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Let's not forget that there is a difference between retiring to a mountain camp to write the great American novel and working on projects where you work as a team. I see people thinking the same way about telecommuting as software tools (huh?)
My point is this. You have to use the tool that fits the situation, not make the situation fit the tool. In this case, the tool is working environment. In 99 out of a 100, the "tool" involves other people and the interaction with those people. Unfortunately, those other people most often require some face-to-face. The trick is to balance between them wanting it all the time and you wanting it none of the time.
If you try to cram them into your "tool" in the same way as trying to do so with a specific word processor, at best you will loose effectiveness...and at worst, they will tell you to "get lost!"
Here's what happens when you work out of the office all the time. They forget you exist. They forget to include you in all of the meetings that are going on that you don't HAVE to be at, but sure helps. Examples would be code review sessions and sessions where the chief programmer introduces the staff programmers into a project and the Director of Engineering swings by my desk and asks if I want to sit in.
After 20 years of being a less than "100% onsite-all-the-time" worker, MY experience has been that I've found that this starts to happen if they see your smiling face less than 20% of their time.
Michael Lewis wrote,
------- start of forwarded message -------
But Jean's whole point was that, for teleworkers, location is
immaterial!
------
>>>>I wish it were immaterial, but it's not.
I've been working as a telecommuter for nearly three years. I'm in
Charlotte, North Carolina; my clients/employers have been in Texas and
California.
In my experience, to be an effective teleworker, I do need to make
occasional site visits. This is for three main reasons:
I like telepresence, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to its pitfalls.
For me, week-long monthly visits seem to be enough to support working
remotely the rest of the time.<<<<
John Posada, Technical Writer (and proud of the title)
The world's premier Internet fax service company: The FaxSav Global Network
-work http://www.faxsav.com -personal http://www.tdandw.com
-work mailto:posada -at- faxsav -dot- com -personal mailto:john -at- tdandw -dot- com
-work phone: 732-906-2000 X2296 -home phone: 732-291-7811
My opinions are mine, and neither you nor my company can take credit for them.
HEY! Are you coming to the NJ TechWriter lunch? So far, about 10
of us are. Ask me about it.
