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March 16, 2020 By Helen Brown Leave a Comment

Expert work-from-home advice from the WFH experts

Here you are, sitting at your table or on the couch, working from home. In the time before COVID-19 it’s likely that your organization didn’t allow working from home long-term, but in the blink of a week or so, here we are. It’s a smart policy now to allow (or require) those who can work from home (WFH) to do it.

My team and I have been virtual since Rick came on board in 2005, so we have lots of experience in making working from home work. (We do have an office, but only three of the 21 of us are there usually, and it’s closed now for the foreseeable future).

We thought we’d share with you some tips and tricks that work for us to help your transition be more successful.

Practical matters

If you don’t have a designated office space in your home, create a space that feels “apart.” Even if it’s your kitchen table, set yourself up in the morning, and then close it all down at night. Having a work space separate from your home space make a big difference in keeping your mind at work during work hours, and off of work when you’re “home.”

Initially you might start working on the sofa, but after a day or two of that, your body isn’t going to thank you. Ergonomics are important, so sit at a real desk and chair for the majority of the day.

Stick to a routine. Start at 9:00 (or 8:00 or whenever your day usually starts), and quit at 5:00. It may be tempting to keep on going if you’re on a roll, and doing it once in awhile isn’t a bad thing if your creative juices are propelling you forward. Just don’t make a habit of it or you’ll get burnt out.

Create a ritual that makes you feel like you’re heading off to work. For some, it may simply be brushing your teeth, walking into a different room, or exchanging slippers for shoes. Other folks may need to put on actual “work clothes” to get in a work frame of mind.

Kitchen management is really important. Some of my team pack themselves a lunch at night or in the morning, just as they used to when they worked outside the home. This helps encourage better food choices during the day and prevents them from grazing when lunchtime rolls around.

Keep healthy snacks in the house like pre-cut fruit, baby carrots, and low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese, and avoid buying chips and cookies to keep the “WFH Freshman 15” off of your mid-section. After big-candy holidays, pack up leftovers for your significant other or a family member to take into their office (if it’s still open) so it’s not sitting around tempting you. Have some gum around the house to keep your mouth occupied but not snacking.

Life enhancements

Now that the practical matters are out of the way, here are some things that make working from home truly enjoyable for my team while helping us avoid cabin fever.

Follow the sun

One of my colleagues likes to follow the sun around her house by moving her laptop near the sunniest window. It keeps changing up her view, which is an added bonus. Another sets up shop on her deck during the warm summer months. For me, I have a little table on my enclosed front porch that gives me the same indoor-outdoor feel, and I can get a little Gladys Kravitz-ing in at the same time.

If you don’t have a view, consider swapping out pictures on the wall or buy some flowers to add cheer and keep your workspace interesting.

Get up and walk around

Don’t forget to take stretch and eye breaks. You’re not going to be visiting the office kitchen or water cooler, so you probably won’t get as many steps in as you usually do, nor will you change your eye focus from short distance to middle and long distance as much.

Set an alarm to remind you to get up and stretch regularly (Mac folks can try Time Out) and consider taking a walk around the block at lunch or in the afternoon (with your dog if you have one!) on nice days. Fresh air is a great contributor to staying focused.

Other things you can do on a short break or at lunch include throwing a load of laundry in the washer or weeding your garden. You might as well be doubly productive during the day and leave your evenings free for fun!

That being said, avoid procrastination cleaning. And procrastination cat videos. Procrastination just-getting-a-cup-of-coffee-and-oh-look-the-new-magazine-arrived! Promise yourself you’ll look at all of that stuff after 5:00.

Help yourself stay focused

One member of my team who likes to start work early every day showers during their lunch break to recharge for the afternoon.

Another cleans her desk off every Friday, putting papers in files and spraying and wiping the surface down for a fresh start Monday morning. That’s an especially great idea these days!

For folks with young kids who are also home, while it will be distracting to have them in your new office situation, remember that it’s an adjustment for them to get used to being there as well. Try to be patient and grateful for the opportunity to sneak in a hug during a mini-break.

