Wednesday, August 5, 2009

everybody’s favorite color seems to be green these days

And why wouldn’t it be? Of all the colors, green is the most calming and soothing, and is an iconic figure for such positive things as the environment, nature, health, renewal, generosity, good luck… and it just happens to be the color of money. More recently, the word – or just the symbolic representation of – “green” has been the buzz word and icon for many companies and businesses that are trying to do things that are friendlier to the environment and that serve the greater good of society. So is the “go green” concept just propaganda to help grease the corporate machine, or is actually benefiting people, society and the environment in the way that say it is. 

We started virtualwirks with this concept in mind and we truly believe that there are material benefits to going green through the virtual work model – benefits that weigh in heavily for businesses, employees and society. The virtual work model – when executed well – can help improve productivity and reduces costs for companies; increase morale and work-life balance challenges for employees as well as save them money; and reduce the carbon footprint by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions left behind from the commuting workforce. The business trends for both green initiatives and the virtual work model are increasing more and more by the day, and it is exciting to be a part of a movement that actually makes a difference – for everyone.

So whether the color green is actual aesthetically appealing to you or not there are many reasons to say that you like it

We’d love to hear some of your thoughts and opinions… even if it is just to tell us that green is not your color of choice. 

–Tadd

Saturday, August 1, 2009

virtualwirks featured in Black Enterprise article on home based worker security

http://www.blackenterprise.com/entrepreneurs/2009/07/31/managing-remote-it-security

Thursday, July 30, 2009

“Look everybody, I’m virtually working!”

What exactly does that mean, and why would anyone express it that way? Seems kind of like the workplace clown who asks "working hard or hardly working?" — am I really working or just "virtually" working? Around the world today, millions of people join me with the answer to that either/or question being a resounding and enthusiastic "yes". Virtual work IS really working, by and for the people who do it and by and for everyone affected by them. What is virtual work anyway? In our view, it is the entire realm of possibility for getting work accomplished without being tied exclusively to one physical premises. Writers who study and cover virtual work call it by a variety of names – be it telecommuting, telework, remote, at-home, or dispersed. Our firm will be glad to use any of them provided they accurately convey what is happening: the workplace – and the classroom – of the future is anywhere and everywhere.

Our company, virtualwirks, was created to ignite capabilities for businesses and people in this dynamic model because we have successfully built this channel before, in varying parts of the world. We intend to use this forum among others to share our insights, to advocate for the virtual work model and to learn about other ideas and points of view too. We hope our blog readers will enrich the dialogue with their contributions.

There are many reasons that an organization and its people look to virtual work solutions and over time we’ll touch on almost all of them here. Frequently cited are quality, cost, efficiency, the green impact, and the ability to be nimble. While I’ll lead the cheers in support of all of those, virtual work – like all work – is about the people who do it. Virtual work attracts superior people who produce superior results. This happens because great people are everywhere, and virtual work turns the concept of attracting them upside down, it’s no longer about how to get good people to come to the site. 

One of the greatest examples of this is Anna. She joined my former home based contact center organization in support of a government client’s calls. In a call center, it’s all about the customer experience and to listen to Anna, you heard unwavering enthusiasm, a clever rapport with her customer, a deep intellect for solving problems, and undiminished passion. As the leader of the organization, I got to talk to Anna by phone one day when she called to thank me for allowing her the "privilege" of working from home. As I explained that it was what we do, and she more than earned it through her performance, she told her story. Severely disabled, she had spent years working in traditional environments tormented by barriers. She explained the worst had been the commute – 4 miles total but 2 hours each way by a series of bus and van exchanges. Four miles, two hours. Twice a day. Anna quickly explained that she couldn’t hold traditional jobs because they were too physically demanding and her pain was that she couldn’t devote the best of herself to her employer. Now that she worked at home, she tearfully explained that the 2 minute commute was the equivalent of traveling to the moon and back for her self-esteem and her contribution through her work. She thanked me one last time and said that virtually working had been a "revolution" for her life. That’s the way virtualwirks sees it; it’s a revolution. Come join us each week, and let’s change the way the world works, and do it for every Anna we can.

– Jim