A friend of mine told me a story the other day about a co-worker who took her company’s offer to give up her office space in return for the opportunity to work at home.
When she first began working from home, she went into the main office at least once a week to pick up materials and see co-workers. As time passed, her visits became less frequent. Now, they rarely see her.
Her visits have dropped to about once every two or three months. She doesn’t show up for after-office parties, she doesn’t contribute money to gift funds, and it seems as though she has left the company. My friend’s question is, “Should I say something to her?” My answer: Yes. Someone needs to alert her to the importance of face-to-face interaction with co-workers.
Just because you telecommute or work in a virtual office is no excuse to avoid the office entirely. Office visits help you maintain business relationships, verify that your boss and co-workers are satisfied with your performance and keep your informal network in top condition.
Telecommuters and denizens of virtual offices need to determine how much face-to-face interaction is needed. The appropriate amount of time varies by company and by job responsibilities. For example, a sales or administrative position may require more face time than will a programming or writing job. Here are some tips to help you determine if you’ve been gone too long:
? People at the office rarely call you at home. If you’re just starting out as a telecommuter, you’ll find that many of your co-workers will be reluctant to call you at home. Encourage them to do so. Call them often. If you still feel all alone by the telephone, it’s definitely time for an office visit.
? You’re not invited to non-official outings and social events. Learn about what you’re missing by calling an office friend and asking about after-hours social events. Let colleagues know you’re still interested in participating. The same rule applies to official company events, but your manager should see to it that you are included in these events.
? Your ideas are not being listened to in meetings. When you attend a meeting via teleconference, you may find you tend to fade into the background and have less opportunity to contribute. If you find this happening to you, attend the next few meetings in person.
? You’re left out of the loop when a new team forms to handle a high-profile problem, whereas in the past, you would have been invited for your expertise. Call the team leader and indicate your interest and willingness to serve. Remind your boss you’re still available for team assignments.
? New employees don’t know who you are. Whenever you go into the office, take time to walk the halls and see what’s new. Introduce yourself to new hires and arrange to have lunch meetings with people you’d like to get to know.
? You don’t hear about a major reorganization until you read about it in the company newsletter. If this should happen to you, it’s time to tune up your antenna and spend more time networking at the office.
While face time is important, be sure not to allow paranoia to take over. Remember, telecommuters are selected to work out of the office because they are highly competent and able to work on their own. That means your company has confidence in your ability to operate remotely. Maintaining a balance between in-office time and solo time should serve you well.
Summertime work blues
If you work at home, summer vacation can be a mixed blessing. When kids are out of school, family is visiting and neighbors are at home, your ability to be productive can be impaired.
While being able to take breaks and time off during the summer is one of the pleasures of working at home, productivity must be maintained if a home office is to continue to serve as a viable workplace. Summertime tests your ability to set boundaries around the home office.
One of the key techniques home-office workers use to successfully safeguard productivity during summer planning and vacation time is to establish clear roles and responsibilities for vacation preparation, child care and entertainment of visiting guests. By assigning tasks, you clear up misunderstandings and prevent these items from falling into your lap simply because you are at home.
Although it may sound overly formal, many home-office workers hold meetings with their families at this time of year to review rules regarding the home office. Issues covered in these meetings include defining when an interruption is merited, sharing your upcoming project deadlines and reviewing techniques for managing visitors to your home. This meeting is used to gently remind family members that you must maintain productivity in your home office during the summer and to enlist their help in achieving this goal.
Once the season is underway, one of the key techniques used by home-office workers to decline invitations tactfully is to detail the work they have to complete. This both reinforces the professionalism of your home office and communicates that the rejection is not personal.
Other proven techniques include:
? Let people know you have working hours. Because summertime brings an increase in requests for your time, you must learn to say yes on your terms. For example, offer to help a neighbor after 5 p.m. or take a long weekend with family during the time of the summer that is least busy for you.
? Dress up. Use professional attire to send a message to guests, family, friends and neighbors that you are working. This tried-and-true technique provides a consistent reminder of the fact that you are working at home.
? Expect to remind everyone of your guidelines. Even the most accommodating family members and friends will need a reminder now and again. Expect to continually fine-tune your arrangements.
? Allocate resources. Kids may need to use the phone, dining-room table, car and other resources you are used to having to yourself during the rest of the year. Anticipate what needs may arise and plan ahead for how you will share these resources. For example, you may ask kids to make their phone calls before and after your busy times of the day or plan to use the car in the morning when you don’t need to leave the office.
Alice Bredin is author of the “Virtual Office Survival Handbook” (John Wiley & Sons) and a nationally syndicated columnist.
