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Intent of Telework

Management Concerns

Security

Productivity

Teamwork

Service Quality

Program Costs & Savings

Office Routine

Is a Formal Program Necessary?

Building a Telework Program

 

Managers who have expended a lot of effort to put together a good team are naturally concerned that telework will undo their hard work. It's important to examine when teamwork needs to occur in-person versus virtually.

Some really great work can occur when team members work together in the same space. They can brainstorm and hash-out solutions in a way that is difficult to replicate through virtual tools. But how often does this need to happen - once a week, twice a week? On the remaining days these employees could be teleworking. In fact, some team members may be better prepared for the team meeting after they've spent some time working alone.

There is a wide selection of tools available today that allow people to collaborate virtually. Teleworkers and those that don't telework can and should be connected. Something as simple as Instant Messaging (IM) can make it easy for team members to quickly bounce ideas off each other. The toolkit includes a discussion of collaborative tools.

One of the pilot study participants told us their CEO holds a "fireside chat" with all employees using web conferencing software, so teleworkers can stay "in the loop" and "feel connected".

A telework program should encourage teleworkers to maintain their ties to the office and the team. Most teleworkers will only work from home one or two days a week, so staying informed is not much of a problem, but those who are away more often may need to make a special effort to stay in the loop. Teams sometimes organize events, like a weekly lunch, to replace the social "water cooler"; an opportunity to discuss things informally.

In the Toolkit

Equipment & Tools

Office Routine

 

On the Web

Do You Trust Your Telecommuter?
ASEA Associations Now May 2009


About the Telework Pilot Project

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This page was last updated on June 4, 2009