This is a common problem with working from the home office: how to get people to understand it is work time. But what if you have talked and explained with little to no results.

I found something that worked for some of my salespeople who worked in a bull pen: devise a signal that makes it so clear that you do not want to be disturbed. One of my salesman put a traffic light on his desk that he found in a novelty store. The red, yellow and green lights said it all. One of my coaching clients had a payroll clerk who couldn’t get employees to leave her to her work – even on pay day! She devised a sign that she flipped over as needed: one side said Knock lightly; the other said, DON’T even think about bothering me. In any cases where we create a signal, discussion and agreement with people was crucial before the new actions took affect.

Would it be any help if you could get your spouse to help you with setting some ground rules for him and the rest of your family? Often times getting people to be part of the process is enough of a kick-in-the-pants because THEY created the rules with you.

Have you tried a Family Summit where you bring in all family members to participate in a planning of how to make your work life and their life better with some Work Day rules? This would mean that you are clear on hours of work, what to expect when you take a break, agreed upon signals, etc

What are you doing that might be rewarding unwanted behavior? This may sound silly. When I was traveling the world doing management training we often talked about this issue. Here’s an example. What is one of the first things that happens when you bring a puppy home? House breaking. The puppy pees on the floor. #1- you ignore it – the pee continues. #2- you pay attention and take the puppy outside the moment you catch them in the unwanted behavior. Could it be that some of your family members are getting rewarded either by you ignoring them (eg, they LIKE being ignored) or maybe you are ALWAYS paying attention to them in some way, good or bad, when they interrupt you? We sometimes reward unacceptable behavior unknowingly.

Is the location of your office wrong? If it is near the family room or living room it’s inviting, even with a door, to be fair game to come in and break your privacy. If you have a door, is it shut?

Have you talked with other women in your community who might work at home to get some ideas? As an introvert, if you are, it’s so tempting to work in complete isolation with just the ideas bouncing around our heads, we often forget to get an outside opinion.

Bottom line: You want to find a way to get the family involved in the boundaries YOU want so you can reward them at the end of YOUR workday for respecting you.

If you work from home, would you let us know how you are able to successfully minimize family interruptions?

How do you minimize family interruptions when working from home? is a post from: Business Sales Coach for Introverts and Shy

This is a common problem with working from the home office: how to get people to understand it is work time. But what if you have talked and explained with little to no results.

I found something that worked for some of my salespeople who worked in a bull pen: devise a signal that makes it so clear that you do not want to be disturbed. One of my salesman put a traffic light on his desk that he found in a novelty store. The red, yellow and green lights said it all. One of my coaching clients had a payroll clerk who couldn’t get employees to leave her to her work – even on pay day! She devised a sign that she flipped over as needed: one side said Knock lightly; the other said, DON’T even think about bothering me. In any cases where we create a signal, discussion and agreement with people was crucial before the new actions took affect.

Would it be any help if you could get your spouse to help you with setting some ground rules for him and the rest of your family? Often times getting people to be part of the process is enough of a kick-in-the-pants because THEY created the rules with you.

Have you tried a Family Summit where you bring in all family members to participate in a planning of how to make your work life and their life better with some Work Day rules? This would mean that you are clear on hours of work, what to expect when you take a break, agreed upon signals, etc

What are you doing that might be rewarding unwanted behavior? This may sound silly. When I was traveling the world doing management training we often talked about this issue. Here’s an example. What is one of the first things that happens when you bring a puppy home? House breaking. The puppy pees on the floor. #1- you ignore it – the pee continues. #2- you pay attention and take the puppy outside the moment you catch them in the unwanted behavior. Could it be that some of your family members are getting rewarded either by you ignoring them (eg, they LIKE being ignored) or maybe you are ALWAYS paying attention to them in some way, good or bad, when they interrupt you? We sometimes reward unacceptable behavior unknowingly.

Is the location of your office wrong? If it is near the family room or living room it’s inviting, even with a door, to be fair game to come in and break your privacy. If you have a door, is it shut?

Have you talked with other women in your community who might work at home to get some ideas? As an introvert, if you are, it’s so tempting to work in complete isolation with just the ideas bouncing around our heads, we often forget to get an outside opinion.

Bottom line: You want to find a way to get the family involved in the boundaries YOU want so you can reward them at the end of YOUR workday for respecting you.

If you work from home, would you let us know how you are able to successfully minimize family interruptions?

How do you minimize family interruptions when working from home? is a post from: Business Sales Coach for Introverts and Shy

As an introvert sometimes I enjoy bringing in guest bloggers as you see on occasion. It's such an occasion today. I met Sierra on one of my online blog communities. She writes clearly and succinctly. We agreed on the broad topic of - communication in the workplace for introverts.

Most scientists believe introvertedness is a genetic trait. With a little effort though, you can add some extrovert tendencies to your introvert nature in the workplace and fit in well with you more extroverted coworkers. Even though you may have tendencies toward introvertedness, even shyness, do not allow them to keep you from pursuing professional or personal goals. Following are several tips to help you communicate more effectively in the workplace.

Find Your Strengths

Everyone has unique qualities and things they are good at. It is important to know and focus on the things you do well. In the workplace, this is especially true. Working at a job you are good at will improve your self-esteem and allow you to play to your strengths in the workplace.

Focus on Others

Instead of focusing on yourself during conversations with coworkers, focus on what they are saying. Become interesting in learning about them. Ask them questions about themselves. Extroverted people will often find it rude if you don't reciprocate their interest and make conversation occasionally, so make an effort to reach out to them even if it feels awkward to you.

Practice Social Skills

As with any other skill, social skills can be refined with practice. The more you work at it, the more comfortable you will be the next time. If you have difficulty coming up with how to say things to your coworkers, practice what you want to say with them ahead of time. Extroverted coworkers are the perfect people to learn better social skills from. Observe how they interact with you and others around the office, then reciprocate these friendly gestures.

Make Contact with Others

Each day make it a point to talk with one or two of your coworkers. Whether for a few minutes as you arrive in the morning or in the break room for a snack, each time you make contact, you build rapport with your coworkers. It is important to develop relationships in order to get to better know your coworkers.

Speak Up at Meetings

It is easy for introvert workers to sit during meetings without speaking at all or only when being spoken too. Ask questions to show you are interested. Speak up to let your coworkers know you have helpful ideas.

Make Eye Contact

It is sometimes harder for introverts shy people to make eye contact. But force yourself to look your coworkers in the eye when talking with them. This will give the impression that you are friendly, trustworthy and confident. If you do not make eye contact, your coworkers could think you are being unfriendly or have something to hide.

Remember, with time and practice, you can work toward becoming the friendly, helpful coworker that others enjoy working with. You will feel more confident in both your professional and personal life.

It starts with you using your strengths. What do you think about just mixing in some extroverted tendencies? Does it make sense for you?

This article was contributed by Sierra Miller from Job Descriptions. The introverts out there might suited to some of the careers discussed in her IT job descriptions.

Introvert Tips for Communicating with Extroverted Coworkers is a post from: Business Sales Coach for Introverts and Shy