Homework. Why freelancing is not for everyone

New technologies allow people to work at home, alone, without my colleagues in the General office. Good or bad from the point of view of psychological comfort? And if this comfort without a “counter” situational efforts of the employer? Recently I have experienced the transformation from human office in freelancer. Quite the experience.

I worked 15 years in the office. The reorganization of our institution over the words of an employer: “From tomorrow you are invited to the cooperation in civil contract”.

Wow! No lifting at 6 am, two direct on the way to work (who moved from “the Golden gate” at the “Theater” in the rush hour will understand), no tightness in the bus. And infinitely a lot of free time — 2.5 hours I daily spent on the road, will my same wage. And all slowly, without strain.

Naive chicken.

Breaking

The first days I still get up at 6 am affected by long-standing habit. But what to do in six hours? Well, morning exercises, shower. Seven. What’s next? Pets accustomed themselves to gather in the morning, my help, their just annoying. Breakfast? I had Breakfast at work. Moreover, after physical exercise less than two hours, that is, all the food will go to fat. Work? At seven o’clock? Somehow not that… to Go for a walk in a nearby Park? What is happiness?.. Means — Facebook, news sites, movies, on viewing which did not exist before time. Two weeks later, the body rebelled against such abuse and started to Wake up at eight. Another thing.

In the evening the saving signal is “early tomorrow morning for work” is also very soon found out: the reason to go to bed at 23:00 was gone. Again Facebook, chatting with friends, movies. Chronic lack of sleep. By itself there was a need for daytime sleep.

All years built mode went to hell, pajamas were very comfortable working uniforms, sofa perfectly fulfilled the functions of a dining table. However, at 13:00 I felt like a Pavlov’s dog — it seemed, even hear the call of the office at lunchtime, and at 18:00 I wanted to break and flee on the subway. Here is taming.

I thought I have a lot of free time and all the time. But I don’t have time. Orders, the fulfilment of which the office was spent relatively little time at home, “chew”, like the body. Hell! In the kitchen I was serilas unwashed dishes under his feet crunched the sand, dust on the furniture eating the eyes, home were constantly asking for something tasty.

— You’re home, said the family is easier for you to do your homework.

What?!!

Had to grind that at least at home, but I work. And the volume of my work has not diminished. Therefore, eight hours at least I’m busy earning money for the family. But because homework is distributed to all, as before.

I started to organize themselves. Lifting, charging, work, Breakfast, walk, work, lunch, walk, work, dinner, work. Household chores. I entered in the schedule of delivery orders, I went ahead. Even on Saturday and Sunday I couldn’t relax, for fear that once again will bring the situation to Abraham.

Well, just in the dungeon!

What I want? Get back in six hours? No. Want at any cost to get to work before nine o’clock, and return from lunch break at exactly 14:00? No. What’s wrong?

Insulation.

My communication with the outside world were limited to email, Messenger and Viber. By these means I passed orders from employers. Had money on the card, but there was no public praise at staff meetings and smoke breaks, the order was executed, but there was a sense of useful involvement in the common cause.

I miss the laughter of colleagues in front of the mirror in the wardrobe, jokes for office tea table, women’s talk, in this daily game of human nature and characters.

I began to look with envy on the well-kept ladies who gathered in the morning at the bus stop under my window. Morning I had nowhere to go. For a lot of weeks left to the people only once. When we were walking down Khreshchatyk, it seemed that all the passers-by look at me — a sure sign of savagery.

Need to see a psychologist. So, Lyudmila Karamushka, President of the Ukrainian Association of organizational psychologists and labor psychologists.

Virtual organization

— Just note: to work remotely without daily control of the management, not everyone can. Or is the introvert, which is more focused on their inner world and needs solitude for peace of mind. Either this is a man who clearly organizes itself and its activities: skillfully intersperses work, family obligations, sports, emotional release — he always has time, he did not fade regardless of where and in what conditions it works. In addition to self-organization, still needs to be a high positive personal motivation to their activities and relevant material interest.

Verbal gingerbread. Psychologist Lyudmila Karamushka know how important to positive evaluation, sounding from the mouth of the guide

How to adapt to a situation when freelancers get the order, give the work via the Internet, communicating often with only one person, and that is virtual?

