Discussion: View Thread

This week, I'll be working from home instead of my project office, along with many of my colleagues. I feel fortunate to have a role where I can continue to work without physically being there.

I have worked from home before, but this time, it will be for an extended period.  So, I am thinking of the best ways to arrange my day and space.  Will I start work earlier?  Will I still have my smoothie, tea, and lunch at the same exact times? (I do think that having a routine will serve me well.) Plus, I'll be in the company of my husband who will be working from home too.  

If you will be switching from working in an office to working from home, what are your plans to make the transition as smooth as possible?

P.S. Here is a link to a video that I ran across on LinkedIn, which gave me some comic relief during these times.  This person is self-employed, but she pokes fun at working from home. (Just click the link and scroll down to get to the video): When you work from home

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram, P.E., M.ASCE
Washington, D.C.
------------------------------

Here are some recommendations that I have compiled:

https://engineeringmanagementinstitute.org/work-from-home-productivity-tips-for-engineers/

------------------------------
Anthony Fasano P.E., M.ASCE
Engineering Management Institute
Ridgewood NJ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-16-2020 12:30
From: Jameelah Ingram
Subject: Working from Home

This week, I'll be working from home instead of my project office, along with many of my colleagues. I feel fortunate to have a role where I can continue to work without physically being there.

I have worked from home before, but this time, it will be for an extended period.  So, I am thinking of the best ways to arrange my day and space.  Will I start work earlier?  Will I still have my smoothie, tea, and lunch at the same exact times? (I do think that having a routine will serve me well.) Plus, I'll be in the company of my husband who will be working from home too.

If you will be switching from working in an office to working from home, what are your plans to make the transition as smooth as possible?

P.S. Here is a link to a video that I ran across on LinkedIn, which gave me some comic relief during these times.  This person is self-employed, but she pokes fun at working from home. (Just click the link and scroll down to get to the video): When you work from home

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram, P.E., M.ASCE
Washington, D.C.
------------------------------

Hello Anthony,

I love making task lists.  So, I can't wait to apply your 80/20 Chart to my next list.  Thanks for sharing this!  I am excited to see how it makes my day more efficient.

Thank you for the tips,
Jameelah

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram P.E., M.ASCE
Washington DC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-17-2020 06:52
From: Anthony Fasano
Subject: Working from Home

Here are some recommendations that I have compiled:

https://engineeringmanagementinstitute.org/work-from-home-productivity-tips-for-engineers/

------------------------------
Anthony Fasano P.E., M.ASCE
Engineering Management Institute
Ridgewood NJ

Original Message:
Sent: 03-16-2020 12:30
From: Jameelah Ingram
Subject: Working from Home

This week, I'll be working from home instead of my project office, along with many of my colleagues. I feel fortunate to have a role where I can continue to work without physically being there.

I have worked from home before, but this time, it will be for an extended period.  So, I am thinking of the best ways to arrange my day and space.  Will I start work earlier?  Will I still have my smoothie, tea, and lunch at the same exact times? (I do think that having a routine will serve me well.) Plus, I'll be in the company of my husband who will be working from home too.

If you will be switching from working in an office to working from home, what are your plans to make the transition as smooth as possible?

P.S. Here is a link to a video that I ran across on LinkedIn, which gave me some comic relief during these times.  This person is self-employed, but she pokes fun at working from home. (Just click the link and scroll down to get to the video): When you work from home

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram, P.E., M.ASCE
Washington, D.C.
------------------------------

Currently, ASCE's staff is on telework through the end of the month.  So far, my plan is to:

• Keep my normal wake-up time.  I only have a 15-20 min. commute, so no commute gives me a little extra time in the a.m. but not really much change.
• Keep my same morning routine of stretches, breakfast, and getting dressed for work.  (Although I admit I am wearing my cycling tights because you can't see them in a web meeting and they are very comfortable!)
• Take similar breaks during the day - sitting too much at the office or at home isn't good!  I try at least once an hour to walk up and down my townhouse stairs a couple of times.  And a 20-minute mid-afternoon walk to keep away after-lunch drowsies, in my neighborhood instead of the office parking lot so one improvement here!

I think my biggest challenges will be

• keeping balanced between too laser-focused on my laptop all day vs. too distracted by the home environment.  It seems weird, but I am susceptible to both.
• staying in touch with my co-workers when I can't walk over to their office to coordinate, ask questions, get updates, etc.

