Episode 166: How to Work Better from Home - a conversation with Laura Vanderkam

“It was hard to figure out how, psychologically, do you feel productive for the day when you haven’t gone anywhere? How do you know the day is over? ”

— Laura Vanderkam

Photo by doble-d/iStock / Getty Images

Working from home is the new normal for a lot of us. But that doesn't mean we like it. Or that we're good at it.

Laura Vanderkam in her home office

In this episode I sit down with Laura Vanderkam, author of I Know How She Does It, What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, and, most recently, The New Corner Office: How the Most Successful People Work from Home.

Working from your house or apartment has taken on new meaning - and stress - in the pandemic. But Laura says there are ways to gain focus, force yourself to stop at the end of the day, and make the rhythm of the whole thing work for you.

Working from home won't go away when the pandemic does, but doing it well is a skill that most of us need a little help mastering.

You can also read a transcript of the show.

And check out the new podcast series Work It, created by two women who beat out hundreds of entries to win a podcast competition!

Further reading: Here’s a blog post of Laura’s that outlines her suggested ‘split the week’ schedule, which two partners with kids could share.

Episode 165: Yes, You Can Negotiate During Covid

“It might be as simple as framing it as, ‘I want to make sure I’m the most productive, that I’m feeling valued, and when I’m feeling valued I’m giving it my all and you’re getting a lot more out of me.’ ”

— Fotini Iconomopoulos

Now may not seem like the best time to ask for what you want at work, whether that's more money, a new title, or more time off. Everyone's under stress and putting in extra hours, right? But this situation isn't ending any time soon. And you may be about to burn out.

Fotini iconomopoulos

So why NOT ask for what you want and need?

In this episode we meet negotiation coach Fotini Iconomopoulos. We talk about her background as a child of Greek immigrants and what that taught her about advocating for herself. And we discuss how women in particular can stop their empathy getting in the way of reaching their goals during difficult times, when so many of us will tell ourselves not to be a nuisance, not to ask.

You can improve your situation, even at a time like this.

You can also read a transcript of the show.

Further listening: You’re Worth It - the Power of Negotiation (part 1)

Will They Still Like Me? The Power of Negotiation (part 2)