Since the stay-at-home order was put in place in Illinois, we have experienced an intense period of transition at Selden Fox. With the switch to full-time remote work comes a whole host of challenges and changes in daily routine. Some changes are positive—I certainly do not miss wearing a suit and dealing with the inevitable delay of Chicagoland traffic. But the absence of face-to-face interaction with clients and colleagues, and the addition of distractions at home have certainly presented difficulties.
Importance of Communication
One significant takeaway from this is that there is nothing as effective as in-person communication. So much of this job hinges on an auditor’s ability to effectively communicate with a client—something that is significantly easier when you’re in the same room as the other person. In order to bridge this gap, over the last few weeks I have deliberately increased the level of detail and care I have taken in writing emails. This has forced me to think from the perspective of the client, leading me to write with more clarity and preemptively address questions that a client may have. It’s easy to feel disconnected from a job when you’re not physically on site, but I’ve found that by emphasizing consistent and clear communication, it is absolutely possible to be just as effective from afar. Having that said, the challenges of the job itself are only half the battle.
Settling into a new routine can take time. However, it did not take me long to realize that in order to be successful working from home I needed structure in my daily routine. After a few days of trying to work at my dining room table (and finding myself consistently distracted by the activities of my three roommates), I concluded that I needed separate working space. When your home life and work life take place in the same space, it’s important to designate a specific space for work. Having a ‘work area’ ended up having a significant impact on my ability to focus and escape from the natural tendency towards relaxation that comes from being at home. While the mental transition to remote work did take time, I found that by having a routine I was able to get into an office headspace, even from the comfort of my home.
While the circumstances surrounding this transition are certainly not ideal, it’s been rewarding to overcome the initial challenges of working from home and to find that it’s possible to be just as effective remotely as is possible in the field.
Article by Jess Holzknecht who joined the Selden Fox in 2018 and is an associate auditor.
