The ergonomics of the workspace – is critical, especially around avoiding repetitive strain injuries that a bad setup can cause. Applying ergonomic techniques will be imperative. Find the best location within your home. Sit in Comfort – Select a chair that is comfortable, the right height, and provides proper back and arm support for the type of work you will be doing.

Assess. Ask team members what they’re trying to accomplish, what barriers they encounter and look for ways you can add value. Identify gaps.Identify areas for improvement and begin to take note on how you might solve for these. Create early wins for team members. Establishing early wins for your team rather than yourself multiplies your impact and builds trust.

The end of a contract can be stressful – wrapping up the project, helping to transfer knowledge and wondering where (and when) your next engagement will be. That’s where a good re-marketing process can make all the difference. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with Hollstadt through multiple engagements and have experienced what a good re-marketing process looks like. Asking (and listening) to what you’re interested in for your next engagement Helping to get your resume updated Meeting with account managers Helping prepare for interviews

Appropriately Billing Hours Timesheets: Your Client timesheet and your consulting hours should always match exactly. If you work 6.5 hours one day and 9.5 hours the next day you should be reflecting that exact time for each day. At any time the client can check your physical presence to their facility access report to ensure your location and time matches to your timesheet hours, or the client may check to see when you are logging in and out of their network when you are working remotely. Integrity is key! Get Approval for your Time: Every Client has different requirements for how time is approved. At the beginning of your assignment you should ask how that Client Manager would like to confirm and approve your hours worked. Then follow that process accordingly. Banking Time You may have heard of Clients that practice ‘banking time’ which allows a Consultant to work more hours in one week than they are contracted/approved to work and hold or ‘bank’ those extra hours for a later use. This allows the Consultant to have paid time off, rather than being paid for the extra hours at the time worked. Not only is this practice illegal it also puts you at risk. For example, if your project was ended early due to budget, the client and your consulting firm would not be bound to pay you for the ‘banked’ hours as they were not recorded.