Grow professionally while working from home
From March 2020 I found myself working from home with my 2-year-old daughter and a baby on the way. Suddenly I had to balance being an employee, mummy, teacher and cook all at the same time! To say it was challenging would be an understatement. Combined with adjusting to this ‘new normal’ I was also working in a completely new role at work and so had a steep learning curve becoming abreast with the technical knowledge required for the role.
One of the phrases my daughter has kept repeating since then is ‘Mummy I’m busy, she says this as she sits at her table and pretends to work. I found myself repeating ‘I’m busy’ to her after hearing her say mummy for the thousandth time.
Looking back, I can breathe a sigh of relief now I’m no longer juggling childcare and work from home. There were days when I wanted to ‘just’ do motherhood, other days I just wanted to focus on work, I felt I was failing on all fronts. Regardless of whether you have kids or not, I think most of us can agree that working from home during the pandemic has been tough. Longer hours, back-to-back meetings and the daily struggle to ‘switch off’ from work mode.
Globally the pandemic has exasperated the gender inequality gap. In fact, the statistics say one in four women are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce entirely because of the impact of COVID-19 (see “Women in the Workplace 2020”). It’s disheartening that mothers are more likely than fathers to be thinking about downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce due to childcare responsibilities.
In the U.S. alone about 2.5 million women have already left the workforce since the pandemic struck and economists say it may take years to reverse those losses.
Governments and employers need to lead the way to address the challenges women are facing as a result of the pandemic. There is ample opportunity to learn from the pandemic and modernise the way we work so that the workplace supports women. One way employers can help create work-life boundaries is by raising awareness about unconscious bias - such as challenging assumptions that a child playing in the background of a video call means less commitment to work.
With the roll out of vaccines around the world and gradual easing of lockdown restrictions in many countries, we are still far away from normality as we once knew it. In fact, the world of work has changed forever. It may be challenging to think about career development when working remotely, however, we don’t need to abandon our near-term career aspirations as a response to covid 19.
Here are some tips for growing professionally whilst working from home.
1. Be kind to yourself
It’s impossible for you to work your full workday at home uninterrupted, especially if you have children so don't make that your expectation. The world is far from what we knew as normal.
2. Establish boundaries
If you’re like me you’ve found that you have worked longer hours during the pandemic and that’s meant working during the hours you once used to commute to the office. Create boundaries for the beginning and end of your day, such as exercise, family time, walking a pet etc.
If you find yourself balancing childcare with work, establish a dedicated workspace for you and your child, giving your child things to do to keep them busy (I know much easier said than done). As much as possible try to pencil in quality mummy time whilst planning for interruptions.
3. Plan your time
Try to work smarter, not harder. Setting a realistic schedule for your day that takes into account family needs and work is key. Set "office hours" and block out time for home-schooling or playing with your child. One of the benefits of working from home is flexibility, so make it work for you. If you have a little one at home, capitalise on nap time!
4. Prioritise
I am still learning to ‘really’ prioritise. Just because something is good to do, does not make it a priority! Reminder to self :) There are only 24 hours in each day so prioritise the essential requirements of your job while caring for your family physically and mentally. Divide your to do list into ‘must do’s’ and ‘good to do’s’.
5. Communicate
Be open and honest with your employer, seek extra help if you need it and be upfront about what you can do and what you can't do. Make it clear that you are committed to your job and helping the company succeed at this unprecedented time, but don't shy away from talking about your personal commitments. Ask for help at home when you need it.
5. Keep your network alive
It can be even harder to network without the ability to have coffee or lunch catchups. I’m learning more and more that the connections we have are so valuable. From colleagues, to teammates, mentors/ mentees, sponsors we should not neglect to nurture these relationships.
6. Look after you
It’s crucial that we look after our mental, physical and spiritual health and wellbeing. Make time for you and the things that make you feel happy and relaxed. Take time to plan meals so you can eat well, exercise when you can and try go for a daily walk. Vent to a friend if you need to.
7. Be ambitious
Don’t lose sight of your career ambitions because of the pandemic. Even though you’re juggling more responsibilities at home with work it is still possible to reach that next milestone or get promoted. Remember if you don’t ask you won’t receive it. Personal advocacy is super important, make people aware of your achievements and use performance reviews to highlight the value you have added to the team.
Please share your own covid 19 experiences in the comments section below, we would love to hear your views.
