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The majority of visitors to this site are interested in starting up, expanding, or modifying their telecommuting and remote work programs. That's why we have included so much information with a "how to" emphasis; you'll see some specific suggestions about these sections listed below.
 There is a tremendous amount of information available about how to plan,
manage, and provide technology for telecommuting. There's no need for any
organization to start from the beginning and re-create the entire process -
in fact, that often leads to a lot of wasted time and money. To be sure,
each organization has to adapt and tailor that existing knowledge base to
its own situations, but it's simply not smart to "re-invent the wheel" as
the saying goes.
Among the sections of this site you'll find useful as you are planning or
expanding your program are:
Some Comments and Advice for Managers
Whether you currently manage telecommuters or are planning to, there are
some interesting benefits you might not have considered. I'm always pleased
to see how many managers discover that managing from a distance makes them
better managers of people who remain in the office. The reason is simple:
the skills you need to manage remotely are exactly the same skills you
should be using for people working closer to you. These include all the
basics of setting performance goals, giving ongoing feedback, making sure
resources are available, and so on.
Another surprise for many managers - and a real benefit of telecommuting -
is that managers now find they have more time for managing and planning
since they are spending less time on day-to-day supervision. That doesn't
mean they ignore the telecommuters - it just means the telecommuters are
more responsible for their own self-management, so the managers are able to
spend more time working on the planning, analysis, and other true
managerial-level tasks that often get ignored.
The bottom line is clear: a well-planned, well-managed telecommuting
program pays off for the telecommuters, the managers, and the employer. We
just don't have that many "win-win-win" programs like this today - and
that's why telecommuting has become so popular. I'd be interested in your
reactions to or questions about the effects of telecommuting on managers
and managing, or any other aspect of getting a program going successfully.
Please contact me and let me know what you think. |
