Multiple studies have shown that employees are happier and get more done when they have the option to work from home. Unfortunately, some bosses wrongly believe that employees are more productive when they’re all in the same physical area.
Regardless of what your boss believes, its in your best interest (and your boss’s best interest, too) for you to secure the right to work from home as much as you want. Here’s how you pitch the idea and how to respond to the inevitable objections.
Note: I was going to write this column “straight,” with just the stuff that you should actually say. However, I couldn’t resist documenting the unvarnished thoughts that went through my head as I imagined the conversation.
The Initial Pitch
What You Want to Say: “It’s so damn noisy here that I can barely think. Noise cancelling headsets don’t help that much because people just start talking to me anyway. Also, there’s so much visual distraction–people walking around, overly colorful decor, other people’s screens–that it’s hard to concentrate. What in the name of heaven made you think that this would be a productive work environment?”
What You Ought to Say: “I know from personal experience that I’m easily distracted and I find it difficult to re-focus after I’ve been interrupted, especially by something that’s not work-related, like chit-chat. I think I’d be able to get more accomplished and contribute more to the company if I could work from home some of the time, where I’d have fewer distractions and interruptions.”
Objection: “If I let you do it, I’ll have to let everyone else do it.”
What You Want to Say: “There are plenty of people in this office who get special treatment, often for no better reason that they’re you’re friends. And so what if other people want to work from home? That would probably make them more productive, too.”
What You Ought to Say: “Think of it as a pilot program. If it turns out–as I expect–that I’m more productive while working from home, you can selectively decide who might also be more productive when they work from home. That way, you’ll get the credit for increasing the productivity of the entire group.”
Objection: “We want collaboration, innovation and agile teams.”
What You Want to Say: “You do realize, don’t you, that those are just buzzwords that have no real meaning? But, no, I guess you don’t, because you just used them with a straight face. Seriously, it’s taking every ounce of self-control I’ve got to keep from rolling my eyes at this kind of pointy-haired biz-blab.”
What You Ought to Say: “Absolutely. With email, texting, social media, teleconferencing and videoconferencing, our agile team can work together, regardless of where they’re physically located. Even better, when we operate by default in the global virtual workspace, it’s easier to include customers and other stakeholders, thereby increasing the levels of collaboration and innovation.”
Objection: “How do I know you won’t be goofing off all the time?”
What You’d Like to Say: “Seriously? I mean, seriously? You feel the need to look over my shoulder to make certain I’m hard at work? What about that weekly status report you demand from everyone? What about the workflow system that tracks all our projects? You’re micromanaging us even without the ability to physically check up on us.
What You Ought to Say: “I’m very committed to making this team successful. I know how essential it is to keep you informed so that there are no surprises and everything gets done on time and on budget. Therefore, if I work from home, I’d like to start sending you a end-of-day summary of what I accomplished. In addition, I’ll be constantly available via Skype when you need to discuss something with me personally.”
Objection: “Why can’t you be like Joe? He enjoys coming in.”
What You’d Like to Say: “Joe is a loudmouth blowhard who spends all of his time flirting with the receptionists and chit-chatting with his drinking buddies. He talks more than his share during meetings but contributes nothing other than deflecting assignments that might involve real work. Then he takes credit for everyone else’s ideas.”
What You Ought to Say: “Joe’s great. He’s a real extrovert! However, like half of the population, I’m more of an introvert, which means I’m more productive when I’m not surrounded by people. It’s not that I don’t enjoy working here! I love my job! I’m just trying to ensure that I can contribute my best work.”
Objection: “If you don’t use our new office, it means I wasted money.”
What You’d Like to Say: “Well, duh. You drank the “open plan office” Kool-Aid, wasted money on showy decor, and now we, the employees, have to live with the results of your gullibility. What makes it worse is that you could have spent that money on salary increases.”
What You Ought to Say: “Allowing some people to work from home is a good way to get the most from your investment in this facility. Because employees who work from home don’t need permanent work areas, you can increase the number of ‘shared’ areas, which will allow you to expand the number of employees without expanding the size of the facility. It’s a classic win-win!”