Working From Home. Karen Mangia

of other day‐to‐day stuff that was uncomfortable, difficult, grueling, and … well, everything you imagine it to be. They say in racing that you have to move slow to go fast. Now, out of the car, those words had never been truer.

      Because trying to go faster is how most of us live our lives, right? Racing from one commitment to the next. From one thought to the next. Trying to shave seconds off every task in our own race against the clock. When you can't do what you used to do, because of unexpected circumstances, you don't want to go slow. But in order to make a comeback, you have to shift your mindset. You have to be open to seeing things in a new way.

      There were two words that came into my life when I was in recovery. I said these words to my doctors, my family, and myself. I still do. Here they are: #ChallengeAccepted.

      Life happens. The global pandemic happened. Nobody wanted it. Nobody asked for it. But, here we are. Challenge. Accepted.

      We have to accept the challenge that life has given us. This book is going to give you the pole position on conquering those challenges. This book will give you a fresh perspective on the new normal. Karen will show you how to make working from home work for you.

In less than 18 months, I was walking, training, and driving better than before. Not only did I improve on everything I did before the accident, I also learned something new. I learned to dance. I became a contestant on the 2016 season of Dancing with the Stars. Did I ever think I would be doing the jive and the Viennese Waltz in front of a national television audience? Well, it was another unexpected series of events. I said, “Challenge accepted.” My dance partner, Sharna Burgess, and I made it to the top two . . . but came in as runners‐up. When one of the judges said I was the best male dancer they had ever had on the show, I was so grateful and honored and . . . blown away. I realized something in that moment: the past does not define us. Are you with me?

      Today, I'm back to racing – I just ran at the Texas Motor Speedway in front of zero fans. And yes, it was strange. People ask me if I'm nervous when I get back in the car. I tell them that love is stronger than fear. I tell them that I can't let what happened to me keep me from being who I am. I tell them I want to win. Nerves, fear, disappointment, and surprises are part of the game of life. But so is victory. So is learning to dance in ways you never thought you could. Are you ready to get on the right track?

      Life hands all of us unexpected circumstances. Luckily it also hands us courage. And passion. And the ability to choose how we react to whatever we've got. That's what Karen knows, and shares, in this book.

      Getting back to work is hard in the new normal. Believe me, I know how that feels – we are all making adjustments and finding out what adaptability really means. Karen will show you how to adapt. How to shift into a new approach to success – because victory might be closer than you think.

      Even when the unexpected knocks you out of the race, you can still bounce back. Even from a global setback. That's how human beings are wired.

      It's time to start your engines. And maybe even learn some new choreography.

Something that may have started far away from where you are has forced you into unexpected circumstances. You find yourself in a situation that makes you say, “I never wanted this.” You know what I mean?

      I think we all do.

      Through Karen's work, and her words, you'll see your path to recovery. Perhaps you'll even see that you are capable of much more than what other people might expect from you. You'll find your way to get up to speed again, no matter what your circumstances. Whatever race you're running, this book will show you how to find the confidence and innovation that you need. And maybe even try some new dance steps along the way. Reinvention is waiting for you. You just have to recognize that you are more than your circumstances. Are you ready to say, #ChallengeAccepted?

      James Hinchcliffe

      Professional race car driver, runner‐up on Dancing with the Stars, and the mythical mayor of Hinchtown (https://www.hinchtown.com).

1 Entering the Shift

      We are all shift workers now.

      Working from home, under current conditions, is more than just a big change. The new normal is a shift for all of us, shifting from commutes and cubicles into a brave new world, where the line between work and home isn't just blurred – it's been erased.

      COVID‐19 has transformed the way that we work, interact, and live. But the change to working from home was happening long before the global pandemic. Post‐coronavirus, much of work will not return to the way it was. And many workers won't be returning to headquarters anytime soon. As I write these words, it's difficult to predict what the new normal will look like exactly. Whatever the future holds, the odds are that you'll be looking at it from your home office.

      This might be difficult to hear, but when the future is uncertain it's up to you to create it. To step into the shift, and thrive, you must create an environment that works for you. The change toward a remote workforce was already underway, even before Twitter and other organizations made the decision to make work‐from‐home a cultural norm:

       A recent Gartner CFO survey (https://bit.ly/wfh-Gartner1) reveals that 74% of financial leaders intend to shift some employees to remote work permanently.

       The same survey finds that 75% of CFOs plan to shift at least 5% of previously on‐site employees to permanently remote positions post‐COVID‐19.

       Based on over 100 million data points from 30,000 users, Prodoscore (https://bit.ly/wfh-prodoscore) reports that remote workers are 47% more efficient than on‐site employees: telephone calls are up 230% and Customer Resource Management (CRM) activity 176% in a post‐COVID‐19 survey conducted in the spring of 2020.

      This book is about helping you to navigate these shifts, so that you can survive and thrive in a work‐from‐home world. My intention here is simple: to help you shift into the realm of success, so that you can be virtually successful no matter where you are. Because work is a thing you do – not a place you go.

      Success is not a location. Neither is impact. Or personal branding. Or career management. Today, you can succeed from anywhere. You can make a difference from your kitchen table, if you want to. You can restart your career and reinvent yourself from your laptop – and this book will show you how.

      As we move into a work world where the coronavirus has caused the biggest shifts in modern history, you (and your company) must adapt. There is no going back. Paraphrasing Robert Frost, the only way forward is through.

Adaptation requires a mindset shift. A cultural shift. And coaching that can help you to make the mindset shifts you need. That's where we are headed in the pages that follow. Specifically, I'm going to take you from adaptation to acceleration regarding your home office space. You'll learn how to turn video calls into powerful tools – and how to know when not to Zoom into a meeting. We'll go from challenge to change, as we learn from experts and top‐tier organizations how to create a culture that adopts the new normal. Finally, we'll move from resistance to resilience, finding new ways to advance your career – even when your career is happening inside your home. Or you're trying to re‐start one.

      You've probably already realized that working from home takes different mental muscles than what you've been used to using. This book will challenge you to “work out” in new ways, so you can contribute without burnout. I'll show you how to address your home workspace with finesse, connect remotely with your entire team, eliminate Zoom zombie syndrome, and even deliver your best presentations ever. You'll learn how to manage multiple duties – from surviving in super‐small spaces