is often crucial to your own work, and the team’s work in general, because exchanging notes gives you a feel of where you stand with respect to your work and also a sense of cohesiveness with your team – which is very essential for you to be productive and happy at work!

 To Sum It Up

A work from home opportunity, is a great opportunity to get more done, with least investments, and the most output. Today, management leaders around the world are exploring this option to try to build amazing teams – remotely. Though written more from an employer’s perspective, “Remote: office not required”, by Fried and Hansson is an insightful read for how working from remote locations is truly an enabler, more than anything else. We hope that you agree with our take on the Ethics for Working from Home. We would love to hear back from you!

Note: At OBOlinx Tech, we provide flexible work from home option for our team. We have experienced firsthand the advantages and disadvantages of working in this mode both as an employer and as an employee. With clear goal settings, a strong process framework, much patience, some discipline and a steady flow of two-way communication, we KNOW this business model can work and is here to stay. This is the future of work and the future is already here.

Being a boss your team wouldn’t want to let down – Leadership Matters

Being a boss your team wouldn’t want to let down – Leadership Matters

by | Jan 5, 2017 | Career, Leadership, Management, Managing Yourself, Motivation

Now that’s a tough one, right? Not just how to be a “good” boss, but how to be a boss your team would never want to let down! Let’s state at the outset that very few bosses are able to find a place in that hall of fame. What makes it tough to be that kind of boss is maintaining very firmly, the delicate balance between being an amazing human being and a strict task master. The good news though is that it really isn’t all that tough to be that person. Thinking about it through these five key elements would probably set you off on a path to practice being that boss!

1. Lead

In one of our previous posts, we spoke about how to be a leader and not a boss. While all bosses can boss, only few bosses can lead. While a boss directs you, a leader empowers you and leads you by example. Your team sticks with you not just because they don’t have any other option, but because they like being in “your” team and they like learning with you. To be a leader to your team, is to exude a personality and a confidence which inspires and motivates your team to always go that extra mile.

2. Trust

Reposing trust in your team is a pre-requisite for your team to repose their trust in you. Trust is one of the most fundamental enablers. When you trust your team, there is an understanding that you have enough confidence in their ability to deliver. One of the most powerful methods of ensuring accountability, is in fact by investing trust in your team. This succeeds in acting as motivation for your team to take total ownership and meet your expectations.

3. Care

Why should being a boss, and in charge, pose as a conflict to your ability to be a good human being, who understands the larger dimensions of being in charge? When you are in charge of a team, you are not only in charge of ensuring the deliverables are met, but also in making sure that you help your team through the odds they may face in achieving those deliverables – which at times may even extend beyond the professional realm. At times, you may have to exercise discretion to figure how far you can really go. To care for your team is to make them feel valued, and secure – a quality that can change all that is wrong in the world of work.

4. Encourage

Not just for the sake of increasing productivity, or during appraisals – but make it a part of who you are as a person. Encouragement can be in many forms – it could be a few words, it could be a smile, it could be just an approving nod or a gesture. While it wouldn’t cost you anything, you never know how it may infuse someone with the energy he/she really needs.

5. Laugh

Be the boss who makes the work environment seem lighter. Wear a smile as often as you can, and laugh with your team as often as you can. Invest at least thirty minutes connecting with your team, sharing and laughing with them. The effect would be almost therapeutic – for you and for your team, resulting in a sense of cohesiveness which ultimately motivates your team to deliver the best.
To be a boss your team can’t let down, you’ve got to start by practicing all the qualities that you would like to see in a person you think you won’t ever be able to disappoint – and then, become that person! Let go of your need to invoke fear and hence get the work done (a tactic most commonly used by employers), and become someone who invokes the best in your team, simply by being all that you want to see in your team mates!

Volunteering – Why it should be on every student’s priority list

Volunteering – Why it should be on every student’s priority list

by | Dec 28, 2016 | Career, Life, Managing Yourself, Volunteering

While the idea of volunteering has been around for quite some time, it was always been perceived with some amount of disapproval from parents and has been seen as an additional chore by the students. However, with times swiftly changing, volunteering has grown to be immensely popular and has become a trend among  students.

The million dollar question to ponder over is, WHY. Why is there a sudden rise in volunteering by students? We believe that the desire to create something meaningful and to give back to the society is the top reason for any student to volunteer, but that is just the tip of the iceberg! At a much deeper level, it is because of the benefits a student reaps that volunteering has become so sought after.

Below is a list of 5 reasons why we think every student must volunteer at least once in their life! Take a look!

Reason 1: Develop your Skills

Volunteering exposes you to a whole new world of opportunities and at the same time helps you in honing your existing skills. It teaches you things that can’t be taught in classrooms. Take for instance, the ability to work in teams – we can’t stress enough how important that is in today’s job market and volunteering more often than not, involves working in teams. It brings out new hobbies, interests, and helps form opinions. You’ll be surprised at how good you’re at things you have never done and volunteering can give you opportunities to try all of them out. A volunteering experience can actually help you take a step forward towards deciding your career!

