Thursday, January 5, 2012
roamin’ holiday
Over the recent holiday season, I got to catch up on a good bit of reading. Amidst the pieces I read, it was clear that there are several ways that people who work remotely are referred to. Articles have called them the mobile workforce, teleworkers, telecommuters, at-home workers, homers (with a nod to The Simpsons perhaps) or a range of other titles. One of the latest entries is “digital nomad”; and that one really got me thinking. As a history fan, it made me wonder about the characteristics of nomads. So I did a little research. Nomads are known to be people who roam, pursue their basic needs from a variety of sources, and seek their long term growth by foraging and creating what they need. Nomads are defined by their ability to respond to their environment, and move to places where it is optimal for their success. One source said nomadic people are those that travel to practice their trade where it is best needed or best provided. And the last one was what I was looking for. That was the one that made me think that the term “digital nomad” is EXACTLY what a virtual worker is.
Responding to their environment? Correct. Foraging for what they need to be successful? Right. Practicing their trade where it is best provided? Bingo! And all of this is encouraging because as much as popular media may talk about virtual work being new, it is as old as the migratory civilizations of prior centuries. As much as people may think it is a recent trait, it has roots in the human desire to explore, and make another path. As much as virtual workers are thought of as being stand-alone or soloists, they really are finding ways to pursue what they need and practice it best.
At virtualwirks, we’re all about those things and particularly that last part. How to make the digital nomadic spirit best suit the worker, the business, the customer, and the culture. To us it’s fun, it’s tapping into another frontier, and fulfilling the spirit and possibilities that lie within us. And we have lots of ways to practice it best. So let’s roam…together.
Posted by JimF at 8:28 PM | Permalink | Comment(0)
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