Overview
SUMMARY
101 Tips for
Telecommuters is a concise and highly practical guide to effective
telecommuting. Drawn from first-hand experience the author acquired
as a telecommuting executive and telemanager, the book provides key
insights to the skills, mindset and resources necessary for telecommuters
to succeed. With a unique emphasis on the human aspects of telecommuting,
101 Tips for Telecommuters will give current and aspiring telecommuters,
as well as their managers, critical insights into what it takes to thrive
while telecommuting, which has become a way of working for more than
11 million people in the U.S.
CONTENT DETAIL
101 Tips for
Telecommuters is a succinct, easy-to-use guide for current and aspiring
telecommuters. Much of the early coverage of the telecommuting trend
focused on the increased availability of cost-effective computer and
telephone systems. While these advances in technology have given us
the proliferation of notebook computers, desktop videoconferencing and
vital levels of corporate computer network connectivity, we're beginning
to understand the importance of the human side of telecommuting. PEOPLE
telecommute; computers and telephones are TOOLS that facilitate the
telecommuting process. As we look beyond modems and multimedia, a broad
range of human factors impact the success of telecommuting. Understanding
these human factors and learning how to effectively manage the non-technical
aspects of telecommuting is essential to the success of telecommuters.
As a veteran telecommuter,
the author has experienced first-hand the factors that make telecommuting
prosper or fail. While telecommuting can have a significant impact on
quality of life, the affect can be both good and bad. Telecommuting
can indeed have a tremendously positive impact on an individual's quality
of life, productivity, and peace of mind. All of the advantages, though,
are contingent upon the telecommuter's ability to telecommute wisely.
The goal of this book is to help the reader learn some of the secrets
to successful telecommuting so that enhanced effectiveness and prosperity-both
personal and professional-will be achieved. The value of the book is
strengthened by practical, easy-to-implement 'action tips' that gives
the reader a way to immediately transfer the knowledge and implement
action steps to change and improve relationships, processes, resources
and systems at work and at home. The tips are organized into categories
that reflect the major human interfaces a telecommuter experiences:
WORKING WELL IN YOUR HOME OFFICE
Effective self-management
is tantamount to success of the telecommuter. While basic management
of resources is an underpinning of that success, there are unique factors
for the telecommuter driven by the independence, isolation and freedom
of choice that characterizes telecommuting.
WORKING WELL WITH YOUR FAMILY
The telecommuter
who shares living space with other people isn't as isolated as they'd
wish to be some days! For all of the advantages telecommuting offers
families, there are also major stumbling blocks that can impede the
telecommuter's success. Understanding and proactively addressing these
issues is essential for telecommuting effectiveness.
WORKING WELL WITH YOUR TEAM
A growing number
of telecommuters are not individual contributors, entrepreneurs or other
variations of 'lone ranger.' But even these, along with the vast majority
of telecommuters, don't work in complete isolation. There are co-workers,
managers, support personnel, team members and customers that comprise
the broad network or team that contribute to the telecommuter's success.
Understanding and effectively handling the dynamics of these critical
relationships is another challenge the telecommuter must meet.
WORKING WELL WITH YOUR EXTERNAL PARTNERS
An often overlooked
aspect of telecommuting, effective relationships and agreements with
external partners can make or break the success of a telecommuter. A
myriad of suppliers, vendors and service providers impact the telecommuter's
ability to deliver results. How these relationships are established,
built and nurtured-and services are negotiated and managed-is essential
to overall effectiveness of a telecommuter.
WORKING WELL WITH TOOLS & TECHNOLOGY
As they say, 'the
devil is in the details'….and the trauma can certainly be in the technology.
The great enabler, technology must be managed and utilized in highly
efficient ways so that it's optimal potential is realized. The 'cool
tools' and awesome technology come with endless features and mounting
complexity. While the tools and technology are wonderful enablers of
telecommuting, they can also be a terrible distraction, a tremendous
source of frustration and a vast consumer of time and energy. Therefore,
the wise telecommuter anticipates and understands how to manage these
effectively.