What do others do to stay in touch without disrupting others' work?  Informal Teams meetings, chat messaging, texts, phone calls, other means?  Scheduled, unscheduled, or both?

------------------------------
Becky Waldrup P.E., M.ASCE
Senior Manager, Professional Activities
American Society of Civil Engineers
Reston VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-16-2020 12:30
From: Jameelah Ingram
Subject: Working from Home

This week, I'll be working from home instead of my project office, along with many of my colleagues. I feel fortunate to have a role where I can continue to work without physically being there.

I have worked from home before, but this time, it will be for an extended period.  So, I am thinking of the best ways to arrange my day and space.  Will I start work earlier?  Will I still have my smoothie, tea, and lunch at the same exact times? (I do think that having a routine will serve me well.) Plus, I'll be in the company of my husband who will be working from home too.

If you will be switching from working in an office to working from home, what are your plans to make the transition as smooth as possible?

P.S. Here is a link to a video that I ran across on LinkedIn, which gave me some comic relief during these times.  This person is self-employed, but she pokes fun at working from home. (Just click the link and scroll down to get to the video): When you work from home

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram, P.E., M.ASCE
Washington, D.C.
------------------------------

Thank you Becky.  

I have found a brief email to be helpful in staying in touch without disrupting other people's work.  I've received a few emails from people who just wanted to check in with a message and others who wanted to set up a future phone call.  That way, both parties can figure out a call time that works best.

By the way, your note about the cycling tights gave me a nice chuckle!

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram P.E., M.ASCE
Washington DC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-17-2020 09:14
From: Rebecca Waldrup
Subject: Working from Home

Currently, ASCE's staff is on telework through the end of the month.  So far, my plan is to:

• Keep my normal wake-up time.  I only have a 15-20 min. commute, so no commute gives me a little extra time in the a.m. but not really much change.
• Keep my same morning routine of stretches, breakfast, and getting dressed for work.  (Although I admit I am wearing my cycling tights because you can't see them in a web meeting and they are very comfortable!)
• Take similar breaks during the day - sitting too much at the office or at home isn't good!  I try at least once an hour to walk up and down my townhouse stairs a couple of times.  And a 20-minute mid-afternoon walk to keep away after-lunch drowsies, in my neighborhood instead of the office parking lot so one improvement here!

I think my biggest challenges will be

• keeping balanced between too laser-focused on my laptop all day vs. too distracted by the home environment.  It seems weird, but I am susceptible to both.
• staying in touch with my co-workers when I can't walk over to their office to coordinate, ask questions, get updates, etc.

What do others do to stay in touch without disrupting others' work?  Informal Teams meetings, chat messaging, texts, phone calls, other means?  Scheduled, unscheduled, or both?

------------------------------
Becky Waldrup P.E., M.ASCE
Senior Manager, Professional Activities
American Society of Civil Engineers
Reston VA

Original Message:
Sent: 03-16-2020 12:30
From: Jameelah Ingram
Subject: Working from Home

This week, I'll be working from home instead of my project office, along with many of my colleagues. I feel fortunate to have a role where I can continue to work without physically being there.

I have worked from home before, but this time, it will be for an extended period.  So, I am thinking of the best ways to arrange my day and space.  Will I start work earlier?  Will I still have my smoothie, tea, and lunch at the same exact times? (I do think that having a routine will serve me well.) Plus, I'll be in the company of my husband who will be working from home too.

If you will be switching from working in an office to working from home, what are your plans to make the transition as smooth as possible?

P.S. Here is a link to a video that I ran across on LinkedIn, which gave me some comic relief during these times.  This person is self-employed, but she pokes fun at working from home. (Just click the link and scroll down to get to the video): When you work from home

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram, P.E., M.ASCE
Washington, D.C.
------------------------------

Thank you @Jameelah Ingram for starting this conversation. This is a challenging time for all and adjusting to a new office environment is just one change we're all trying to embrace. @Paul Lee shared some of his tips in this ​​Career by Design Member Voice. I hope these tips will make the transition a little easier.

