Office Space

I've heard it said that as time goes on, more and more of us will be working from home. Not sure how that'll work for people like elementary school teachers, or funeral directors (remember when they used to be called "undertakers"? That one may be gone, but at least "sanitary engineer" never really caught on). Maybe we're headed towards a time when the only ones not working at home are the members of the Service Economy... of course, we're told that before long that'll be just about everyone, anyway.

In case there are any among my faithful readers, assuming such there be, who find themselves moving inexorably in that direction, I thought I would share my wisdom; this is one of the few things with which I have more personal experience than almost anyone I know. So what follows comprises the absolute musts for the telecommuter, or if you prefer, the WAHer (or even W@H-er).

I'm not really talking about stuff like a screaming-fast computer or Internet connection... although life would certainly be much harder without them, at least for me. I was really musing about the less obvious building blocks of my average day -- as well as some things I really need, but probably won't get in my lifetime.

I think for me the most essential office supply is a comfortable pair of slippers. I am, after all, in the house, so it doesn't make much sense to wear actual shoes all day. However, since my office is carved out of the basement, features a carpet about the thickness of a grocery bag over the cement floor, and cannot truthfully be described as "heated", slippers are the only thing standing between me and that kind of numbness that starts at the feet and creeps all the way up to the brain they are paying me for.

By the same token, 1A would probably be the space heater, which I don't necessarily use daily (the basement has heat, there's just no duct in my office)... only when I find that my e-mails are all lower-case because I can't bend my fingers enough to hit the Shift key.

The next Must is definitely some bangin' tunes. I have a reputation, not really deserved even for all I do to maintain it, as a bit of a misanthrope -- you might have noted that one of the ways I put people off is by using words for which it's advisable for me to link to their definitions -- but even for me, a schedule of sitting in my office every day seeing & speaking to no one threatens to make me come over all Tom Hanks in Cast Away. Not that there's anything wrong with that (I wouldn't mind being the world's most popular movie star), but I don't even have a volleyball. Music, in addition to its ability to connect with me on a very elemental level, also makes me feel a little less deserted-island.

I guess if there's a "2A" for this one, the fact is that I really wouldn't survive either personally or professionally without access to instant messaging. This probably has something to do with the short attention span we've all developed communication-wise... but it's a life-saver to me to be able to ask (or answer) a question effortlessly, or just make a joke or talk about baseball. I may have more to say about IM World in a future post...

Third on the list is most assuredly "easy access to snacks". When I am working hard on something and not getting anywhere, I find that wandering up the stairs for a nibble helps me manage the frustration. When the space heater & slippers together are not sufficient to prevent icicles from forming, a cup of tea is a big help (I also find that drinking tea while I work makes me feel in some way more adult; I don't know why, there's just something inherently civilized to me about drinking tea. Too many British movies?). When I am working hard on something and finally break through, a bite to eat seems a fitting celebration.

Hmmm.... seems like England Dan & John Ford Coley were wrong after all... Snacks Are the Answer.

The addendum to this one is that I also need the intervening stairs, both as a buffer to keep me out of the snacks once in awhile, and for whatever exercise value they might provide. If my office & the kitchen were on the same level, I'd have trouble fitting through the door.

One item I definitely could not get along without is my phone headset. Since I am, again, completely isolated from all human contact -- see above -- I spend a significant part of my time on the phone. And since for many of my meetings, my primary participation is showing up, I spend a significant part of that time, ah, "multitasking". Meaning I need to talk hands-free; if I did the phone-in-crook-of-neck thing, I'd spend all my off-hours at the chiropractor. Come to think of it, I wouldn't be much better off holding the receiver in my hand for hours on end.

Believe it or not, I find a reasonably professional wardrobe to be important as well. In my early WAH days, I tried the sweatpants & jeans route; I found that the more informally I dressed, the dumber I got. I suppose I should take this theory to its logical conclusion and wear a tux every day. Hey, it works for those snooty maitre d's -- they get paid big bucks for the skill of saying "Follow me, please" over and over.

There are other things I'd like to have -- a completely soundproof office would be nice. That may seem contradictory, given that I've been complaining about isolation... but on a Snow Day such as today, a little enforced silence would really hit the spot. Alternatively, it could be the playroom that was soundproofed; that would get the job done just as well.

Taken all around, though, it's a pretty good gig. However, this summer it may get better... when my present desktop goes out of warranty, I should be able to get a laptop. Arithmetic quiz: laptop + wireless Internet + summer + table & chairs on the back deck (with umbrella!) = ??? Wonder if I can expense sunblock?