Out of Office: How to Work from Home, Telecommute, or Workshift Successfully(Que Biz-Tech)

Work where you want, when you want!   Want the flexibility to work outside the office? It’s not all “peaches and cream”! There are real pitfalls, real tradeoffs, real hassles. But there are also real solutions. Whether you’re freelancing, telecommuting, or workshifting, this up-to-the-minute guide will help you anticipate every challenge—and overcome them! Simon Salt shares the experiences of dozens of people who’ve customized successful out-of-office work arrangements for virtually every imaginable job and industry. Discover what it takes to run a successful meeting from a coffee shop…manage a Skype call from 35,000 feet aloft…juggle your family’s demands while you’re working at home…set limits, and make technology serve you, instead of enslaving you! Make a clear-eyed decision about whether out-of-office work makes sense Set up a workspace where you can be happy and productive Establish the right boundaries—both personal and physical Maximize your productivity in airports, hotels, airplanes, and trains Keep your work secure and private, wherever you go Stay fully connected and “top of mind” with your colleagues Work with remote teams to build your own personal business Get the job done without working 24x7 (and even take vacations!) www.outofofficesuccess.com      

Table of Contents:
Introduction    1 Who Works Out of Office?    2 What’s in the Book?    2 Where This Book Was Written    4 1  Why You Shouldn’t Try an Out of Office Experience    7 You Are Too Social    9 You Are Too Easily Distracted    14 You Don’t Have the Space    17 You Need an Office for Clients    21 You Need Regular Team Contact    24 Not All Gloom    26 Out of Office Work Style Self-Assessment    27 2  The Benefits    31 Control of the Environment    32 Reduced Stress—Improved Health    35 Community Involvement    37 Saving Money    37 Setting Priorities    39 Setting Hours    41 Childcare and Bonding    44 Managing the Process    45 Recruitment and Retention    47 Feels Less Like Work    48 3  The Challenges    51 Partners, Pets, Children, and Other Demons    52 Interruptions    57 Domestic Chores    59 Table of Contents vii Broader Challenges    60 Isolation    62 Support Tasks    63 Technology    64 Relationship Building    66 Accountability    69 4  Working from Home    73 Where in the Home?    75 Office Contents    79 The Employee Based at Home    85 5  Working on the Road    91 Essentials Items    91 Smartphones and Smart Travelers    97 Staying Healthy    100 Getting Rewards    102 6  Getting Organized    107 Workflow    114 Carrying It All with You    117 7  Rule Setting    123 The Connectedness of All Things    123 Unplugging—Not the Future    124 Shaping Behavior    125 Pros and Cons of Always On    127 Creating a Rule Book    129 Rule One    129 Rule Two    130 Rule Three    132 Rule Four    133 Rule Five    134 8  Work/Life Integration    139 Balancing Act    139 Priorities    140 The Myth of Multitasking    141 Integration, Not Balance    142 No More Priorities    143 No More Weekends    144 A Fair Exchange    146 Stop Watching the Clock    147 Stop Conforming    150 9  Time to Go Back to the Office    155 10  Tools and Tech to Help    171 Videoconferencing    172 Skype    172 FaceTime    173 Google Hangout    174 GoToMeeting    175 Gadgets    177 Neat Receipts    177 Mophie Phone Case    178 Collaboration Tools    179 Dropbox    179 Box    181 iDoneThis    182 Microsoft SkyDrive    183 iCloud    183 Productivity Assistants    183 RescueTime    183 Coffee Break    185 Breaker    186 Index    189  

About the Author :
Photographer, author, writer, and speaker Simon Salt has been working from locations that are definitely Out of Office for more than six years. He has been quoted by the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and various other print and online publications and has spoken to audiences across the globe. He presents topics as diverse as mobile, digital, and social marketing and creativity. He also has a comedic session on how to speak English the English way.   Educated in Britain, Simon has degrees in Information Technology, Business and Finance, and Behavioral Science. He also has a master’s degree in Logic, Text, and Information Technology—but he still has yet to pass high school math! He is a lifelong learner and is currently attempting to learn Spanish.   Simon is a strong believer in community service and has served as a volunteer firefighter, led a wildland search-and-rescue team, is a certified FEMA Community Emergency Response Team trainer, and currently rides with the Patriot Guard Riders honoring fallen service personnel.   This is Simon’s third book, and is already planning his next one—he is also considering therapy to help his addiction to writing. When not sitting at a keyboard, Simon is behind a camera, helping tell other people’s stories—something he loves to do.