WANT TO RECOGNISE THE CHARACTERS OF YOUR TEAM AND COLLEAGUES?
We have recognised 5 different personas that we think most people will find describes their preferred homeworker style. Can you see yourself or others in the following personalities?
THE HAPPY CAMPER
This person thrives on order, discipline and a regime. You won’t find them walking around the house taking calls and using mobile tech. They are far more likely to hunker down in a study or spare bedroom, with a flask of coffee, dressed for work and wanting as few disruptions as possible. Once they are in the zone, that’s it – they will be in the flow until they realise it is time for the daily Boris update and they’ve achieved their goals for the day.
If you’re this persona our advice is: Although routine is important, it’s also crucial to afford yourself regular breaks, as you would naturally get in the workplace, either in conversation with a colleague or standing at the coffee machine. Make sure you get up and walk around during these breaks, ensuring that you vary your posture throughout the day.
THE WANDERING NOMAD
Never happy to sit for long in one place, this home worker is probably used to an agile working environment and chooses the best setting for the task in hand. Seeking out the right environment for each individual job on their to-do list may be adding a few minutes to each working day but they are enjoying the freedom of viewing their home as an oasis of choice. The breakfast bar, the sofa, a soak in the bath – they all fit one of the tasks for today.
If you recognise this style of working, our advice is: You’re a true agile worker. Explore every option available to you; you’ll probably find you produce better work as a result. Make sure you don’t forget the importance of good posture though – every work environment is worth trying out, but if it’s going to damage your body in the long-term, think again.
THE RESOURCEFUL ESCAPIST
Allowed only one escape from their nest for some daily exercise, this colleague is feeling a little claustrophobic. But they are imaginative and resourceful, soon finding new stimulus around the house – a report to lose themselves in, a video to spark a thought, a sound to stimulate an idea. They are most likely to do their best work away from a desk, somewhere where stimulus is rife at the heart of the home - perhaps in the lounge or the kitchen.
We suggest the Resourceful Escapist considers: Don’t forget that different furniture styles and arrangements can also be a source of inspiration. Try rearranging your furnishings in a way that you haven’t done before, always aware of your posture, and see if it bears any fruit. You should also make use of that ‘one walk a day’ – pick a project before you leave the house and let your mind wander.
THE COMMUNICATION CRAVER
Technology is a blessing to this colleague. They could not survive without the open comms to the world outside. They thrive off interaction with others, and, for that reason, the office environment is a lost comfort right now. They’ll likely be making the most of the wide variety of video conferencing facilities and collaborative working platforms, and they’ll never be found too far from their mobile phone (probably phones, plural!). Most likely to establish a ‘base’ working environment, perhaps a desk or dining table, they will tour the house regularly as they communicate with others.
If this sounds like you, we advise: Collaboration and regular touchpoints with colleagues is great practice and you should be commended for making the most of the digital solutions available to you. Concentration is important too, however, and colleagues will not always be around to satisfy your needs. Try to create an atmosphere in your home working environment which mimics the office; play radio shows and podcasts as background noise perhaps.
THE BACK-FOOT JUGGLER
Staying sane while balancing work demands with the kids home-schooling, the dog wanting exercise and interpreting the contents of the fridge into some form of lunch, are what keeps this master of improvisation ticking. Homeworking for them is a perennial puzzle – how can you dovetail all aspects of your life under one roof? Thankfully, they are masters of improvisation and, as new challenges emerge, they will constantly imagine new ways of working around them.
Our advice to stay on the front foot: You probably miss the relative calm of the workplace and, be assured, you’re not alone! However, think of this time as a chance to experiment with agile working, adapting to new working environments and varying your daily routine and posture. That being said, make sure you retain a ‘base’ workspace, a desk or corner of the room which you can make your own, and set boundaries around disruption if you’re working in that area.
HAVEN’T TRIED OUR QUIZ YET?
DISCOVER YOUR HOMEWORKER PERSONALITY
We have put together a short little quiz, which will help you identify your ‘homeworker style’, and added some tips to help you adapt to a new pattern of work in these changing times.
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?
This exercise reminds us that we are all different. Every one of us will find a unique style of homeworking that suits us and our surroundings.
These varying personalities also apply in the office. We all work differently and, in an ideal world, the office should cater for this: for different tasks, different characters and different preferred ways of working. This is what we do at Kinnarps. We design workplaces that cater for the diverse needs of each organisation.
We have a process to discover what that looks like, uniquely, for each client.
It is called Next Office®.
Perhaps, while you don’t have the everyday frustrations of office life, now is the time to consider what the most suitable workspace will be for your team when they all have the opportunity to start working in close proximity again. We would love to help you use the weeks ahead to start thinking about a new way of working.
Want to hear more?
Start a conversation below and we’ll present some ideas (via VC or telephone) on how we might help kick-start the process for you.
