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Notes From A Work-From-Home Veteran
May 5, 2020
Many people I know experienced an unsettling adjustment to a growing reality: working from home. As for me? I’ve spent the majority of my career working partially or fully from my couch, dining room table, or a desk squeezed into the corner of my bedroom.
Friends have asked me about my most important discovery from years of using my apartment as my office. Work from home productivity hacks? Scheduling breaks to move around or get fresh air?
By Stuart Luth
Actually, none of the above. My most impactful finding has been this:
Turn on your video.
At a couple of my earlier jobs, I had colleagues with whom I interacted daily, but only over email. I never spoke to them. I didn’t even know what they looked like. And as a result, even after years of collaboration, we barely had any connection. At other jobs, my coworkers and I would communicate over the phone, which was better—but still left something missing.
Video calls change that dynamic.
Sure, it can feel awkward if you’re not used to it. And yes, it means that you may have to change out of your pajamas. But the power of visually interacting with your clients, colleagues, or collocutors is immense.