Reason 2: BOOST YOUR CAREER

According to a survey conducted by Chronicle of Higher Education and Public Media’s ‘Marketplace’, “Employers place more weight on experience, particularly internships, volunteering and employment during school vs. academic credentials including GPA and college major when evaluating a recent graduate for employment.”

While applying for a position, without much prior work experience to show to your employer, volunteering stints could vouch for your all-round abilities;your ability to organize events, make optimum utilization of the scant resources available, handling operations, managing people to name a few. Even while applying for higher studies in foreign countries, we believe these experiences will surely help you boost your CV.

Reason 3: Rediscover Yourself – Get Out Of The “Comfort Zone”

Volunteering widens your personality horizon by exposing you to different kinds of situations and environments that will make you “uncomfortable”. It is a exceptional process that pushes you to your breaking point and helps you unlearn and discover yourself. Travelling in adverse conditions and developing a resilience, living on meager resources and discovering your sense of empathy for people, all these will give you a new and appreciative perspective in life and help build character.

Reason 4: Meet Diverse Groups

Volunteering brings together people from diverse fields. Interaction with co-workers presents an excellent networking scope. It enhances cross-cultural understanding and develops people skills. We have often heard that lack of communication skills during interviews and in work places is a common pain point of most employers, so a volunteering stint might do wonders in this regard! In the end we’d like to add that when we interact with diverse groups, it helps widen our own thoughts and ideologies, and so can you.

Reason 5: Travel! 

Going on vacation during some time off is all well and good for a while, but if you’re looking for something adventurous, fulfilling and productive, it would be an excellent idea to go down the volunteerism route. This allows you to travel to a hill,a forest or a beach and volunteer for a cause! It’s a good way to get to see your country from a completely different point of view, meet some interesting people, be independent and assist those who are less fortunate.

So remember, the next time you feel the urge to be productive and contribute to the enhancement of the society and yourself, just pack your bags and go volunteer. The longer, the better!

Resigning With Grace – How to Resign like a True Professional

Resigning With Grace – How to Resign like a True Professional

by | Dec 22, 2016 | Job Offers, Managing Yourself, Resignation

As professionals, it is only natural that we may want to quit the job we currently have, in order to move on and progress – for whatever reason we may have. There could be many reasons for us wanting to quit and we could be quite distracted/disturbed when the moment of truth approaches. Anger, nostalgia, pride, nervousness, a sense of loss, excitement are only some of the emotions you could be experiencing in your notice period, leading up to your last day. However, no matter how you feel, a graceful exit is a non- negotiable. Here are five things that need to be done, for resigning with grace, and leaving behind respect for you as a true professional:

  1. Resigning with Grace: Prepare them. And yourself.

    If it is in your control, prepare your manager/team in advance about your exit. It is bad enough for them that you’ve chosen to move on. The news should not be jolting. Have a conversation in person with your manager first. Be clear and courteous, and serve your notice period if that is what your manager needs. The time in hand will allow your work to come to a closure, a suitable replacement can be brought in and it is respectful!

 

  1. Resigning with Grace: Stay honest and polite in your exit interview

    Exit interviews are not venting sessions. But if you value your time at the organization and care for them, it is important that you give honest feedback about your experiences. Don’t trash talk. Tell them what you feel. You can be honest, but not rude. We believe many conversations must take place to make the world of work a better place. And if something needs to be addressed, exit interviews are the places to share.

 

  1. Resigning with Grace: Reach out to all the teams

    If you have been a person who has worked with multiple teams in the organization, and have some skills which others depend on, inform them about your exit. It is only fair that you make an open offer to them regarding working on transitioning anything that they need from you. That way they won’t be left in a vacuum.

 

  1. Resigning with Grace: Celebrate your journey

    For whatever reason you quit, once you decide to cross the bridge, know it is a new beginning. Your work stint would have brought you in contact with different kinds of people, allowed you to pick up skills, taken you towards your calling and helped you grow as a person. Celebrate that. The farewell might be a difficult time, an emotional time as well. But bringing in some joy, appreciation and fun will make your experience extremely worthwhile. And help reinforce the all-important friendships with the now ex-colleagues. Remember that it is these relationships that are the true assets that you take along with you.

 

  1. Resigning with Grace: Allow and acknowledge the possibility of a future association

    You never know when you may feel the need to associate in some way with an organization you leave, in the future. Be it in terms of work, or partnering with a colleague, reference from your manager, anything. It can happen. Don’t burn bridges. Leave a door open. Send appreciative emails/messages, be thankful. Tell your team/managers that at some point you would love to associate again. For an organization, it is always good when ex-employees come back to contribute again. As they say, it is a very small world!

 

Given the multitude of circumstances we may leave under, it may be difficult to leave on a good note. However, to end the post with the same note we started it with, resigning with grace is a non-negotiable!   Have similar thoughts? We would love to know! Do share your experience with us.

