How to Adapt and Thrive Working Remotely with Debbie Lundberg
Welcome to another episode of “Dream Job with Danielle Cobo”!
Today, I am blessed to be joined by Debbie Lundberg.
Debbie Lundberg is a TEDx Speaker, Best Selling Author including Remote Work Rockstar, Leading without losing your Feminity, and Reversing Slobification in America. She is a Performance Coach, Motivational Speaker, Corporate Trainer , Certified Image Consultant, 60-75-Round/Year Golferf, Living Kidney Donor, and Active Kindness Advocate.
In today's conversation, we talk all about how to become a rockstar at working remotely, setting boundaries that separate your home life from your work life, what the future of remote work looks like and how our EQ influences remote work. Tune into today's episode!
“Allow your calendar to empower you, not restrict you" – Debbie Lundberg
Listen on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube https://www.daniellecobo.com/podcast
Highlights
💫 2:08 A little about Debbie's career journey
💫 4:10 Some advice for becoming a remote work rockstar
💫 10:23 How do you separate home life from work life?
💫 15:04 What does the future hold for remote work?
💫 22:45 Does your Emotional Intelligence impact how you work remotely?
💫 27:11 Three takeaways from today's conversation
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Connect with Featured Guest, Debbie Lundberg
✳️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbielundberg
✳️ Website: https://www.debbielundberg.com/
✳️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparkmedicalmarketing/
✳️ Debbie's Books: https://www.debbielundberg.com/debbie-s-books---more.html
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A Deeper Understanding of Remote Work
While it may sound like a really long journey, it's a really quick story with a few paths that led me here today. So I'm grateful to be here. Believe it or not, even as an undergrad at the University of Michigan, I was really torn between a business focus and teaching. And I'm not ashamed to admit that with business, I went out for the potential; but I realized in lifestyle, I really value and appreciate teachers. And I admit that that allure of business pulled me that way. And yet teaching and training and development were never far from my heart and soul. So it's not really surprising that even though I had a 14-year career in the auto industry, and ad junk, I trained with a world-renowned training organization. Everywhere I lived throughout the US, coming together with presenting powerfully over 15 years ago, and really having the opportunity to take all that wonderful experience, and then bringing my ideas, my books in that learning, and bringing it to individuals and organizations. It just really came together so that the business side and the teaching and the development married beautifully. And I couldn't be happier that I get to do this.
I mean, that's really the perfect combination that you get to do both. Yeah, but I always say it's an incredible experience when you're able to create your dream job. And really, you've got it. So our life has changed pretty drastically, I would say, over the past couple of years through this pandemic and we’re really navigating through this. And a lot of us have transitioned from either going into an office or even if you've worked remotely for years, we're not going to our national sales meetings live and things like that. So what does it mean to be a remote worker? Well, often sadly, people think remote work is like getting away with something. And really, the pandemic allowed us to see that it's a viable option to work remotely to be productive.
I will tell you though, remote workers are – and remote work rockstars, in particular – are made not born. And what that means is, it's not necessarily a natural way for many people to engage. At first, it seems fun, or at first it seemed like a minor inconvenience – whichever side of that perspective people were on. But to be a remote work rockstar really means that you are not only embracing the fact that number one, it is not work-from-home. And I know a lot of people will not be happy that I say that but I can certainly share the logic behind it. And also that you dedicate some space, and you really think about, “you're working when you're working, and you're not working when you're away from your work” so that you don't get them blending so much that you reach burnout.
And so the difference between remote work burnout and a remote work rockstar is really knowing, respecting, and honoring the boundaries that you put in place. And I'm not saying it's easy, I will tell you some simple tips if you want those. Absolutely. Because you know what, I've always worked remotely. I've always been in sales. And so I've never gone into an office. Now that I think about it, I've never gotten into my office in my entire career. But yeah, it's really easy to blend, working from home and then being at home. And it's easy to check your email throughout the day. It's hard. I think one of the hardest challenges, when you work remotely, is truly shutting it off. Because it's not as though you physically leaving the office to say okay, my computer staying there, or my work phone staying there. So I'd love to hear your tips. What are some tips that you have for people working remotely?
Thriving Tips for Working Remotely
What you’re doing, call it working remotely.
