Judy Wolf - Going Virtual - Is Telework for You?



				Going Virtual

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				Is Telework for You? by Judy Wolf This is the first of a multi-part series on Going Virtual. If you've ever thought about joining the thousands of people who've made working from home part of their daily lives, these articles will guide you through some of the technology, paradigm shifts, and practical considerations that can make it possible in your own life. Did you as a child promise yourself you'd never work in a cubicle? Have you ever daydreamed about working from home on a regular basis? Freedom from office life isn't a far-flung fantasy. Telephones, computers, fax machines, Internet access, and pagers have made mobile life not only possible, but practical. Advances such as wireless technology, the spread of cellular networks, and products like PDAs (personal digital assistants) and SmartPhones are rapidly transforming the professional landscape. The trouble is, unless you move in certain high-tech circles, the technology may have evolved faster than your company's vision and management culture. This isn't to imply that business has failed to see the light. The U.S. Department of Labor announced that in May 2001, an estimated 19.8 million Americans worked from home at least once per week as part of their regular job assignment. The number of teleworkers in Britain has risen 65% in the past four years. A five-year survey by the Society for Human Resources Management showed that the number of companies offering telecommuting had risen from 20% in 1997 to 37% in 2001. Even the notoriously sluggish U.S. government implemented a telework program in 1990, and now has a collection of success stories, effectiveness studies, and advice on essential practices that they share on a variety of web sites. So on a larger scale, telework has long been considered a practical and flexible work option. You or people in your office may even be participating informally on a piecemeal basis (for instance, when you take work home after hours or someone's too sick to come in, but still toils on a hot project from home). When it comes to formalizing the arrangement, your employer may need some convincing, but with the right approach and a carefully planned proposal, you can lead the way and introduce greater mobility into your work life -- and that of your grateful colleagues. A quick definition Telework, telecommuting, ecommuting, virtual office worker -- they're all just names. What they each ultimately refer to is the use of modern communications technology to break the conventional office mold and allow work at a distance. Some people work for employers, others for themselves; some from home, others from telework centers or satellite offices. Whether you're proposing to telecommute one day a month or five days a week, you can join the ranks of the 73% of teleworkers who told AT&T's 1997 Survey of Teleworker Attitudes and Work Styles they were more satisfied with their personal and family life since they started to work at home -- not to mention the 71% who were more satisfied with their current job. As telework guru Gil Gordon says, "It doesn't make much difference (to me, at least) what you call it -- as long as you do it." Why would you want to telecommute? For many people, their main reason for engaging in telework is to avoid the stress of a long, congested, or unpredictable commute. About 68% of all travel takes place during peak periods (in other words, when you and everyone else are trying to get to and from work). According to Teletrips.com, "USA Today reports that, while the population has grown 22 percent in the nation's biggest urban areas over the past 15 years, congestion has grown 235 percent." Not to mention that with this sort of traffic come serious repercussions to the environment. According to the EPA, in numerous cities across the country, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter, in some areas contributing more than 90% of carbon monoxide pollution. Teletrips.com illustrates that an average worker telecommuting just two days a week can reduce output of auto emissions by more than one ton per year (and reduce reliance on foreign oil). Some people are drawn to the oft-cited qualitative benefits of telecommuting: a better balance between family and work responsibilities and a greater sense of productivity. With the increase in dual income and single parent families, maybe you'd like to be on hand when your kids get home from school. Or perhaps you want to avoid office distractions and interruptions so you can concentrate on reading important information, compiling reports, or doing creative and strategic work. Where to start The next article in this series will discuss how to go about developing a telework proposal. Today, start building the foundation for a thoughtful and attainable strategy by asking yourself the following key questions about your current job: Does your job -- or aspects of your job -- include tasks that can be done using the phone, fax, or e-mail, rather than through face-to-face interactions (get creative here: just because you've always walked down the hall and requested something doesn't mean it can't be done by phone)? Do your responsibilities include off-site work or information handling (analysis, customer visits, data entry, field work, paperwork, programming, reading, reports, sales calls, scheduling, telephone work, or writing)? How would you group and schedule these tasks to allow time away from the office? How many days a week or month would you telecommute? How would you recommend your supervisor measure your productivity and performance? How would you structure your day? How would you coordinate and communicate with your manager, colleagues, employees, and clients? What will you do to be accessible and publicize your schedule so people always know exactly where and how to reach you? What will you do about meetings (teleconference or attend in person)? How will you respond to business emergencies? Where would you work? Do you have access to a safe, comfortable work space with the necessary office equipment? Will you be able to concentrate? Will household members understand and respect your work arrangement? Does your job require access to special equipment or materials that are only available on site? Can these be taken home for the day? Will you need special equipment (computer, fax, photocopier)? Can you use a portable computer, or access nearby copy centers? Are there any security concerns you need to think about? Can your ITS department give you remote access to servers and internal networks? If security is a concern, what tasks or information can you do at home that wouldn't violate security procedures? Are you resourceful and self-motivated? Are you results-oriented? Will you miss interaction with your coworkers? Who makes a good teleworker? According to the State of Arizona Telecommuting Zone's candidate assessment tool, the best telecommuters have at least some of the following qualities: Require minimal supervision Require minimal social interaction Are comfortable working alone Have a high level of job knowledge and skill Are self-motivated Are well-organized Schedule work ahead Demonstrate a high level of productivity Know job goals and objectives Can establish priorities and manage their time Like to work independently Have a history of reliability Understand the operations of the organization Trust and communicate with their supervisors What now? Honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses, and begin to outline for yourself how telework would fit into your life. Go about your daily work with an eye to what tasks could be done from home, and start thinking about how to schedule for such an arrangement. Pay attention to how you communicate with your colleagues and clients. Think about how performance and productivity are currently assessed in your office. Research whether others in your company are already telecommuting, what job duties they have, and what they recommend you consider. Don't forget to visit the resource section of my web site for more information, and in the next article ("Convincing Your Boss"), I'll walk you through creating a benefits-oriented proposal that's sure to win over your employers. For recommended books and web sites that accompany this article, please visit the resource section of my web site. Copyright (c) 2002 Judy Wolf About the Author: Judy Wolf (www.judywolf.com) is a world traveler, freelance writer, speaker, and whitewater kayak instructor. She's taken numerous, extended solo journeys around the world, traveling by foot, bus, jeep, camel, truck, boat, train, plane, elephant, and bicycle to over 30 countries on five continents. She currently lives in upstate New York with her husband and border collie, where she's working on a book-length travel narrative about her most recent adventures…that is, when she's not plunging off waterfalls or entertaining the dog.
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