Changing Jobs? 5 Tips for a Smooth Job Transition

Changing Jobs? 5 Tips for a Smooth Job Transition

by | Dec 16, 2016 | Career, Job Offers, Managing Yourself, Resignation, World of Work

If you’ve made up your mind to change jobs, the transitional period between quitting and looking for a new job, or joining a new job you may already have landed, can be quite unsettling. But remember, “this too shall pass”. In this post, we suggest 5 tips to help you with a smooth job transition.

Think it through

Is your decision to quit a well thought out one or an impulsive one? If impulsive, then think it through once again. Career decisions need to be gradual and well researched, not sudden and abrupt. Of course, we agree that you do need to take risks at some point in your career if you really believe it is for the best. However, diving headlong into something you have absolutely no idea about, leaving behind a secure job and pay, can be a tad too risky.

Do a SWOT Analysis

A SWOT Analysis is a Strengths Weakness Opportunity and Threats Analysis. Use this opportunity to assess yourself along SWOT lines. Think about your new job and relate your Strengths and Weaknesses to it. Think about the Opportunities and avenues that the new venture will open up for you. At the same time, assess the potential Threats to your career if you decide on changing jobs. Write these down for clarity and talk to a senior colleague or friend who’s been working for some time and has an idea about the high and low tides of the job market. It is seldom wise to make such decisions in isolation. Talking always helps.

Make peace with your decision to quit

If you haven’t been impulsive and have thought this job transition through, you need to put behind any feelings of guilt you might be experiencing. Be loyal to yourself first, and then the company. You may have had a long and fruitful association with the organization, however, if you have realized there is no more scope for you to grow as a professional and that you desire more from your career, resigning is the best thing to do.

End Well

If you’ve been reading our previous posts, you must have noticed the stress we have been laying on this particular point. We are going to repeat it for you anyway. No matter what the reason for your resignation is, you must end your relationship with your current organization gracefully. It is more important for you to end well than start well, if you’ve landed a job with another company, you’ve quite obviously already made an impression! Ending on good terms, despite differences, sets you apart as a thorough professional.

Handover

The notice period will be your last few working days at the organization before your job transition. Winding up can be an exhausting process. Give the organization what you owe it and, make sure you receive what the organization owes you. Discuss this with the HR to avoid any last minute confusion regarding your cumulative pay at the end of your notice period, and/or any bonuses, benefits, insurance, share values you should receive.

Bonus Tip : Keep Calm and  Chant  “this too shall pass” – the odds of faith in the face of doubt! 🙂

Be #HappyInTheNow 🙂

5 Ways to End Your Day for A Super Productive Next Day

5 Ways to End Your Day for A Super Productive Next Day

by | Oct 23, 2016 | Managing Yourself, Motivation, Productivity, World of Work

There are ways in which you can begin your day to make it super productive. There are also ways in which you can end your day to celebrate your productivity. The latter paves way for a super productive next day. These changes in your lifestyle don’t cost anything and don’t take up much time. What they do is, make a world of difference to your happiness levels and your productivity.

  1. Express gratitude

    Think about all the good things that have come your way today. Even if it wasn’t the best day of your life. Find one thing that you feel grateful, or privileged about, dwell on it and experience the warmth and comfort of that feeling. Be thankful for everything that has come your way and everything that you have consciously worked towards. Expressing gratitude is the best thing you can do to pave way for more moments to be grateful for.

  2. Make a to-do list for tomorrow

    Keep a journal and jot down what you would like to accomplish tomorrow. Take into consideration the kind of tasks you are setting for yourself and if you will be able to accomplish them in the given period of time. Set practical goals and work towards achieving them. This way, when you end the next day you will have a clear idea of the progress you’ve made.

  3. Connect with your partner

    Connect with your partner, or a loved one and tell them how important they are for you and how grateful you are to be able to share your life with them. Switch off from work completely (yes – hide that smartphone away from yourself). Give yourself and your loved ones your full attention. Besides the obvious rewards this will bring your way, you will also be refreshed and recharged for a productive next day.

  4. Set things in place for the next morning

    Decide what you want to wear, what you are having for breakfast, arrange your work materials and your lunch ingredients. These are simple things that you must always take care at the end of the day so that they don’t eat into your mornings which have the potential to be the most productive time of your day.

  5. Let go and accept 

    If it hasn’t been one of your best days, tell yourself that it is okay. Accept what happened and let go. If it bothers you a lot, write it out or speak about it to someone but do not let it affect a day which is yet to begin. Make sure you go to sleep with a clear mind and conscience, so that when you are up the next morning, you are all set to take on the world!

It is amazing how doing the simplest things can tap into an inner source of productivity we never even knew existed. Even if the day hasn’t been the happiest, or the most productive, make a conscious effort to end it well. Clear out the feelings of dissatisfaction, to pave way for a good night’s sleep, and an amazingly productive next day!