Because when we say work from home, we’re even verbally blending home and work. And what we're starting to do is either reinforce these unfortunate biases that people had from the past of, if you're at home, you're not really working, which isn't true. Or to ourselves, we're saying, “My home is my work, and my work is my home.” So when we say remote work or distanced working, or hybrid, if you do it sometimes – and today I'm working remotely, it really is a small and powerful change to that dynamic of how we perceive it. COVID 19, lockdown sent more people remote than ever. And even in March of 2021, when when we were a year into the pandemic, nearly 6-10 working adults in America were still working remotely. So we know that so many people are interested in it. Now not everyone loves it. And I get that because when I speak on it, some people are like, I don't like it. So there are some benefits, certainly the environment or stress levels for some people; for others, it's not. So if we think about tips and tools for how to work remotely, number one is is what I shared about calling it remote work.
Get set up remotely.
You hinted toward that about we're not leaving an office, and yet we can create that environment. I mean, I work with people in some states, in some cities where their entire apartment is 420 square feet, and it's a lovely place where they are. And what you want to do is if there's a door, shut it. If there's not a door, then close everything down. If there's not a closed down, per se, put a blanket, or a box, a sheet, something over it. And if you have kids, let them be involved in the way that you have a sign that you're in a meeting or that you make that box over your computer, so they understand and it's not like, that's strange. So set that boundary of turning it off. Much like you, I worked most of my career – not in my executive role but in my regional management role – but the majority of my career remotely. And by doing things incorrectly, I learned a lot of ways to do it properly, and then get set up remotely. You don't want that laptop on your lap or in your bed, goodness forbid, thinking it's consistently temporary. We're blending the words remote with temporary, and remote can be permanent or temporary. And yet, we are most productive when we are in a good environment. So I have a whole list of those articles where I list those things: one of them, is a really comfortable chair, good lighting, and hydration close to you so that you're feeling good about the environment that you're in as opposed to that temporary mindset.
Set expectations.
I hinted toward that every day, if there's somebody else in your home where you are remotely or that is in your home, you might say to have you said that work from home. Well, it's a home, you're working remotely. And you can have a quick power out if it's your spouse or partner, or friend, or parents, or children, and say here's what's happening today and these are the hours and the sign will be out. And then reappear and take your breaks like you would in an office environment. And what that does is it that it takes away that sense of the Zoom gloom that weighed on you. So honoring yourself with the timing, and the movement, and the breaks is very important too.
Master mindset.
Think about that you're grateful for where you are, and for the work you have. And position yourself; instead of getting through it, think about doing and being your best because that's what you have that day. And I get that sometimes people roll their eyes a little bit. Remember if you are grateful that you can work remotely, that you do have the work to do, and that you're doing your best because you are one of the best, that sets yourself up for success.
Striving to Strike a Balance
Yes, and, you know it's interesting, you talk about creating your space. And I think about I'm like looking around at my office and one of the first things I do when I move – I've moved 23 times in my lifetime, so so far at least – and the first thing I do is I set up my office. I, you know, I like to have my dual screen monitors. I always say it's like Central coming out of my office. I got to have a comfy chair. And also creating a space that looks nice, you know, having a decorative, incorporating some live plants to just bring it life. And also, it's interesting because I have a four year old twin, and it's really easy for them to knock at the door. And so I have curtains blocking it so they can't see in because of their windows. And then there are times when my kids kind of do come in, because maybe I'm working late or something happens like nanny has to leave early, but I have specific toys in my room that they only get to play with when they're in my office. So it's kind of like something special. Yeah, but just creating that little workspace that's separate from your house. And also, like you said, shutting the door. Definitely a big advocate of that. And some people, if what you can use as your kitchen table, then during that time, don't eat at that table during the work hours or move everything and move it back. And people say well, that's a pain. Well, that physical moving of it. And respecting the space for the dining experience, and then moving it back does give you relief from that work being present in everything you do. And so until you do it and create that habit, you won't realize the benefits. It'll seem like added effort when in fact, it's added relief.
It's also when you're talking about removing you know that space and sending in different areas. I also want to add having a transitional period. Because if you go straight from your home office, and then you go straight into cooking dinner and taking care of the kids, whatever is going on in the home environment, it can feel like chaos; sometimes you can feel rushed like you're going from one setting to the next. So one of the things that I do is I have an hour transitional period. My kids and I go on a walk every single day. So it's getting outside, and getting fresh air that gives me an opportunity to kind of brain dump all the stuff that happened at work, and transition my mind into enjoying family time. Very smart. We do something similar, my husband and I play with our dogs in the room where we don't do any work. There's no television, there's nothing in it, it really becomes that transitional space.
