How to Convince Your Boss to Let You Work From Home in 5 Steps | Secret Tips from and Engineering Manager
Your company wants you to return to the office,
but now that you've experienced the freedom of working from home, you can't go back and you don't have to either.
In this video I'm gonna teach you exactly how to convince your boss to let you work from home. Stay tuned.
Before I begin, you're probably wondering, who is this guy and why should I listen?
I'm Doug Howard. I'm a licensed structural engineer and engineering manager, and my biggest passion is helping engineers like you elevate your life personally and professionally.
It's why I started this YouTube channel. So if you're an engineer who wants to learn how to build the right skills to take control of your career, create your own opportunities,and become the best possible version of yourself, then go ahead and hit that subscribe button because I release new episodes every week. Today I'm gonna explain how to actually influence your boss. I'm also gonna explain the three rules you should always follow in influencing your boss, or anyone for that. and at the end I'm gonna give you a specific step-by-step solution for convincing your boss to let you work from home.
How Influence Works
When you know how to influence people, you can convince just about anyone to do just about anything. And I mean that literally. But influencing people is almost like learning a new language. It's a unique way of thinking and it takes some getting used.
Before I explain how to convince your boss to let you work from home, I wanna talk a little bit about influence. Because if you work at a company that's deciding to bring everyone back into the the office, gonna have to influence your boss. To clear up what I mean by I. I'm gonna share a little story about a farmer and his son.
Now in this story at the farm, there's a huge storm coming in. So the farmer and his son quickly try hurting all of the livestock into the barns to protect them from the weather that's coming. But there's one cow who's refusing to cooperate. This cow could care less about the storm. All he wants to do is graze on the.
So the farmer and his son start verbally coaxing the cow to move, and of course, nothing happens. Then they try pulling the cow by its collar, but of course the cow is so strong that it just effortlessly shakes them off and then continues grazing on the grass. so from there, the farmer and his son start applying more.
They start pushing their shoulders into the cow and trying to shoulder check it and just drive it as hard as they can into the barn. But of course, cow is so strong and big that there's no match for the cow, so it doesn't even move or budge. Meanwhile, the rain starts pouring down now and the farmer and his son are, sliding in the mud as they're trying to move this cow, and they're making no progress either.
3 Reasons Influence Fails
Basically, they're trying to convince the cow to do something that it doesn't want to do, and there's three main reasons why the farmer and his son aren't having any luck.
Reason 1
First, the farmer assumes that the cow is fully aware of the issue. The farmer knows that the rain is coming and the farmer knows it will be dangerous for the cow to stay outside The farmer assumes that the cow knows about this.
We do this with people too all the time. We assume that other people notice all the same things we do.. instead of gradually bringing up the speed we info dump. We rattle off a list of evidence that supports our case or whatever we want.
And if we're trying to negotiate a raise or a promotion, for example, think about what's the first thing you do. You probably debrief your boss on the reasons why you think you deserve to be promoted. You say things like, I've worked here five years. Taking on more responsibilities in these areas.
I am the only person qualified for this role. I, I, I want, want, want this, this, this,
But nobody likes to be info dumped on. In fact, when people info dump on you, it's pretty stressful and overwhelming. It feels like someone. Rattling off evidence against you in a jury trial or something. Of course, it's gonna naturally put the other person on defense and close them off from, even wanting to open up to your idea or whatever you're asking for.
In other words, they resist you, just like the cow is resisting the farmer and his son.
Reason 2
Now, the second reason, the farmer and his son don't have much luck convincing the cow to go into the. Is because the farmer looks at the issue He looks at it as black and white, and he assumes he's right.
The cow resists the farmer, but the farmer just assumes he's right and he continues to push harder as if the cow will suddenly realize that the farmer is correct. Then just cooperate and agree with him and go into the barn willing. We do this with people. You know, When we're trying to influence someone, we assume that we are in the right.
We assume that we are correct, and we assume that if we simply explain all the facts and explain the way we see it, the other person will just objectively agree as if there's an objective right or wrong in the situ. . But in most cases, there isn't an objective, right or wrong. There's many different sides to the coin.
There's many different perspectives and ways to view things. You may feel like you're truly right in this situation, but in most cases it's pretty subjective. We forget that people have unique perspectives, we don't always see things the same way as. , something that seems pretty straightforward and obvious to you can be pretty difficult for the other person to understand and even notice, which makes it difficult for them to open up to your idea quickly.
Reason 3
Now, the third reason, and this one's the most important reason that the farmer failed, it's because the farmer was only thinking about what he wanted in the situation. The cow wants to be outside. The cow enjoys eating. the cow probably hates being stuck inside the barn. the farmer is just thinking about what he wants, which is to keep the cows safe from the storm.