One mom on the team says that it really helps her to take time every evening to prepare a few activities and make a list of things that her child can do the next day so that her child can be directed (or self-direct) a little easier. Also, two parents on the team recommended an amazing, constantly-updated Google doc created by a teacher that outlines free subscriptions your child can access, and there’s another Google doc here with ideas for parents of younger kids.

Don’t eat lunch at your desk

Make a separate space for your work and your lunch break to recharge your mind. I’ll admit that this is probably the hardest one for me, but having a good book or podcast that I’m really excited about is a big help. One tip I learned the hard way is to put any open water glass or tea mug far away from my keyboard where I can still reach it but it won’t do any damage if spilled.

Create a productive atmosphere

If you’re someone who likes to listen to music while you work, play music that motivates you or listen to a radio station that plays great music, educates you, and/or encourages community. Turn off the news when it’s depressing, and put your phone out of reach or in another room so it doesn’t distract you.

I was excited to learn from my colleagues about some apps they use to bring calm and reduce stress in their day. Just because we work from home doesn’t mean we don’t work hard or have tough deadlines, so learning how to manage stress and proactively use tools that help alleviate it are really important for productivity.

Stay connected to other people

Working from home can be isolating, even for the most introverted among us. Here at HBG, we use Zoom’s chat feature to communicate as a whole group, in smaller teams, and also one-to-one. In our group chat we generally have a low-key conversation going on all the time that fluctuates between “work talk” and flat-out laugh-out-loud silliness (especially on Friday afternoons).

One of my colleagues (particularly, but we all do it) likes to drop in random (non-confidential) things he finds in the course of his research that he finds interesting or unusual. As he says, “it’s exactly what you’d do if you were working in an office with other people” and he’s right – it makes for great conversation and contributes to shared team fun. (If he didn’t do that, we all never would have seen the house on Zillow that had a creepy stuffed clown in each photo of every. single. room. of the sale listing. Yeah.)

If a chat room isn’t an option, consider using a video conference instead of a phone call when you talk with co-workers. As the name suggests, FreeConferenceCall.com has one. Or FaceTime with a fundraising friend across town and take a 15-minute coffee break together to catch up. Don’t discount the power of a friendly face to keep isolation at bay.

Join and participate in other groups as well. For work-related activity, there’s always prspct-l or LinkedIn’s Groups to get a conversation going. On the personal side, one of my teammates is part of a Facebook mom’s group that has members from all around the world that has created a great sense of community for her.

Be aware of what’s happening (but don’t let it freak you out)

It’s a thin line between keeping current on COVID-19 and dealing with the anxiety that surrounds that. Fortunately you can easily find reliable sources of information including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and websites for schools of public health (including Harvard and Johns Hopkins which have been referred by epidemiologists as reliable information sources.)

Practice self-care before you start getting anxious. In the evenings, watch an old sitcom or a favorite silly movie. Read a book that you can’t put down. Take up that new hobby you’ve been putting off trying. FaceTime with a friend.

What else??

What tips do you have for others to be successful while working from home? Please share them in the comments for us all to use.

Filed Under: Career development, News Tagged With: wfh, work from home, working from home

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David’s career in prospect research began in 2009, as a graduate research assistant at the Shippensburg University Foundation. In 2011, He became a development researcher for the University of Virginia. In 2015, David became assistant director of prospect research at the University of Baltimore, serving for 3 years. Recently, he was the director of development for Trees Forever. David Joined the Helen Brown Group as a research assistant in January 2020. He earned a B.A. in Theater at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a M.A. in Applied History at Shippensburg University. David is a member of APRA and APRA Great Plains.

Kenny has worked in development since 1999 and has been involved in prospect research since 2002.

Prior to joining The Helen Brown Group, he was the director of donor and prospect research at the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. Kenny is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Tara first began her career in development in 2002 supporting the Major Gifts department at Simmons College, and ultimately went on to serve as Assistant Director of Prospect Research. Since that time, she has also worked as a Senior Research Analyst at MIT, as Associate Director of Prospect Management and Research at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and as Director of Development Research at Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP).