------------------------------
Tirza Austin
Manager, Online Community
American Society of Civil Engineers
1801 Alexander Bell Drive
Reston, VA 20191
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-16-2020 12:30
From: Jameelah Ingram
Subject: Working from Home

This week, I'll be working from home instead of my project office, along with many of my colleagues. I feel fortunate to have a role where I can continue to work without physically being there.

I have worked from home before, but this time, it will be for an extended period.  So, I am thinking of the best ways to arrange my day and space.  Will I start work earlier?  Will I still have my smoothie, tea, and lunch at the same exact times? (I do think that having a routine will serve me well.) Plus, I'll be in the company of my husband who will be working from home too.

If you will be switching from working in an office to working from home, what are your plans to make the transition as smooth as possible?

P.S. Here is a link to a video that I ran across on LinkedIn, which gave me some comic relief during these times.  This person is self-employed, but she pokes fun at working from home. (Just click the link and scroll down to get to the video): When you work from home

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram, P.E., M.ASCE
Washington, D.C.
------------------------------

Great thread @Jameelah Ingram! Creating a schedule and sticking to it is one of the most helpful things to do.

If you happen to have kids (I have three elementary-age ones) and are working ​from home, that might mean your schedule involves getting up early to work and working more at night, so you can spend more time with them while they are up. If you have a partner who is also working from home, it also might mean that you trade off meal prep/work times (i.e. one of you gets up early to work while the other handles breakfast with the kids, and then you switch for lunch or dinner.)

Locally, I'm seeing many engineers having almost no notice for working from home as the states mandate business closures. So, I put together some recommendations just for that situation, because I feel like many people will tell you the "nice-to-have's" when working from home, but this situation calls for a "what do you absolutely need (and nothing else!)" approach. Here it is: https://www.engineersrising.com/blog/7thingsremotework

------------------------------
Stephanie Slocum P.E., M.ASCE
Founder
Engineers Rising LLC
www.engineersrising.com
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-19-2020 18:07
From: Tirza Austin
Subject: Working from Home

Thank you @Jameelah Ingram for starting this conversation. This is a challenging time for all and adjusting to a new office environment is just one change we're all trying to embrace. @Paul Lee shared some of his tips in this ​​Career by Design Member Voice. I hope these tips will make the transition a little easier.

------------------------------
Tirza Austin
Manager, Online Community
American Society of Civil Engineers
1801 Alexander Bell Drive
Reston, VA 20191

Original Message:
Sent: 03-16-2020 12:30
From: Jameelah Ingram
Subject: Working from Home

This week, I'll be working from home instead of my project office, along with many of my colleagues. I feel fortunate to have a role where I can continue to work without physically being there.

I have worked from home before, but this time, it will be for an extended period.  So, I am thinking of the best ways to arrange my day and space.  Will I start work earlier?  Will I still have my smoothie, tea, and lunch at the same exact times? (I do think that having a routine will serve me well.) Plus, I'll be in the company of my husband who will be working from home too.

If you will be switching from working in an office to working from home, what are your plans to make the transition as smooth as possible?

P.S. Here is a link to a video that I ran across on LinkedIn, which gave me some comic relief during these times.  This person is self-employed, but she pokes fun at working from home. (Just click the link and scroll down to get to the video): When you work from home

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram, P.E., M.ASCE
Washington, D.C.
------------------------------

Thank you for sharing this list Stephanie.  #6 Limiting Negative News Consumption really resonated with me.

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram P.E., M.ASCE
Washington DC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-20-2020 16:46
From: Stephanie Slocum
Subject: Working from Home

Great thread @Jameelah Ingram! Creating a schedule and sticking to it is one of the most helpful things to do.

If you happen to have kids (I have three elementary-age ones) and are working ​from home, that might mean your schedule involves getting up early to work and working more at night, so you can spend more time with them while they are up. If you have a partner who is also working from home, it also might mean that you trade off meal prep/work times (i.e. one of you gets up early to work while the other handles breakfast with the kids, and then you switch for lunch or dinner.)

Locally, I'm seeing many engineers having almost no notice for working from home as the states mandate business closures. So, I put together some recommendations just for that situation, because I feel like many people will tell you the "nice-to-have's" when working from home, but this situation calls for a "what do you absolutely need (and nothing else!)" approach. Here it is: https://www.engineersrising.com/blog/7thingsremotework

------------------------------
Stephanie Slocum P.E., M.ASCE
Founder
Engineers Rising LLC
www.engineersrising.com

Original Message:
Sent: 03-19-2020 18:07
From: Tirza Austin
Subject: Working from Home

Thank you @Jameelah Ingram for starting this conversation. This is a challenging time for all and adjusting to a new office environment is just one change we're all trying to embrace. @Paul Lee shared some of his tips in this ​​Career by Design Member Voice. I hope these tips will make the transition a little easier.

