GUEST POST : Help! I'm Working From Home and I Can't Get Up - Erin Erdos' Break Down of WFH

​It often went like this:

They: Oh, you work from home? That must be so fun!
Me: It can be fun, but also challenging and difficult. 
They: What’s difficult about working from home?
Me:  .... *Deep breath*

I last had this conversation in March, just before a business trip to Utah. Before the world shut down, before masks were worn, before everyone had to either work/stay at home. It’s been six months since that conversation and while no one is asking that question anymore, everyone I know has had to adapt to a new normal in life and their work. I’ve been working in this way for over eight years, and there are still struggle points. Let me say that again. I still struggle. So, if you’re reading this six months into a work from home experience that’s still challenging - It’s OK, girl. Take a deep breath, forgive yourself, and take the space to reset. I hope this helps!

What can I tell you that you haven’t already heard?

I am sure that you’re an amazing human who can google anything you need to know. But if you’re like me, having a trusted source is a big deal when you’re researching how to tackle a new problem. Here are some observations and suggestions that have helped me as well as other women in the music and entertainment industry. We’re all experiencing it differently but we're in this together, so let’s dig in. 

    1. Space...

Claim your space. True at the gym, true at home. Claim a corner and tell yourself that this is the space you go to be amazing at your job. If this is a shared space, I highly recommend headphones (noise cancelling if financially feasible) to help separate you from the living and relaxing areas of the house. Speaking of relaxing, I know I can’t unwind with an evening of Frasier if my laptop is staring at me. Try putting your computer to bed at the end of the day, either closing the laptop or throwing a tapestry over the monitor. If you have a separate office or a room that involves shutting a door, you’re a step ahead, but try to keep that space work-specific and don’t forget to walk away!


      2. I’ve got all the time in the world, right? 

I think people can get a little time drunk on the flexibility available in working from home. I’m not judging. Flexibility is sexy. If you’re a one-woman show without a team or client that relies on deadlines, go nuts with that flexibility. Find what works for you. For everyone else though, let me tell you that there is FREEDOM in structure. Decide when your workday begins and ends, and then plan your work and personal life around that time frame. You need to give people the chance to respect your boundaries. Set available work hours with your team, and then abide by those boundaries. This might take a little self and team re-training if you have a history of being that indispensable, available-all-the-time team member. For extra credit, try calendar blocking so your team knows how you’re spending your day, when you’re available for collaboration, and when you need to focus. Once upon a time you may have stopped your work to answer that call, but no more! You’ve blocked time in the calendar; you are unavailable. If they call you, ignore the call and respond later. It will train other team members to check the calendar first before calling or asking for immediate help.
**For Hermione Granger levels of extra credit, set your phone to Do Not Disturb during focus blocks. 


    3. Creating transparency and trust in a virtual workspace.

When that visual element of a workplace is gone, you have to rely on systems and trust to create transparency. As the Director of Operations at Al McCree Entertainment, it is my job to create systems to help the team function efficiently and smoothly. The systems I use daily are: Asana, Filemaker, G Suite, Calendly, Dropbox, Slack and Emma. If you break it down, these are variations on task assignment, contact management, scheduling, organization, and communication. While you may use a lot of these systems in an office, having project transparency is priority when working from home. Your manager can’t boop her head over the cubicle to see when you’re working on a project or on the phone with a client. So, you need systems that can replace what we observe visually in an office. Systems can only do so much, though. You need to have a team enrolled in that system, and you need trust that while a system can’t create 100% transparency, your team is getting the work done. And remember, if you try a system and it simply doesn’t work - that is ok! Find what works for your team and keep trying until you get it right. 

     4. Zoom Fatigue.

It’s a thing, trust me.  Communication does not mean meetings. I can’t stress that enough. It’s a natural reaction to clamp down when you’re in the unfamiliar, but if you’re a team leader I would encourage you to unclench a tad on the Zoom meetings. There are other ways to check in and be present to your team’s needs and productivity. Use a system like Asana to virtually oversee project management and task assignments. Utilize Google shared calendars to see your team member availability when they’re engaging in professional development or in a meeting. For quick messages back and forth, try using Slack. It’s less invasive than a texting group, and you can set the Do Not Disturb hours easily to mirror your calendar work hours. For file organization, try using Dropbox to sync and update folders across team members. For living collaborative documents, try using Google docs to see instant edits and comments from team members. 
Lastly, remember to communicate with your team members on a human level. Encourage each other, support where you can, and hold each other accountable when something can be improved. 

     5.You are not alone. 

Don’t believe me? I talked to dozens of women in the music and entertainment industry this week, getting their take on what working from home means for them. Here’s a sample of their observations and advice, based on real lessons learned:  

     What has been your biggest struggle in adjusting to working from home?

• “The biggest struggle in adjusting to working from home is being home.” - Kayleigh Alle, Marketing Associate

 

• “I've been working at home for 6 years now, but the biggest adjustment for me at the time was realizing my mind needed more environmental cues that it was time to get to work, I was starting to treat it like a staycation - so I started changing out of the clothes I slept in and started keeping my work confined to one area of my apartment and that really started to have an impact.” - Suzanne Paulinski, founder of The Rock/Star Advocate

 

• “Finding a new rhythm or daily routine with some kind of working hours and set time for lunch and dinner is important. If I'm alone at home, I have a tendency to work non-stop, ending my day at 10 pm with a huge headache!” - Fanny Hulard, PR at Undercoverband 

 

• “Never underestimate the power of a good morning routine and a general structure for the day, even if you go off the script sometimes. Also, client emergencies need to be handled with care and boundaries because your time is the most valuable.” - Whitney Asher, Founder & Strategist at The Marketing Mixtape 

     What would you tell yourself six months ago to make the process any easier?

