As I mentioned earlier this week, the City of Toronto will be hosting the Pan Am games next month. Concern for traffic grid lock and disruption from the games has led to a wide variety of organizations exploring and encouraging telecommuting for the length of the games this summer.
Today's blog post explores some of the benefits, and downsides, of telecommuting to both employees and employers.
Three benefits to employees:
Less time and energy spent on commuting. In some areas where people may commute an hour to work each way, that adds up to 10 hours a week. Imagine being able to step down the hall, open a door and log on within minutes, instead of hours.
More self-direction and autonomy – This is appealing to those who may be more self-directed in their work and like the freedom to work at their own page.
Fewer interruptions to manage at the office - Consider how much of your time is spent managing interruptions. While you will still have to connect in for meetings, the immediate interruptions may diminish.
The downside:
Segmenting real life with work – Creating barriers between work and life is a very common challenge I hear when supporting virtual workers as their coach. The allure of popping in some laundry or just checking on a task, can lead to a number of distractions
Not having the resources or information as easily at your fingertips - Setting up an office for effective telecommuting may take time and experimentation. Knowing how and when to get information from key stakeholders may also provide a new learning curve as well.
Needing more social connection - Virtual work can be lonely at times, and it can be important to stay connected physically to your office and others. This is particularly true for those who may be telecommuting for longer periods of time.
What other downsides do you see to telecommuting?
Three benefits to organizations:
More productive employees when supported well and distractions are lowered. Employees may also find that they work when they are at their peak, not when commuting hours dictate.
Less need for dedicated office space. If teams rotate in there can be significant savings on office space needed especially if you provide pods for those "visiting".
Some research also points to increased employee satisfaction, morale and engagement. Happier employees are generally more efficient employees ad get more done. For a summary of some key figures around telecommuting, refer to this article on Telecommuting from Global Workforce Analytics here.
Downsides of Telecommuting to Organizations
There are a couple of downsides which organizations may find including making sure employees do feel supported and have technology that will allow them to excel. Team leaders who can provide clear direction and create connections with others
What advantages and downsides do you see to telecommuting? As always, please feel free to comment below.
Have a great Wednesday,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or learning support for your most pressing team or leadership issue
Today's blog post explores some of the benefits, and downsides, of telecommuting to both employees and employers.
Three benefits to employees:
Less time and energy spent on commuting. In some areas where people may commute an hour to work each way, that adds up to 10 hours a week. Imagine being able to step down the hall, open a door and log on within minutes, instead of hours.
More self-direction and autonomy – This is appealing to those who may be more self-directed in their work and like the freedom to work at their own page.
Fewer interruptions to manage at the office - Consider how much of your time is spent managing interruptions. While you will still have to connect in for meetings, the immediate interruptions may diminish.
The downside:
Segmenting real life with work – Creating barriers between work and life is a very common challenge I hear when supporting virtual workers as their coach. The allure of popping in some laundry or just checking on a task, can lead to a number of distractions
Not having the resources or information as easily at your fingertips - Setting up an office for effective telecommuting may take time and experimentation. Knowing how and when to get information from key stakeholders may also provide a new learning curve as well.
Needing more social connection - Virtual work can be lonely at times, and it can be important to stay connected physically to your office and others. This is particularly true for those who may be telecommuting for longer periods of time.
What other downsides do you see to telecommuting?
Three benefits to organizations:
More productive employees when supported well and distractions are lowered. Employees may also find that they work when they are at their peak, not when commuting hours dictate.
Less need for dedicated office space. If teams rotate in there can be significant savings on office space needed especially if you provide pods for those "visiting".
Some research also points to increased employee satisfaction, morale and engagement. Happier employees are generally more efficient employees ad get more done. For a summary of some key figures around telecommuting, refer to this article on Telecommuting from Global Workforce Analytics here.
Downsides of Telecommuting to Organizations
There are a couple of downsides which organizations may find including making sure employees do feel supported and have technology that will allow them to excel. Team leaders who can provide clear direction and create connections with others
What advantages and downsides do you see to telecommuting? As always, please feel free to comment below.
Have a great Wednesday,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or learning support for your most pressing team or leadership issue
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