So even though the farmer wants what's best for the cow, the farmer assumes that the cow wants the same thing as the farmer, and this is the biggest mistake people make when they're trying to influence someone. When you want somebody to do something for you, you most likely lead with what you want.
But people aren't really interested in what you want. Instead, people are interested in what they want, the moment you start speaking in terms of what you want, you've pretty much lost the other person's attention.
And before I continue this story, if you want me to create more videos on topics like influencing your boss or anyone for that matter, let me know by hitting that like button.
The 3 Rules of Influence
Okay. So there's more to the farmer and his son's story, this is where the farmer's wife comes. the farmer's wife is watching her husband and son struggle to move the cow into the barn, and she's watching from inside the house.
Now she eventually decides to offer some help. So what does she do? She calmly dips her finger into a jar of honey and then walks outside over to the cow and places her finger with the honey on it right in front of the cow's face. Now she's only using one hand, so she's actually using her other hand to hold an umbrella and stay.
Now the cow right away begins licking her finger cuz the cow thinks the honey smells and tastes good. as the cow is licking her finger, the wife slowly starts walking backwards towards the barn. About a minute later, the cow is safely inside the barn and the wife is completely dry and she's not muddy.
Meanwhile, the farmer and his son, they're exhausted, they're tired, they're wet, they're muddy, they're angry. And the wife put about 60 seconds of effort into this to get the cow into the barn like they wanted. Now, how was she able to do this so easily? It's because she followed the three rules of I.
Rule 1
Now, rule number one when it comes to influencing people is don't assume you're right, and don't assume the other person will see things the same way you do if you ask for something big right away, like stopping eating grass and going into the barn. you're going to get resistance and it's gonna be a lot harder for that person to say.
Instead, you need to take it slow and easy. And you can do this by creating baby steps with small asks that get the other person used to saying yes. When you do this, you're a lot more likely to have success.
Rule 2
Rule number two is you need to speak in terms of the other person's interests and you gotta think about what the other person considers to be.
What does the other person want? What problem are they trying to solve right now? Focus on the impact that what you're asking for will have on the other person. What's the benefit to them? What's the reason they're gonna care? Lead with those points and spend the majority of your pitch focusing on. Do this instead of explaining what you want.
Rule 3
Rule number three. Once you know what they want, you need to connect what you want with what they want. Now, the wife did this by realizing the cow wanted to eat the grass, so she offered a sweeter option for the cow, which was honey, and it got the cow to want to go into the barn on its own without applying any force, without even really having to convince it to do anything.
In real life. This means that once you've figured out what the other person wants, you need to find a way to connect that with what you want. Then explain it to the other person in a way that makes it seem like what you want is the solution to what they want.
Convincing Your Boss to Work From Home
Now, let's use these points to build a framework for convincing your boss to let you work from home.
Now I'm gonna run through each step in great detail in this video, but if you'd like a printable and downloadable PDF version of this step-by-step process, just click on the link HERE. It's 100% free.
1 - Prove Your Productivity Increases
And the first step is you need to prove that your productivity increases when you're working from home. Now, how do you do? Create a reason for you to work from home. You can do this by calling in sick or telling your boss that you need to be at home to watch your child, or maybe there's a contractor at your house and you need to be home while the contractor's there for the few days.
Whatever you do, make it two days, no more, no less, and do it in the middle of the week. So either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Wednesday. You're doing this for one main reason. You don't want it to look like you're just fishing for a four day weekend.
Now, when you're working from home these days,
Make sure you double your productivity. Do this by eliminating all distractions when you're working from home. Make sure that you're very responsive to every work email and call that you receive back from the office. Ignore your cell phone for the day, ignore your personal emails, and then while you're working from home, make sure you're leaving an email trail so he can notice you're working and that you're productive.
Now, this might seem a little pushy and aggressive, so I'll give you some examples for how to do this. First, you want to send an email about 15 minutes before you typically arrive at the office on a typical work. You can send something like this.
Hey boss, just sending a quick reminder that I'm working remotely today.
I'll be at my desk from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM so let me know if you have any questions.
That's the first email you're gonna send. Throughout the day, look for some organic reasons to email your boss such as updating them where you're at on a project. 15 minutes before the end of your typical workday, send an email like this.
Hey, just checking in to see if there's anything you need help with before I punch out at 5:00 PM.
Keep some sort of quantifiable records as well, records of what you accomplished while you were working from home. Then you're gonna save those records for the next.
2 - Showcase Benefit to the Business
Step two is you need to showcase the benefit to the business that is the benefit of you working from home. How does that benefit your boss or the business?
Instead of presenting the idea to your boss as a personal perk yeah, I'd like to work from home. You're gonna present it as a good business.