------------------------------
Tirza Austin
Manager, Online Community
American Society of Civil Engineers
1801 Alexander Bell Drive
Reston, VA 20191

Original Message:
Sent: 03-16-2020 12:30
From: Jameelah Ingram
Subject: Working from Home

This week, I'll be working from home instead of my project office, along with many of my colleagues. I feel fortunate to have a role where I can continue to work without physically being there.

I have worked from home before, but this time, it will be for an extended period.  So, I am thinking of the best ways to arrange my day and space.  Will I start work earlier?  Will I still have my smoothie, tea, and lunch at the same exact times? (I do think that having a routine will serve me well.) Plus, I'll be in the company of my husband who will be working from home too.

If you will be switching from working in an office to working from home, what are your plans to make the transition as smooth as possible?

P.S. Here is a link to a video that I ran across on LinkedIn, which gave me some comic relief during these times.  This person is self-employed, but she pokes fun at working from home. (Just click the link and scroll down to get to the video): When you work from home

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram, P.E., M.ASCE
Washington, D.C.
------------------------------

Thank you for sharing Paul Lee's tips with me, Tirza.

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram P.E., M.ASCE
Washington DC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-19-2020 18:07
From: Tirza Austin
Subject: Working from Home

Thank you @Jameelah Ingram for starting this conversation. This is a challenging time for all and adjusting to a new office environment is just one change we're all trying to embrace. @Paul Lee shared some of his tips in this ​​Career by Design Member Voice. I hope these tips will make the transition a little easier.

------------------------------
Tirza Austin
Manager, Online Community
American Society of Civil Engineers
1801 Alexander Bell Drive
Reston, VA 20191

Original Message:
Sent: 03-16-2020 12:30
From: Jameelah Ingram
Subject: Working from Home

This week, I'll be working from home instead of my project office, along with many of my colleagues. I feel fortunate to have a role where I can continue to work without physically being there.

I have worked from home before, but this time, it will be for an extended period.  So, I am thinking of the best ways to arrange my day and space.  Will I start work earlier?  Will I still have my smoothie, tea, and lunch at the same exact times? (I do think that having a routine will serve me well.) Plus, I'll be in the company of my husband who will be working from home too.

If you will be switching from working in an office to working from home, what are your plans to make the transition as smooth as possible?

P.S. Here is a link to a video that I ran across on LinkedIn, which gave me some comic relief during these times.  This person is self-employed, but she pokes fun at working from home. (Just click the link and scroll down to get to the video): When you work from home

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram, P.E., M.ASCE
Washington, D.C.
------------------------------

Please join us on Thursday, April 8 to explore this topic more with our panel of experts @Jaffer Almosawy, @Nicolai Oliden, @Stephanie Slocum, and @Melissa Black.

I'm looking forward to exploring this topic more. You can register here. ​​​​​​See you Thursday @ 3 EDT! ​

------------------------------
Tirza Austin
Manager, Online Community
American Society of Civil Engineers
1801 Alexander Bell Drive
Reston, VA 20191
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-16-2020 12:30
From: Jameelah Ingram
Subject: Working from Home

This week, I'll be working from home instead of my project office, along with many of my colleagues. I feel fortunate to have a role where I can continue to work without physically being there.

I have worked from home before, but this time, it will be for an extended period.  So, I am thinking of the best ways to arrange my day and space.  Will I start work earlier?  Will I still have my smoothie, tea, and lunch at the same exact times? (I do think that having a routine will serve me well.) Plus, I'll be in the company of my husband who will be working from home too.

If you will be switching from working in an office to working from home, what are your plans to make the transition as smooth as possible?

P.S. Here is a link to a video that I ran across on LinkedIn, which gave me some comic relief during these times.  This person is self-employed, but she pokes fun at working from home. (Just click the link and scroll down to get to the video): When you work from home

------------------------------
Jameelah Ingram, P.E., M.ASCE
Washington, D.C.
------------------------------