BLOG number two! Another tough day at the office! Actually, I was working from home, but that just means I don't get to move from my screen & telephone at all.

Home working is great. The theory is that you can get your work/life balance oriented to your needs, because you can fit the little personal chores (take the kids to school, get a hair cut, pop into the village shop ...) in those moments of low productivity. The reality is that you 'just pop into the study ...' when you go to put the kettle on in the morning, and the next thing you know, your wife is handing you the cup of tea you were supposed to make for her an hour and a half ago! (As you can tell, I have a very understanding wife who can see that dealing with the overnight email is far more important (and urgent) than simply getting a cup of tea ... or walking the dog, or getting dressed!). Another 'moment' passes and your kids are coming to kiss you 'goodnight'!

Don't get me wrong, I'm a great believer in home working. It's just that there are days when its too easy to shut the door and work non-stop for 16 hours! The downside with home working, is that there is no-one there to see you in the office from dawn 'til dusk!

If you have the opportunity to work from home, take it, but temper your joy of working in your pyjamas, by taking the time to visit your office at least once a week, even if its just to hang out by the coffee machine and catch up on the gossip. Its amazing how much better you feel, and how much better you stay connected to the business.

I've got to get onto the evening conference calls now... I'll try to get onto some leisure activities next time.

Best regards,

Nigel.