[Leftcoast]

For me working from home is much different than when I did the same under non-pandemic conditions.  Prior to this my work from home days were organized around a set of tasks that could be planned for the day, required focus and isolation which I had at home since everyone else was at work/school, and specifically DID NOT require collaboration with the wider team.

Now it's different.

1) Now no one is at work/school and everyone is working on school work or their job in the same space.  Bye-bye focus and isolation.  "Where's the xxx, didn't you have it?", "I need help with my homework!?!", "Can I borrow your cool workstation for my Zoom call?  I need it quiet and want to use your second monitor and faster computer?".   "Can someone get the door?  Might be Instacart!"  Argghhhh!

2) Work isn't specifically planned for a work-at-home-Friday. Collaboration is not only nice but necessary. I'm trying to be good about using concall tools diligently but it's not always easy to track folks down.  Truthfully, this hasn't been as big of a problem as expected. My team has done well here but I hear this a lot from others.

3) It's very easy for small problems to build into big ones when working across departments.  I've spent a lot of time explaining this to folks and telling them to stop sending out flaming e-mails and start picking up the @#$#% phone.  Folks are stressed and it's way too easy to feed the stress monster by sending an ill-advised e-mail.

It sure helps if you have a real office that's not your bedroom or kitchen table.  It also helps if everyone in the family group respects your work time but lot's of folks are making do without that ideal. Turns out the ideal is elusive, most houses don't have an quiet office and reality will bully it's way into the best laid plans!

[Leftcoast]

For me working from home is much different than when I did the same under non-pandemic conditions.  Prior to this my work from home days were organized around a set of tasks that could be planned for the day, required focus and isolation which I had at home since everyone else was at work/school, and specifically DID NOT require collaboration with the wider team.

Now it's different.

1) Now no one is at work/school and everyone is working on school work or their job in the same space.  Bye-bye focus and isolation.  "Where's the xxx, didn't you have it?", "I need help with my homework!?!", "Can I borrow your cool workstation for my Zoom call?  I need it quiet and want to use your second monitor and faster computer?".   "Can someone get the door?  Might be Instacart!"  Argghhhh!

2) Work isn't specifically planned for a work-at-home-Friday. Collaboration is not only nice but necessary. I'm trying to be good about using concall tools diligently but it's not always easy to track folks down.  Truthfully, this hasn't been as big of a problem as expected. My team has done well here but I hear this a lot from others.

3) It's very easy for small problems to build into big ones when working across departments.  I've spent a lot of time explaining this to folks and telling them to stop sending out flaming e-mails and start picking up the @#$#% phone.  Folks are stressed and it's way too easy to feed the stress monster by sending an ill-advised e-mail.

It sure helps if you have a real office that's not your bedroom or kitchen table.  It also helps if everyone in the family group respects your work time but lot's of folks are making do without that ideal. Turns out the ideal is elusive, most houses don't have an quiet office and reality will bully it's way into the best laid plans!