Work has changed. It’s not a place we go, it’s a thing we do. You’re at the vanguard of this change. By working away from the office you’re doing much more than changing the scenery: You’re stepping into a whole new work dynamic, with new challenges, skill sets and opportunities. ‘Business as usual’ is not an option.

• You’re managing yourself now. The office bricks and mortar helped to manage your day. People, routine and meetings acted as an external force to keep you engaged. Now it’s up to you.
• Replace discipline, with ‘awareness’. Nine to five, always-on focus is for the office and you can work smarter that:
  • Learn about your productive times and structure your day around them.
  • Be prepared to connect and disconnect from your work at different times of the day.
  • Communicate your ‘available’ and ‘do not disturb’ times to colleagues.
  • Learn when & how to stop work. Many mobile workers allow work to take over. Develop disconnection techniques such as walking home, switching to a personal phone or changing your clothes.
• The transaction of time, effort and presence for money is now hopelessly outdated. Trust has come to the fore:
  • Be prepared to measure and be measured based on performance, on outcomes.
  • Be open about your whereabouts: Don’t be shy to confess that you started early and took a trip to the gym at 10.00 am. This blending of home and work life is an inherent part of the deal.
  • Trust your colleagues too. Trust can’t exist in degrees and must be mutual.
• Engage with broader communities. You’ve escaped the institutionalising office in favour of the big wide world, now take part. Use online and physical networks to connect and collaborate with others. ‘Social Capital’ – the value contained in your connections – is a neologism you’ll be hearing much more about.
• Love your job. Without the social structures which can turn dull jobs into something bearable, and assuming that motivation must come from within, you’ll soon feel the full weight of an unfulfilling job.