• “I would tell myself to not get upset or frustrated when my productivity and work speed is not the same as what it is in the office. We’re not just working from home; we’re working from home during a global pandemic. It’s nothing anyone has ever experienced before, so make sure you’re giving yourself grace.” - Kayleigh Alle, Marketing Associate

 

• “Keep to your normal routines as best you can! Normally stuck in a car for 45 mins en route to work? Take those 45 mins after your morning routine and listen to a podcast or the radio, or go for a walk. Replace your routine with other tasks, but don't just ‘get to work.’" - Suzanne Paulinski, founder of The Rock/Star Advocate

 

• “I would have invested in better office furniture. Beforehand, I would only be at my desk a couple of days a week or for just an hour or two a day. Now that I'm spending all day at my home office, I wish I had purchased furniture that was more conducive to working in one place for longer periods of time.” - Ryan Madora, writer and session artist

 

• “Get some Zoom outfits ready. ;) Also, put a little more emphasis and importance on the online marketing aspect. Not just the day to day Insta-type posts, but the nitty-gritty marketing e.g. becoming an expert at FB Business, running ads, etc. and get them going as soon as possible.” - Marjorye Henry, Manager of WD-HAN

 

• “Schedule down time and rewards for yourself, as well as work hours. If you’re stuck at home and not much else is going on, it’s easy to just bring the laptop down to the couch and keep working until midnight and through the weekend. The increase in productivity is a buzz at first, but pretty soon your family and friends feel ignored and you’re stressed because the days run together and the work never ends. Mental and exercise breaks and days off are essential to feeling good about working at home. There are a lot of people depending on our work and attention, but only we can take care of ourselves. Do that.” - Nancy Cardwell, IBMA Foundation Executive Director 

      What do you enjoy about this type of work environment?

• “Love the freedom & flexibility of it which is ONLY possible by setting boundaries with clients.” - Whitney Asher, Founder & Strategist at The Marketing Mixtape 

 

• “I've had so many virtual opportunities that I've been able to capitalize on during this time that wouldn’t have been possible in a pre-COVID world….It seems that the industry is a lot more open to virtual networking and education because most of the annual conferences have been cancelled. I'm definitely taking advantage of all the free virtual events that are all at our fingertips! - Rachel Tripp, Pagentri 

 

• “Not being a morning person (at all), I love that my office hours don’t have to begin at 8 a.m. I put in the hours and the work gets done…but not at 8 a.m.” - Nancy Cardwell, IBMA Foundation Executive Director

 

• **There were too many women to quote on this one, but EVERYONE appreciates the lack of drive-time. The commute to your computer in the next room is almost universally appreciated. 

      Advice and Encouragement.

• “I've been working from home for several years, but the hardest part about the past several months has been not having an escape. I used to take my laptop to coffee shops or out to lunch to keep working with a change of scenery and to be around others. It would bring fresh energy into my workday, but now I can't do that. It's also been more of a struggle than before shutting off distractions like the news and social media. I noticed how much that was affecting my workflow, so I turned my phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ for an afternoon so I could get work done... It's been four months now, and my phone is still on Do Not Disturb. It's been a great trick to help me stay in the zone and focused on work when I need to be.” - Katherine Forbes, Designing the Row

 

• “With our industry being the first to shut down and likely the last to open, we have to continue to be creative, proactive and have our feet planted and ready when it’s safe to turn back on.” - Lisa Roberts, Comedy Talent Buyer at NS2

 

• “Joining masterminds is a great way to stay motivated, being around like-minded people. Also, give yourself breaks. Be kind to yourself, we have a habit of being really critical and hard on ourselves. Just tell yourself you are doing the best you can. Make sure to put your mindset over everything. Health first. Also, make sure to eat. When you work from home it is easy to forget to eat.” - Dani Felt, Artist Empowerment Coach and Founder of Music Industry Mastery LLC

Congratulations on pursuing your goals and making it work during a global pandemic! This kind of creativity and determination is not for the faint of heart. To all who are so inclined, go reward yourself with something chocolate and caffeinated. Do you want more information about what systems could work for you and your team needs? Are you struggling to make that home office space work for you? Is there a special project that needs a strategy? Reach out to me! Any WCM readers are welcome to schedule a 30-minute discovery call with me.   I’m cheering you on, and I look forward to hearing from you during my scheduled breaks!



Written by Erin Faith Erdos :

Erin Faith Erdos is an Artist Manager and Director of Operations at Al McCree Entertainment where she has served the team for over eight years. Based in Nashville, Erin is also an OBM Strategist and Consultant with a new website launching in the fall. When Erin isn’t creating a system or nerding out over a special project, she’s usually cooking, making a new flavor of cake pop, playing flute in local orchestras, or watching a lot of Frasier (or Office, or Parks & Rec…). When Erin isn’t doing any of that, she’s a Travel Agent for anyone and everyone that wants to go to Disney World or Universal Studios - a laughable passion project during a pandemic, to be sure, but still fun. Erin also considers Die Hard a perfectly acceptable Christmas movie and will not be moved from that opinion. 

CONNECT WITH ERIN : Facebook | Instagram | Email : erinfaitherdos@gmail.com