Make appointments. You set aside time to meet with someone in person, so why not make appointments for important telephone calls? By booking a specific time, you can be assured that your co-worker will be prepared and more focused on the conversation. They may also have done some prep work beforehand to make the call more productive.

Stay focused in phone conferences. It's easy to stray when meetings get long, but keep multitasking to a minimum during phone conferences. The other party can almost certainly hear that keyboard clicking while you respond to someone else's e-mail.

Attend weekly staff meetings. If you work at home full-time, try to attend at least one weekly meeting to keep in touch with others.

Stay online as much as possible. If you're not there, it's likely that people may not think you're working—even if you're working more than 40 hours a week. Responding quickly to e-mail will help remind people you're still there.

Be assertive. Don't always wait for people to contact you. Ask for information if you don't feel like you've received it.

Submitted By Mike Palidino