Monday, October 25, 2010

virtual reality

 

About 4 months ago my fiancé and I got a dog. As we were not engaged at the time, aside from moving in together, this was one of the first really “big steps” (as they say) in the relationship. We both knew of the obvious reasons of why this was going to be a large step for us – adding a new component of shared responsibilities, commitments, and decisions to the picture. We both fully anticipated the obvious things that come along with having a dog, such as taking him for walks every day, the chores of picking up after him, feeding him, periodic visits to the vet, etc… However, although we were aware of these things, we may not have been fully aware of the magnitude at which those activities were going to change the way that we lived our lives. Now, with that said, I can confidently say that things have changed in positive way for both of us, and we couldn’t be happier with Cooper in the mix. We have, however, had to adjust to some of the more subtle impacts of owning a dog, such as the flexibility of our schedules and having to always plan around being home for him so that he is not by himself for too long. One of the unanticipated side effects for me since I work from home was that I now have a new office mate – which can be both a good thing and a bad thing… As I was out walking Cooper yesterday, I ran into a new neighbor who introduced herself to me as we strolled by. As we chatted for a while she asked me if I worked because she always sees me out walking my dog in the middle of the day. As I explained to her that I work from home, I got a response from her that I get about 50 percent of the time when I tell people that I work from home: “I don’t know how you can do that – I could never work from home”. To this reaction I tell them, “at least you know that about yourself and/or your situation…” I usually follow up that comment by asking them why they think that they could never do [it]. The answers vary greatly ranging from personality factors to company philosophy. The fact is, working from home will not work for everyone and a lot of factors come into play that will determine the feasibility and success of the option. The obvious topics (such as whether or not your company will allow for it, if the job type is right, or if there is any desire to work from home from the employee) are the easy questions to identify and anticipate when weighing one’s decision to try the remote work model. However, the unanticipated and the unknown factors of working from home are the ones that usually end up making it tough for people. “It isn’t as easy as you might think.”  We say this time and time again to our clients and those that want to know more about how to put a successful remote work model together. The dynamics of the model and fitting it into a tradition business structure can be quite complex for both the organization and the employee, but the benefits for both parties can be great with the appropriate knowledge, planning, and preparation. When we say it isn’t easy, it isn’t just because different processes and tools are required – it also has to do with understanding the employee’s environment and anticipating the issues and challenges that employees might have adjusting to working in a remote workplace. Employees often find that working from home drives a different set of habits and behaviors than what they expected. For example, eating habits may change due to having constant access to your own kitchen, the amount of physical exercise that you no longer get from walking through a large building, water cooler social interactions have a different setting, and drawing work-life boundaries can be a challenging when your home is where you work and vice versa. Companies that are aware of these factors can incorporate them into their management strategies and tactics and can help employees adjust by making them aware of the challenges and providing tips and direction on how to address them effectively. Virtualwirks is helping organizations manage these aspects of the remote work model more effectively not only by helping them recognize and understand the differences but identifying solutions that address these factors. Some of the solutions are complex process adjustments, and others are a simple as giving the employees more guidance on how to combat the unanticipated differences. One of the best tips that we give employees that work from home is to get out of the house at least once every day – if only for a short while. This became a reality to me after getting a dog as it got me out of the house multiple times a day just to take him for a walk. I felt the improvements to my productivity increase immediately as it forced me to take a bit of my own advice and step away a few times a day to clear my head. I knew when we picked Cooper up from the shelter that I was gaining a best friend, but I didn’t know that I was getting a new office partner that would help me be more productive, as well.
 

–Tadd