Given up the office for home recently

But the office is still there.

[Crush]

Anyone else like me? I have a lot of employees and an office that I could go to but have given up the office for working at home. I find the work environment has less distractions, well apart from the TV and the sofa :)

The thing is I feel guilty that I am not going in even though there is a hierarchy in place for decision making. Plus I am working and on IM all day with various staff, so no difference really but I get some itchy work ethic feeling like I am shirking my responsibilty.

[ken_b]

Have you noticed any shift in how your employees relate to you?

[jecasc]

I have been working home for some time now and communicate with my employees over skype. Only problem is I do not seem to get any work done. A few weeks ago I watched all about 120 epsiodes of "Scrubs" on the computer in about four days. (No kidding).

To stop procrastinating I now block access to all websites I am not allowed to visit during working hours every morning. Also I make a "to do list" every morning so I can see what I could have acomplished if I had concentrated on working.

Only good that I am a master of delegation and don't have anything important to do anyway.

[Crush]

"Have you noticed any shift in how your employees relate to you?"

Heh, they probably think I am like Howard Hughes. No when I was in the office people communicated by IM anyway.

I have far more brainwaves in a relaxed environment. That is my job really. Innovation, control and looking at the bottom line.

[percentages]

I spent 20+ years working in the office environment, and I'm just about to enter my 7th year working at home.

A few observations:

1. The office was full of distractions, everything from gossip to pretty girls, and personal relationships.

2. The morning in the office was pointless, it largely consisted of chit-chat. Very few people did squat until after lunch!

3. People in the office wanted to interact unnecessarily as it was an easy thing to do.....without wishing to sound "Borg Like".....that is very unproductive!

When I went to the office for 10+ hours per day I believe about 2 or 3 of them were productive. Now I openly work at home for 2 or 3 hours per day and really enjoy all the others doing something else!

My job is to think! I do that better at home in a relaxed environment, I do that better on the golf course, I do that better when sailing. One of the worst environments you could have to think is in an office full of needy people!

My suggestion would be to get rid of the office as much as practicable and have everyone working from an environment they like :)