— A person who works in this format, in the same area performs professional, family and individual functions. To succeed, you need to clearly understand the purposes of their work, then they break up into specific tasks.

It is possible to sit for days at the computer, but who for you to clean, buy groceries, chat with the kids, friends, a swimming pool or a cultural event? Office work is just a part of life, you’re doing it eight hours, you have time “to work” and “after work”. And when you’re working from home, you should be able to isolate only hours of work, only for family, only for rest, i.e. for a specific job for a specific period of time. In addition, we need a high level of self-control not to sleep and not have fun all day, postponing the work for later.

What are the psychological pros and cons of such a format work?

— The pros are obvious: you’re not the average regular unit that is forced to work in the office rhythm. You yourself regulate the load, the periods of work, save time and money on transport, avoiding unnecessary office you showdown, etc.

Among disadvantages — consumer carelessness, for example, when a person ceases to pay attention to your appearance. But the biggest disadvantage is communication problems. People almost never communicates verbally, has no contact with others face to face. Not sees emotions of the interlocutor, there is no tactile contact. This technologyservice communication blind causes additional psychological stress. In addition, a person becomes dependent on means of communication, even from their health in the right moment, and this again becomes the cause of psychological stress.

How a freelancer can feel like a team member?

Usually the freelancer performs the order, which is part of a larger project: writes articles, performs calculations, etc. At the same time working with this project other people. They are all members of the virtual team producing a joint product. To members of virtual teams efficiently worked to the virtual team as an organization functioned optimally, the communication must be in the format of “face to face” — at the beginning of execution of the project, during work and upon its completion.

If the person does not have emotional communication with employer and colleagues, feeling of belonging to some group, it does not make him unable to work, because man is a social being. He needs to be recognition of the value of their work by colleagues and management, he likes, when his praise in front of colleagues. And even when the staff person make comments, it is great for him — it involves a process of self-improvement. Most of us, suddenly separated from the team, is experiencing stress.

Therefore, virtual team also need to meet all “collectivist” needs. Another thing is that it can be done another way, rather than in the office, for example, in the Skype-conferences, seminars and trainings, presentations or meetings, working groups, etc. But positive feedback must be necessary and gratitude, and congratulations on the birthday or wedding day, and the awarding of the internship in the Central office or part in the corporate event on the Islands at the expense of the employer.

It depends on the employer, the head of a virtual team?

— Of course. Manager, owner needs to set the tone of a positive cooperation. It must introduce the freelancer in the virtual team. The employer says: “We accept your individual style, work for General result in a convenient format. But there is a common goal, therefore we must adhere to the deadlines which are set in relation to the products, projects”. That is, the Manager must show each person’s role in executing the overall task. It should define the overall goal and the specific functions to be performed by the team.

Second. The head should periodically make contact with the employee — not only to send him orders, but to discuss, to advise, to inform about the state of Affairs in the overall project.

Third. It must ensure the communication of the employee with other team members. Each partner and assistant, for the principle of the team is the partnership and mutual support. Even if a freelancer makes an insignificant contribution to the overall project, he works on success. We are talking about the overall positive install to work.

But basically it is a situational virtual team. Today I am working on a client, tomorrow on another.

— Contextuality — this is one of the modern ways of organization of professional activity. It is clear that the functions of the key employees and partially involved in the project are different, but these people, freelancers, to attract, so they need the organization. If these people are hired, they should receive the same positive assessment concerning the effectiveness of their work, as those who are in the state. If the person feels on the side, if the employer does not invest in its employees, albeit situational, no resources, the latter will have a positive attitude to work. The employer must not be configured for temporary use of the worker, and to working with him. You will agree, are two different things.

• See also: the Way to success. 7 tips that will help realize the dream

Eight hours a day

Don’t know will read this material my situational potential employers. But now I know what to do: now I will take to work a total of no more than eight hours a day. Allow myself two days off a week. And 36 calendar days leave per year as provided by law for journalists. Freelancing — not gallery and not a resort. Just a specific kind of organization of work. The word “organization” — for me now the key.