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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.

5 Critical Exit Signs – Time for a Job Change

5 Critical Exit Signs – Time for a Job Change

by | Dec 31, 2016 | Resignation, World of Work

Often, Exit Signs are quite obvious, yet we are so caught up that we fail to pay heed to these signs as definite signals for a transition, as signals that it is time to quit the current job and move on. At times we may acknowledge the signs and yet choose to be in denial because of the fear of quitting and subsequent financial and professional insecurity. In this post, we talk about five most telling signs for quitting your current job

Exit Sign 1: Even if it’s a Friday, you drag yourself to work 

It is not just the Monday blues, the blues last through the week and even a Friday morning does not drive them away! You find yourself thinking of new excuses almost every day to call it a sick day and eventually give up and drag yourself to work.

Exit Sign 2: The work-life balance is off-balance 

Remember how we spoke about work life balance in our previous posts? Well, if you find yourself nodding your head to this sign, you might have truly understood how important work – life balance is, at the cost of its disruption. If you find your professional frustration making its way into your personal life and affecting your personal relationships, it sure isn’t a healthy sign.

Exit Sign 3: You have stopped growing as a professional 

You do not find your job intellectually stimulating anymore, and feel like you have hit a dead-end. Stagnation in a job is one of the most obvious signs for you to quit. If there is no growth financially or in terms of responsibilities it makes sense to move on. If you feel your skills are not being made use of to the fullest and the profile does not accommodate what you have to offer as a professional, do give change a serious thought.

Exit Sign 4: You are no longer comfortable around your colleagues

You no longer are able to function efficiently as a part of the team and find yourself at arm’s-length with your colleagues and are unable to connect with them anymore. Not to talk about appetite for even formal conversation. You find it difficult to adapt to the work culture and environment. Office parties are more of an obligation and pain than pleasure or an opportunity to interact.

Exit Sign 5: Your passion lies elsewhere

You’ve suddenly started feeling existential and questioning your purpose in life. You feel crabby most of the time and feel like you have been wasting time all this while, while your friends have done so much better than you. You find yourself wishing, you had followed your passion, your heart. What was it? To become a writer? An artist? An architect? Well you know, like they say, it is better late than never!

These are a few critical exit signals. It is true that the prospect of change and diving into the unknown can be terrifying for most of us, however, we are only afraid of what lies ahead because of our lack of foresight as humans. Always remember that if you are qualified professional, or an entry-level professional eager to learn, or want to do your own thing, the job market is waiting for you, and sky is the limit.

Besides, your first job should not be your last job and money should never be the prime motivation – it always loses its sheen sooner than we think. Our Indian audience must be familiar with a popular beverage commercial – a dashing Bollywood actor pronouncing with great confidence while sipping the soft drink after having sky dived for the first time – “darr ke aage jeet hai!”  or  “victory lies on the other side of fear!”! Err, excuse the cliché, but in our defense, it’s not every day that we get so filmy! 

Need some help with drafting your resignation, or on how to quit gracefully? Read what we would like you to know about it, or get in touch with us!https://www.sincera.in/contact-us/

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!

Drafting the Perfect Resignation Letter – Tips to get it Right!

Drafting the Perfect Resignation Letter – Tips to get it Right!

by | Dec 26, 2016 | Job Offers, Resignation, World of Work

You’ve made the decision to move, have secured the job you wanted, and now have to do the most important bit – communicating it to your boss. How you draft your resignation letter is very important, it determines the terms of parting with the company you have been with so far, and also sets the tone for how tough or easy the notice period is going to be for you. Also remember, if your association with your current company has been a pleasant one, it is essential to communicate your decision to resign in a sensitive manner and not in an abrupt way. Even if your stay hasn’t been a pleasant one, you still must resign gracefully. It is a small world, and you do not want your next employer to hear about the nasty way in which you quit. If your reasons for quitting are due to valid discontent about the way you (or matters relating to you) have been dealt with at your work place, communicate it tastefully and in a dignified manner. Here are 3 basic tips to keep in mind while drafting a resignation letter.

  1. Drafting the Perfect Resignation Letter: The Tone –

    The tone of your letter must be polite and courteous. Repeating what we said earlier, never mind the reason behind your resignation. It truly is a small world and who knows some day you might well need the goodwill of your current employer. It is always more palatable to part on good terms. If you wish to pronounce your displeasure with the management, you can do so firmly, yet politely. Put aside your impulse to give your boss ‘a piece of your mind’, even if (s)he may well be deserving of it! Trust Karma to do the needful – and that would be our advice!

  1. Drafting the Perfect Resignation Letter: The Content –

    Introduce the letter by stating the purpose for your resignation (briefly, not more than two or three sentences. There will be a time and place to discuss the reasons in detail with your employer). In the same paragraph you should mention the position you are resigning from and the date of your relieving. Calculate the date of relieving you give carefully, keeping in mind the notice period you would need to serve. For example, if you are resigning on 1st July,  you should state your last working day as 15th July (in case of a two weeks notice period). Next comes the part where you thank your employer. Even if you need to do it through gritted teeth, you must do it. Thank your employer for the opportunities you have had as an employee at the organization. Also it is not necessary that your experience may have been a bitter one, in which case, a genuine, heartfelt thanks will be welcome and appreciated. And if it has been a bad experience overall, even then the job surely has taught you something. Say thank you in spirit. Lastly, conclude by asking for a confirmation of acceptance of your resignation and about details of the hand over and stating that you would, from your end try to meet the expectations set by the organization before you leave. Be careful not to commit to anything which may not be possible to achieve in that short span of time.

  1. Drafting the Perfect Resignation Letter: Precision –

    The language should be crisp and to the point. Do not beat around the bush or narrate a sob story in the letter. Be professional, clear, yet, polite.

These are the basic things to consider while drafting a resignation letter. There are many kinds of resignation letters. You may want to quit the job immediately with no time to serve the notice period, or you may not have the time to serve the notice period as per the company’s policy. We found this very resourceful site which has samples of various kinds of resignation letters. Have a look here- http://jobsearch.about.com/od/resignationletters/a/resignationlet.htm. This article could also help you if you have been struggling with your resignation letter- https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-write-a-resignation-letter.

We hope our post has given you some inspiration that you can use for drafting resignation letters!

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.