This means you need to prepare quantifiable benefits to your boss and or to the business. When building your case, spend a few minutes brainstorming how your boss will react when you ask him to work from home. Think about what issues or concerns he'll most likely bring up to you, and be sure to have an answer for each of those concerns.
Also think about what things matter the most to your boss and to the company. then figure out a way to quantify them in terms of cost to the company,
For example, you can show how many more designs you were able to complete, how many more issues you were able to resolve, or how many more errors you were able to prevent. Two things are very important with this step. First, you need to establish a clear connection between your increased output and the benefit to your boss or the company. Otherwise, your boss won't.
Second, you need to make it clear that working from home is the main and only reason your productivity increased. Otherwise, your boss will bring up counterpoints like, I don't see why you're not able to do this when you're working in the office now. When you have this prepared move on to the next step.
Quick reminder, if you like what you're watching, go ahead and subscribe to my YouTube channel.
3 - Propose and Experiment
Step three is propose an experiment, meet with your boss and propose that you work from home one day a week for two weeks. Here's a few pointers on how to go about doing this. You don't wanna make this sound like a permanent or irreversible ask. Instead explain it in a way that makes it sound like a revocable trial.
You want to ask for two days instead of one day. This gives your boss some room to push back on you so that he feels like he's winning. If he tells you one day instead of two, to him it feels like a compromise.
Who knows? If you ask for two, he might even give you two days right off the.
You can bring up the discussion like this.
Hey boss, do you have a quick second? Wanted the bouncing idea off you. Last week I worked from home on Tuesday and Wednesday. Long story made short. I didn't expect to get much done, but with less distractions. I was able to work more focused throughout the day and I ended up completing three more projects than I typically.
Plus I was able to put in an extra hour each day because I didn't have to drive to and from work. So where I'm going with this is, just as an experiment, I'd like to propose working from home Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the next two weeks. This would be a trial period, and you can veto it at any time.
And if something comes up on those days where you need me to come to the office, I'll be there. I'd like to try it out just for two weeks. Then after two weeks, I'd like to review the results with you. I'm certain that I'll get twice as much done while I'm working from home. So what do you think? Does this sound reasonable?
Now, I guarantee you, your boss is gonna respond with a few what ifs. What if this, what if that? What if this happens? This is where brainstorming how your boss will react, comes into play
So that you're prepared to address his concern. And as he says these things, his concerns swiftly and smoothly. then go right away back into asking again to work from home before he brings up more what ifs. So for example, if his, what if to you is, what about your internet speed? Is it fast enough to open 3D files from the network? Respond right away with,
Absolutely it won't be a problem. I upgraded my internet last month, so I have the highest possible speed. And I also checked with it to get their input.
Cause I didn't wanna bring this to your attention without doing my due diligence. Plus when I was working from home last week, I didn't have any issues with accessing or modifying any of the 3D files I was working on back then. So what do you think? Would you be open to testing this out?
Would you be open to starting next week, Tuesday?
You see what I did there is I addressed his concerns right away. I had a few reasons to address his concerns, and then I went right away back into asking before he could give me another what if. Now any reasonable boss should be open to trying this out when you approach it this way, but you may have to provide answers to a few more what ifs from your.
If this happens, don't give up and don't get defensive either. Show that your boss's concerns are valid by saying things like, I see your point, or I understand where you're coming from. Then calmly address each concern. Now as you're hearing this, you might be thinking to yourself, yeah, this all sounds good, but doing this would push me way outside of my comfort.
If that's the case, then You're gonna wanna watch my two-part series on going outside of your comfort zone. Just click on the link.
A couple more tips on this step for timing. You're gonna wanna meet with your boss about a week after you called in sick for two days, while it's still fresh in his. And I strongly suggest doing it towards the end of the week, preferably on a Thursday, do it on a day and a time where your boss is in a relaxed mood.
You don't wanna do this when he's busy or under a lot of stress. And before this meeting with your boss ends, make sure you schedule the follow-up meeting with your boss. That is the follow up meeting to review the results together, get it on the calendar before you leave this initial.
4 - Make WFH Days the Most Productive
Step four is very important. You need to crush it when you're working from home. Make sure the day you work from home is by far your most productive day of the week. Save all your focused work for those days. That's the work that looks good to your boss, the work that the company actually cares about.
Meanwhile, save all the BS work that nobody cares about for your time in the office. Things like fielding emails, routine maintenance, filing cleanup, research, training, videos, et cetera. Save all that stuff for when you're in the office because your boss isn't gonna give you a raise or measure your performance based on how many emails you responded to.
