Managing & Teaming in a Virtual World

Be a Work-From-Home Jedi

We are living in the midst of an evolution right now - over 60 million workers in the US are telecommuting as we speak and it is expected to top 100 million in a few years. It may hard to see when you're smack-dab in the middle of it!

Some organizations have embraced a work-from-home arrangement. While in many organizations, senior leaders aren't comfortable with allowing employees to work-from-home. As a result, some allow it under competitive and cost demands, but "it" may be significantly limited or with extraordinary hurdles; or some do not allow it at all, citing weak, contrived, or unsubstantiated "business reasons."

So what should managers and employees who want a work-from-home option but have resistant leadership do? They can: say nothing, complain, leave, or try to change the situation.I do my best to encourage efforts to CHANGE THE SITUATION.

Over the years as I have lived it, taught, coached, and consulted on managing a virtual workforce, I often find myself in an organization with resistant leadership. Besides teaching the best practices of managing a virtual workforce, I try to inspire the participants to be change agents. Yes, it's tough but nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

Managers and employees today are paving the way for those of the future. Pick up your Jedi light saber, be persuasive, and try and try again when you are told no. 

Here's a quick tip for resistant leaders:

1. Express how you want the leader to feel comfortable with the work arrangement.

2. Ask what measure would make him or her feel comfortable that work is getting done appropriately, when they would like that measure reported to them, and how long they would like the measure in place until they feel comfortable. (Note I am using the word "feel" because most of the time this is an emotional issue and not a business issue!)

3. Do what they ask!  (Watch one trap from those who are highly emotional about this -- they may find fault with the data you present... if you think that may happen, be pre-emptive and get those who the leader respects to validate the data or find a way to validate it that the leader will accept... no dissing the data!

People Work Best When Co-Located

People work best as a team when they are physically co-located. That's the perfect world. When people are physically together, they can better see non-verbals, feel energy, sense attitude – essentially connect as humans do. But the world isn't perfect. And we need to accommodate and adapt as we humans have done since our beginning.

How do we accommodate and adapt? Just look at how we communicate when we're not physically together. A great example of accommodation can be seen in our use of email. Emails contain hieroglyphics such as smiley faces, sad faces, winks, etc to convey attitude and tone since our voices cannot be heard and our body language cannot be seen. Yes, we have returned to our earlier "best practice" of hieroglyphics.

When we communicate, and we are not in person, we seek to close the gap on the missing human element – whether it be seeing, hearing, or touching. Managers of telecommuters need to recognize this at a level and depth beyond their previous awareness…and act on it.

How might we act on it? When meeting with telecommuters, use webcams – see each other. Use an on-demand collaboration, online meeting, web conferencing or video conferencing application such as GoToMeeting, WebEx, LiveMeeting, etc. Set communication expectations for telecommuters and non-telecommuters. Bring telecommuters together periodically to maintain and build relationships.

There's no substitute for the real thing…but we can do our best to close the gap as creatively as we can with the available tools and technologies.

Telecommuter or Undercover Agent?

Telecommuting from your vehicle may be easier than you think soon! Nissan's NV200 Mobile Office concept was recently introduced. Looks like you might be able to also moonlight as an undercover agent with this set-up…