By Lisa Kanarek
 | | Lisa Kanarek is one of the nation's leading home office experts and the author of several books including Home Office Solutions: Creating a Space That Works For You, and is the founder of HomeOfficeLife, a firm advising corporations and individuals on all aspects for working from home. |
Working in a corporate office with a variety of associates is one thing. Working together in the same home office as your spouse is another. Consider these questions before you share a home office with your spouse.
Do you have compatible working styles?
Your spouse may prefer to keep papers scattered on the desk, while you like to keep every piece of paper filed.  | | Preston Ridge bookcase |
So long as each person has his or her own home office desk, there should not be a problem. This could change if the one who likes everything out in the open starts piling brochures, sales information and other papers all over the office furniture. At that point you need to determine who works in what area of the office. For example, the table with the printer and copier could be off limits to the "piling" spouse while the "neat" spouse has to live with stacks in other areas. An option for the spouse who likes to save paper and information would be to use an office desk with open spaces for books and other information.
Are your internal clocks synchronized?
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Some people are morning people while others hit their stride by mid-afternoon and are able to work through the night. If you are a morning person, schedule time in the morning to handle important tasks. If you are more productive after lunchtime, schedule important tasks accordingly. The only time that internal clocks could become a problem is if the "early" spouse goes to bed early and is kept awake by a noisy printer or by phone calls the "late" spouse needs to make. Be cognizant of your spouse's internal clock and don't expect them to be productive at odd times.
Does your home office have to be quiet for you to be productive while your spouse has to have background noise to work?
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Our levels of concentration are as different as our working styles. One person may need their home office to be as quiet as a library while the other could work at the sound level of the New York Stock Exchange. During the times when it is crucial to have silence, use another room in your home to work. You could place a computer armoire in a spare bedroom or your family room, that is both functional and fits in with the décor of your home. When the cabinet is not being used, keep the doors closed and no one will know that behind those doors is a second home office. You could also change your schedule to work when your spouse is not there. If it becomes a major problem, earplugs are always a good option.
Are you often on time while your spouse is always late?
No matter what you say or do, your spouse may manage to arrive late wherever he or she goes. There are various reasons for this. First, your spouse may be a poor planner. He or she forgets to budget enough time between appointments or underestimates the amount of time it takes to get ready in the morning. Another reason why your spouse could be late on a regular basis is that he or she may like the attention. Sometimes you can get so wrapped up in what you are doing, that you forget to spend time alone doing something other than work. Complaining to your spouse about his or her lack of punctuality may be the only time you communicate. Express your feelings of frustration to your spouse and help him or her to plan each day more carefully.
Sharing a home office with a spouse is not for everyone. After all, what happens in the bedroom does not necessarily dictate what happens in the boardroom...even if both rooms are in the same house.
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