He wants to know how many projects you're getting done. What value are you bringing? So think about what things your boss is always asking you about. What, what types of things is he asking you for updates on, on a regular basis? It's usually project or production specific. Make sure you work on those things when you're working from home and crank out as much of it as you.
Also, you're gonna wanna save the stuff that requires interaction with people or, interaction with resources from the office. Save that stuff for when you're in the office. From my experience, phone calls with people working from home, it just goes slower. It's a lot easier to just walk over to someone's desk and have that interaction in person.
So, batch all that stuff for the days when you're in the office.
Now this might sound like a slight of hand parlor trick, but it works. We need your boss to believe that you're way more productive at home versus when you're in the. and you'll need proof of it for the next step.
Before I continue, I know these steps are very specific to convincing your boss to work from home. is there something else you're struggling to influence your boss? , are you trying to convince him to make a process change or resolve a conflict that he's not taking seriously? Whatever it is, let me know in the comments and I'll be sure to give you my feedback.
5 - Ask for More Days
Okay, moving on. The last step is step five, and this one's simple. Ask for more days.
You're gonna do this at the follow up meeting you scheduled with your boss. Start the discussion by telling your boss how the last two weeks went. Be sure to include quantifiable results that demonstrate your increased productivity. Again, do this in a way that explains the benefit to your boss and to the business.
Then ask for two more days per week with the goal of getting at least one more day. For example, if you originally got one day a week approved this time, ask for three days, but be willing to concede to two days. On the other hand, if you originally got two days approved, right away this time ask for four days with being okay.
If he only says okay to three days, then propose another two week trial period. And you can do it like this.
Hey, boss. Working from home honestly turned out way better than I expected. On the two days that I worked from home. Over the last two weeks, I was actually able to create four calculation packages and two erection drawings.
Meanwhile, on the days that I was working in the office, I was only able to complete about half that amount. So when you look at it by the numbers, working from home seems to make a lot of sense. Plus, I'm actually enjoying my work a lot more while working from home. So I'd like to suggest another experiment, but only if you think it makes.
I'd like to try working from home for three days a week for another two week trial period. I was thinking I'd work from home Tuesday through Thursday. That way I'm in the office at the beginning of the week and the end of the week, but I'm open to whichever days you think are best.
Now, after you do this, there's a good chance your boss won't go for it right away.
And he'll probably say something vague like, I don't think that's gonna. If he says something like that, don't let him off the hook with a vague reason. Get him to tell you his concerns so that you can get a chance to put his concerns at bay. Just ask him, Hey boss, what's your main concern?
Now you'll need to have a good answer for whatever he tells you. For example, if your boss says, well, if I let you work from home, then what if everyone else starts asking to work from home? There's a good chance your boss will respond with that. If he does, you could say, well, that's a good point. We definitely don't want people working from home if they can't be.
But if people are able to be twice as productive while working from home, why not let them do it on a trial basis? Address the main concern, then go right back into the ask again. So after you said that, you just go right into, what do you think? Can we test this out for two weeks on a trial basis? Of course, you always have the right to veto it at any time.
And just like before, we can review the results together after.
Now he may bring up more what ifs before agreeing to it. If he does just calmly address his concerns, then repivot back to asking him again.
Prepare for These 2 Scenarios
From here, there's two scenarios. Scenario one is he approves it. If your boss approves it, then repeat this cycle a few times until you're working from home the amount of time that you want to, whether it's some days a week, or every day. One suggestion though, instead of asking for another day, every two weeks, consider increasing the trial period each time.
So instead of two weeks, you could make the second trial period, four weeks, and if there's a third trial period, you can make it two months This is a great way to normalize change in the eyes of your boss. You're making it feel like an afterthought. So on the other hand, if your boss doesn't approve your request for more days to work from home, then there's a good chance he'll never bite on it. In which case, I'd encourage you to give some thought to how important working from home is.
If it's a deal breaker for you, then maybe you want to consider looking for a new job.
On the other hand, if working from home is simply a perk, you know, it would be nice, but it's not a deal breaker, then let it go for a while and revisit it with your boss in a few months.
BONUS Tips!
That wraps up the five steps to convincing your boss to work from home, but I have a few more tips before we. First, if you're serious about working from home, then go take action right away. While all of this is still fresh in your mind, because the longer you wait, the easier it is for you to rationalize why you shouldn't take action.
And last but not least, if you're wondering how to apply this framework towards convincing your boss to do something else, you want him to make a process change or maybe you want him to back off the overtime, or maybe you feel like you're overdue for a raise or a promotion, no matter how big or small the ask.
You're gonna wanna check out my three part series on persuasion because I go way deeper into the science behind influencing people you don't have authority over.
And I also give you a five step formula to follow for influencing anybody to do anything. I included links to all three of these episodes in the description. I hope you check 'em out.