Future Trends and Directions in Remote Work
So where do you see remote work evolving in the future? Because from what we're seeing in the feedback that we're hearing from people is that they liked the option – a lot of people are really starting to enjoy working remotely or at least have the option to do it. So where do you see it going in the future? Well, in the future, we will have remote work options that are not as much of an exception, they're more the rule. So in 2022, when we're recording this, 16% of companies in the world are 100% remote. And the 44% still don't “allow remote work.” Now I get that, if you're a pharmacist or if you are on the line, there are certain things, of course, that are really human labor intensive. So it's not that we would ever anticipate 100%. But what you'll see is upwards of 70 to 80, depending on what surveys you look at, of workers say that they feel they're more productive in working from home.
So the future is that, remember, if you are in a position to offer remote work, it is not necessarily a reward anymore. That seems like what would happen in the past, certainly, before 2010. And then, as we noticed, in the last 10 years, the last 12 years, there was more toward remote work. And likely in the next three or four years realistically, you'll see up to 30% of 40% even in the United States, who are offering at least some, if not all, of remote options.
What's happening is companies are starting to trust more. And when I say companies, I mean companies are made up of people. So people are trusting that work is getting done. We've seen the success, through sometimes the perception of the forced remote work, that productivity can happen. Now, the caveat is a lot of people were tremendously productive during the pandemic, because of that perception that it was going to be limited. So people started piling on and proving themselves. It's not a pace that is maintainable for a really healthy and health-minded, and human being in good health. So the transition of a lot of remote work is also adjusting those expectations, not starting at 630 in that timezone and ending at eight o'clock every day. Because number one, there are other options out there for remote work. And number two, it doesn't serve us as an empathetic leadership style. So remote work will continue as an option where it is. Remote work will be a reason people leave organizations or join other organizations, depending on which side they're on. And we'll see that remote work will be about efficiency instead of hours.
Essentials in Handling the Struggles in Remote Work
I like how you talked about you know, setting the time limit on the hours too, especially if you're working in multiple time zones, it's easy to just kind of extend and go go go. And the reality is that work is always going to be there, you're not going to accomplish everything that day. So as long as you know, you really wake up in the morning – and I always say, there's a book called “Eat that Frog” – identify the one thing you don't want to do and do it right away. Figure out what are the three productive things you're going to do that day, focus on that. And then one of the things I do is I have a timer. So I look at my clock, I know if I'm going to end my day by a certain hour. And I put a timestamp on it or I put a timestamp on some of my tasks, it helps me stay focused in those areas so that I get it done and not get distracted by other things that are going on. Because sometimes, when you look at remote work and statistics about how people feel about it – loneliness, not being able to unplug, and the lack of collaboration are some of the biggest struggles that people have with working remotely. So when we set those boundaries or those parameters, or those guidelines for how to really embrace remote work, I tell people to live by your calendar to empower you and not restrict you. So I set everything in my calendar at the beginning of the day, put in a lot of, I mean up to 10-12 alarms. And that may seem alarming. But the reality is when that goes off two minutes before the time I'm with you, if I'm working on a task, then I complete that and I'm prepared or five minutes before so that I can take a stretch and get some water. If we are not really appreciating and respecting our time, who's going to?
And one of the things I've learned, too, is creating space within your calendar and scheduling time for yourself. So I called like moments of clarity because one of the mistakes I've made throughout my career is putting too many things on my calendar at once. And so I've actually, that parameters where if somebody goes to schedule a time with me, there are buffers of an hour in between each person. So let's get a snack, or go to the restroom, get your water, you know, and kind of just give your mind a clarity moment. If we're go, go, go, all the time, it really doesn't serve us in our effectiveness. It really doesn't. And people think, “Oh, I'm so good at it, and look how great I am.”
The other part that some people find really surprising is a nap can be tremendously powerful. A walk can be great. And I've had clients say, if I get told to take another walk, I'm going to scream. At the end, sometimes it's the rest of your body and your mind. And sometimes it's moving your body and your mind and getting out of that environment. Those quick this quick naps, other experts on remote work that we collaborate with and a lot of us agreed, that that 15-minute nap that you've scheduled for yourself, you're not sneaking it, there's nothing wrong with it; that is reinvigorating yourself.
If you were in an office, you might go talk for 10 minutes with a colleague, or go down to the cafeteria and get a soda or water, or something. And you don't realize that you'd spend that amount of time, so afford that without guilt or explanation. Prioritize it.
