To say this past year has been a whirlwind would be an understatement! It has been a time of transition in almost every area of my life. I joined the team at KOMA in December of 2012. Since then I got married, sold my house in Eagan, moved with my husband and son to Mankato, and began working four days a week from my new home office.
As you can imagine, it has taken some time to feel settled with this new normal. Very little about my previous routine has stayed the same and one of the biggest adjustments for me has been work. There are many reasons why I came to work at KOMA – the firm’s commitment to family, the opportunity to utilize my skills in many areas, and the flexibility in work schedules – to name a few. These became even more apparent as my life shifted and my daily work routine needed to alter to fit the other changes occurring in my life. I was fortunate enough to have the option to work remotely once I moved a couple hours away. I now work four days a week from my home office and travel to the Twin Cities metro one day a week to meet with our team face to face.
This new work setting has required a significant transition for me. I’ve found that instead of putting on headphones to drown out background noise, I’m turning on music to create some. I miss out on water cooler talk, but I get to have lunch every day with my husband, Justin. I traded a two-hour drive for a walk down the hall. Several things have really helped with the changes that come with working from home, especially advances in technology. I am able to use an instant messenger system, Lync, which gives us an easy and direct way to communicate. We also put into place screen-share software which allows me to see an individual’s screen as though I were right there in the office looking over his or her shoulder. Not only do some of these implementations allow me to work just as efficiently as I would at the office, but they also are much more interactive and personal than email and make me feel connected and a part of the team.
With time, this new way of working has come to feel normal. And in the process I’ve recognized change – even the best change– can take some time to adjust to. I am grateful for a family and work family that are ready to jump in and embrace the change with me.