Tara originally joined the Helen Brown Group team in 2007 and served as a Research Associate and ShareTraining coordinator until 2008 – she rejoined the company as a Senior Researcher in 2013 and was promoted to her current role in 2018.

She has been an active volunteer with NEDRA for many years and served on the board of directors from 2010-2016. During her time on the NEDRA board, she served in many different roles, including terms as Vice President, Secretary, Chair of the Website and Technology Committee, Chair of the Volunteer Committee, and as Chair and Editor of NEDRA News. She is currently a member of the NEDRA Bootcamp faculty. In addition, Tara has also been involved as a volunteer with Apra, serving stints on the Membership Committee, Chapters Committee, and Bylaws Task Force.

Angie began her career in development in 1999 at Virginia Tech in Corporate and Foundation Relations and later in prospect research at the University of Connecticut Foundation.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, her experience includes grants management at the University of South Carolina, program evaluation for South Carolina Research Authority and human resources analysis for Nissan North America.

She returned to development in 2007 and worked in various prospect research positions at Vanderbilt University, including Associate Director. She was named Director for Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s research office in 2015, and joined The Helen Brown Group in 2016.

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Josh began his career in development as the Phonathon Coordinator at Keene State College. He then worked at non-profit consulting firm Schultz & Williams in Philadelphia.

He started his research career at the University of Pennsylvania as a Research Assistant in 2005. He then moved over to the Wharton School of Business, where he became the Associate Director, Research and Prospect Management. Josh joined the Helen Brown Group in 2016.

Josh is also a Colorado licensed Realtor and graduate of Lehigh University.

In March 2017, Kristina joined the Helen Brown Group as a Research Associate. Before joining HBG, she was the Research Manager at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and an Associate Manager of Prospect Research at City Harvest, a food rescue organization. Kristina started her non-profit career as a legal assistant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2004.  She is a member of Apra and Apra Greater New York. She was Apra Greater New York’s Director of Programming from June 2014 to May 2016. Kristina graduated from The University of Chicago and the Bard Graduate Center.

Grace began her career in development in 2001 as Executive Assistant to the Chief Development Officer with Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a Harvard Medical School-affiliated academic medical center.

In 2003, she became a prospect researcher for the BWH principal and major gifts team and spent the next 11 years in various research positions with BWH, culminating as Assistant Director of Prospect Research. She has been affiliated with The Helen Brown Group since January 2014.

Heather began her career in 2002 as a prospect research coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and then moved to Carroll College in 2004.

In 2005, Heather began working on her own as a freelancer and eventually started her own consulting firm, Willis Research Services, in 2007. She joined The Helen Brown Group in 2012.

Heather is a member of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement and the Montana Nonprofit Association.

Jennifer began her career in development at her alma mater, Wheaton College, where she was an administrative assistant for the major gifts department.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in March 2008. She earned a master’s degree in library science from the Southern Connecticut State University in May 2009. Jennifer is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Rick has been a member of the Helen Brown Group team since 2005. Prior to joining HBG, Rick was director of research at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. Rick has worked in development since 1996, both in prospect research and major gifts fund raising. His experience includes the University of Vermont, Phillips Exeter Academy and St. Paul’s School.

Rick is past president of NEDRA and is a member of and frequent volunteer for APRA.

Josh began his career in development as the Phonathon Coordinator at Keene State College. He then worked at non-profit consulting firm Schultz & Williams in Philadelphia.

He started his research career at the University of Pennsylvania as a Research Assistant in 2005. He then moved over to the Wharton School of Business, where he became the Associate Director, Research and Prospect Management. Josh joined the Helen Brown Group in 2016.

Josh is also a Colorado licensed Realtor and graduate of Lehigh University.

Mandi has worked in prospect research and management since 2006. She began her development career as a research analyst in development research at City of Hope, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in Los Angeles. From there, she became the manager of prospect development at Huntington Memorial Hospital, a community hospital in Pasadena, CA. Most recently, she was the associate director of prospect research and management at Occidental College, a private liberal arts college in LA.

