I own my business, so I think about this from that perspective (though I do work both IN and ON the business, and have a young family, so I deeply consider both effective completion of work AND quality of life).
Two things rise to the top of my list as we’ve been testing/thinking through this dynamic—systems and boundaries.
From a systems point of view, I’ve been saying to anyone who will listen that as challenging as this moment is, if it happened at ANY other time in human history, we wouldn’t be able to conduct business in any remotely effective manner. Cloud storage, SaaS, cell phones, broadband—these tools allow us, should we choose (or in this case, be forced to) work from home—or anywhere—indefinitely, and productively. Specifically, my group has adapted Microsoft Teams (which came free with our subscription to Microsoft 365, so there was no additional cost to deploy it). It’s super easy to use, compatible with all formats (PC, Mac, mobile), and allows us to stay on the same page throughout the different divisions of the firm (marketing, finance, sales, administration, etc…).
Since the popularization of smart phones, the boundaries of work have blurred to the point that many people make no distinction between being at work or not—since they are always technically available. These days, this demands even more attention than it should have (but probably wasn’t) previously receiving, since we’re all living and working in the same space (except now, those of us with families have to contend with those competing demands in real time…ask anyone who’s been on Zoom calls for 3 months day in and day out how often their children have popped into the conversation…I average about 2 unplanned visits a day 😊). Establishing a beginning and an end point to the day is not as easy as it sounds, but it’s critical if you are trying to actually get the real value of the WFH experience (which, to me, is about maximizing the time spent on actual work (rather than sitting in an office all day when there’s not always work to do/coming back to work when the document turns) so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor—family, friends and personal time spent how you want!).
By Daniel Koffler
As President of New Frontiers, (www.nfil.net), Daniel provides the overall strategic direction and short/long term planning agenda, while overseeing the financial, marketing and business development aspects of the business. NF is an executive functioning coaching organization. NF provides academic, social, transitional and vocational supports to students with a range of abilities and interests, allowing them to maximize their potential—successful, independent, self-advocating adults. After the sale of a majority of the assets of MetSchools, his family’s education business, Daniel’s focus moved to the special education practice within the MetSchools portfolio (including Aaron School, www.aaronschool.org, and Rebecca School, www.rebeccaschool.org).
This ultimately led to the founding of NF, in response to a recurring pattern of students (with or without learning differences) transitioning to college (and/or other post High School life experiences) without being fully prepared for the new expectations assigned to them at the next stage of life. NF’s individualized coaching model works on the HOW to address the initial challenges of establishing strategies for success, while ultimately reducing our presence in the equation (as self-advocacy skills improve) so that there isn’t a continuous reliance on the coach—rather, that responsibility is shifted to the individual receiving support.
Daniel is a member of Young Presidents Organization (http://www.ypo.org/) and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Pace University Lubin School of Business Transformative Leadership Program (https://tl.pace.edu/transformative-leadership-difference.html). He holds a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from George Washington University (www.gwu.edu). Personally, he is married with 3 children, including a set of twins.