Working from home presents fundamental challenges for aviation managers says Desiree Perez, Leadership Coach & Aviation Consultant. But there are five golden rules to getting more out of your day…

By now, most of us have developed a routine when it comes to working from home. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it has become any easier. Many of us have never worked from home and some of us only when needed. Aviation jobs by nature are not exactly designed to work from home.

Working from home has become our new reality and it looks like it will continue for those of us that are not in operationally critical roles.

I want to share a few tips that can make working from home easier:

1. Manage expectations:It is important to manage expectations with your manager as well as your employees. What are some of the things that need to be accomplished? When is the time where you should be online and available? What specific time do you have reserved for home schooling and spending time with your family? As a leader, it is extremely important that we walk the talk with them as well.

Working from home is a new experience for many of us. Having ongoing conversations with your teams on how things are working out and adjustments along the way – if necessary – are crucial.

2. Set boundaries:Setting boundaries is an important part to our success during this crisis and beyond. Along the lines of managing expectations, we want to ensure we set clear boundaries around our time. Due to current times, we especially want to be compassionate and be available for our employees. We do not want to take away from this; however, evaluating how to best manage this and allow time for creative work, family time and other tasks without distraction are equally as necessary to deter from creating bigger problems down the road.

If you feel uncomfortable saying ‘no’, a good alternative is to say ‘yes, but’, allowing you to find a timeslot that works for both of you.

3. Avoid distractions:During these trying times, we can be quickly distracted. The news can give us a constant distraction with the latest breaking news and stats. Limiting the time, we devote to the news is very important so that we don’t scroll ourselves to anxiety.  

Another possible distraction is the opportunity that we see to finally clean out the one closet we have always wanted to clean out. Likewise, quickly get the laundry done in-between meetings can also pose a huge distraction.  A good way to manage this is by planning breaks and set a timer for those breaks.

4. Communicate, communicate, communicate:This might feel like something we have heard so many times, but it is important to stress the importance of this. 

If you would have had a certain conversation face-to-face in the office environment, you are able to duplicate the same actions in the current situation without just defaulting to text. Frequent check-ins using video technology are equally as important for you as they are for your employees.

5. Build Transitions into (and out of) work:we are used to our drive to and from work and many of us use that time to reflect, enjoy some quiet strategic thinking time or as a way to prepare for or relax from a busy day. Now, that we do not have this time anymore commuting, ensure that you are finding ways to transition into work in the morning (i.e. working out or other activities) and to transition out of work in the afternoon.

I hope that you are staying safe and some of these tips are helpful in navigating the ‘new normal’. As always, if I can be of any help, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]