Mandi has a BA degree in print journalism from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree of library and information science from UCLA.

She joined the Helen Brown Group in May 2019.

Kelly began her career in development in 2008 as an administrative assistant in Major Gifts at Wheaton College.

In 2010, she became a research analyst at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the Division of Development & Jimmy Fund as part of the prospect identification team. Kelly joined The Helen Brown Group in 2013.

She is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Jayme began her career in development in 2008 at the Rutgers University Foundation, where she spent the next seven years, first in prospect management and then prospect research. She spent several years at Monmouth University as their senior prospect research analyst, working with the fundraising staff, university president, and top leadership. She has worked as both a volunteer and consultant for non-profits in the areas of research and writing.

She earned a bachelor of arts degree from Drew University and a master of communication and information sciences from Rutgers University. She is a member of APRA.

Jayme joined The Helen Brown Group in April 2019.

Julie has managed finances for The Helen Brown Group since its founding.

In her spare time, she is an editor for the PBS series Masterpiece at WGBH. Julie was nominated twice for an Emmy award for her work on the PBS show Zoom.

Heather began her career in development in 2001 as a prospect researcher for National Wildlife Federation (NWF). She was with NWF for more than thirteen years, including nearly five years as director of research and analytics. Heather is a former secretary of the board of directors of APRA-Metro DC.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in October 2014.

David began his career in development at The Gunnery school in northwest Connecticut in 2011, where he worked in database management and prospect research. Subsequently, he joined the College of Saint Rose as a development research analyst before leading Albany Medical Center Foundation’s prospect research efforts as Associate Director of Prospect Research. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Siena College and is a member of APRA and CASE.

Michele began her career in development in 2012 when she joined the UC Berkeley corporate and foundation relations team as a development analyst. She spent a year and a half at Cal before returning to UC Davis as a prospect analyst. She was with the prospect management and relations team at UC Davis for almost three years prior to joining the research and relationship management team at George Washington University as a Senior Prospect Analyst in 2016.

Michele received her BA in creative writing from Florida State University and her MA in higher education leadership from CSU Sacramento. She currently resides in Northern Virginia, is a member of Apra International, and serves as the social media chair for Apra Metro DC. Michele joined The Helen Brown Group in July 2018.

Angie has worked in development since 2002, partnering with a wide range of nonprofit institutions. She began her professional career at Vanderbilt University in research and prospect development.

She has also worked with a number of community nonprofits in front-line fundraising, grant-writing, and event management. Angie holds an MPA in Nonprofit Management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and a BS in Journalism from Middle Tennessee State University. She resides in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a member of AFP Nashville and APRA MidSouth, where she has been active on the executive team.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in October 2015.

Maureen has been a part of the non-profit world since 1991. She started out in annual giving at Harvard Law School and continued her career as director of annual/special gifts at UC Santa Cruz.

In 1999 she made the switch from front-line fundraising to serve as director of prospect research/management at Bentley University and in 2001 began her role as administrator for the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester. She became part of the HBG team in September of 2011.

Helen has been a development professional since 1987. Her previous experience includes The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Albert Einstein Institution, Boston College, the Harvard School of Public Health and Northeastern University.

Currently she works with a variety of clients to establish, benchmark and re-align research departments; identify major gift prospects; and train researchers and other fundraisers through on-site and web-based training services.Helen is a former member of the board of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA) and is past president of the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA). In 2006 she received the NEDRA Ann Castle Award for service to the prospect research community.

Helen is Special Advisor on Fundraising to the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester and is a member of the board of directors of Factary Ltd. (Bristol, UK). She is a member of NEDRA, APRA, the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP), Women In Development, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Researchers in Fundraising (UK).

Helen is a frequent speaker and has led seminars for a number of professional associations, including Action Planning, AFP, APRA, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), NEDRA, RIF, the Planned Giving Council of Central Massachusetts, the Georgia Center on Nonprofits, the International Fundraising Congress and Resource Alliance.

Helen is also co-author (with Jen Filla) of the book, Prospect Research for Fundraisers (Wiley & Sons, 2013).

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