Yes, it's interesting, you're talking about naps and taking breaks and walking. So there’s a way to do both and right, sometimes when you go for a walk to just kind of clear your mind and things like that. At another time you might be doing some of your calls, while you're going for a walk. Because the benefit of that is, it's easy. When you're doing calls on the phone, you get distracted by emails popping up or searching the web, things like that. But maybe sometimes, taking your calls if you're gonna have a one-on-one call with somebody or a conference call, putting earplugs in and enjoying a walk while you do it and how you can focus more. It's about working smarter, not harder. You know what, though? Can you do both?
How Our Emotional Intelligence can Affect our Work and Daily Life
And so, the last question. You are an emotional intelligence trainer. You talk about emotional intelligence. So what is EQ, and how does it influence our decisions specifically with adapting to the new ways that we're doing business and working remotely?
So we hear emotional intelligence as often EI, E.Q, and I'm certified in EQI, 2.0. And what that is, is that emotional quotient is how do we compare against others – not with how emotional we are, I do tell people this is not about how emotional we are – it's about how we are able to identify and relate to emotional states and emotional circumstances within ourselves in particular, and then the relatability to others. So that's the idea. So a score on an emotional quotient or EQ test, so to speak – which I tell people is not really testing you, it's more of a survey or the way that you scale where you are right now – that's a data point, the application is your emotional intelligence itself. So the beauty of it is our IQ, that quotient of our intellect is really set, usually by 17 or 18 years old. And unless we, unfortunately, have some sort of brain trauma, it doesn't change. It doesn't typically grow much, though, after that point. Where the wonderful news is, that emotional quotient that can grow by the application of emotional intelligence throughout our lives. It used to be thought that around 40, it stopped and around 50. Really, there are a lot of theorists now who believe that as long as we are working toward it, and this adaptability, as you were saying, then we are able to positively grow that emotional intelligence.
So we look at self-perception, self-expression, our interpersonal abilities, decision making, and stress management, and those five areas are all around and within us.
And so as we really look at that, like if we say, if my self-perception – I really have respect and self-regard for myself, I know my strengths, and I'm aware of my emotions, then I'm adaptable because I may choose to remove myself, I may choose to speak up. And that self-expression, in our emotional expressions, our assertiveness and our independence, are you able to stand on your own and express your thoughts without it being detrimental if others don't agree? So that aspect of adaptive ability is saying it's okay if others don't agree. And if I'm on a team or the leader of a team, I'm going to move forward with what that consensus decision was and not sabotage it. Behind the scenes or after the fact, well, it wasn't my decision. So it's really moving forward. And on an interpersonal level, it's developing those relationships, and knowing that they may be strong at points and not as strong or as important, and really still valuing the way those impact us. So that decision-making in this adaptable world, especially remotely, knowing that it's important to realize that your presence may not be as acknowledged, and still making your contribution without overdoing it. Which leads well to stress-management; that if we are flexible, have stress tolerance, and we have a belief in our optimism, that even though we know everything won't go perfectly, we know that we can get through and with learning, then that proves adaptable as well. So if we really think about all of those aspects as emotional intelligence, we come to any situation with a self-esteem, with empathy, and with a willingness to listen and learn. That will drive us toward the change that is either put on us, like the pandemic, or that we want to make happen because of where we are in our careers or our businesses.
Something I've experienced firsthand, reading the book, doing the exercises, I've had my first assessment, I did a lot of the exercises and was able to increase my score because it's a matter of learning and putting it in action as well. So I've experienced firsthand that it's possible.
Three Simple but Valuable Takeaways
There are so many valuable things that you've shared with us. What are three takeaways you want our readers to take away from this conversation?
Battle past busy.
Don't ask people if they're busy. Don't say that you're busy. Don't encourage busyness, focus instead on capacity and productivity. Remember, “no” is a complete sentence. And there's no award for being the busiest. So if you get rid of “busy”, you allow the conversations to really be productive.
Strive to be your best not to compete with others, or to be right, or to get your way.
Really decide what's the best for people in situations. And when you want the best outcome, you can be your best because that's your ultimate goal.
Be kind.
In other words, know yourself. That's okay, I include others sincerely. And I say nudge past nice and really have that conversation that's real. Do something bigger than yourself because we don't have enough kindness in the world. And kindness doesn't mean we're soft, or that we don't step up, it means that we're kind to ourselves and others.
