| If you're excited about the prospect of telecommuting, | | | | (This is gradually changing as some employers are |
| you may have blissful visions of working from home | | | | training managers to manage by results and not by |
| five days a week, with occasional trips into the office | | | | face time. Others are using technology to replicate |
| for meetings. | | | | "presence" in the office or to monitor work output.) |
| Or maybe your notion is to propose telecommuting | | | | Bottom-line: Your manager is likely to be more |
| five days a week, leaving you room to negotiate | | | | agreeable to your proposal of part-time telecommuting |
| fewer days if the full-time, work-from-home pitch is | | | | instead of full-time telecommuting. Propose two or |
| rejected. | | | | three days a week working from home. This gives |
| Wise strategies? Or career peril? | | | | you room to compromise, if necessary, to reach |
| Telecommuting - Who's Doing What and Why? | | | | agreement of one or two days a week. |
| First consider the norm. Most employed telecommuters | | | | 2. Isolation: This is a common feeling among employees |
| work from home one to three days a week and go to | | | | who work remotely from home. |
| the office the remaining days. The reasons may be | | | | Even if you have a dreadful commute to the office or |
| many and varied, but here are two common ones. | | | | work very well independently, working from home |
| 1. Face time: Right or wrong, face time can have a | | | | alone five days a week, week in and week out, is |
| measurable impact on how you and your work are | | | | very isolating. |
| perceived. | | | | For most people, being the social creatures we are, |
| Without enough visibility and on-site involvement, you | | | | professional camaraderie is necessary to energize the |
| may miss out on information and opportunities that | | | | workday and the work output. |
| maintain and advance your career. | | | | Bottom-line: Connecting with coworkers at the office |
| "Out of sight, out of mind" is real in employer settings | | | | or elsewhere makes a measurable difference in |
| where virtual teams are not yet the norm, so regular | | | | keeping telecommuters feeling connected. |
| weekly appearances have impact. | | | | Telecommuting Proposal Strategy Tip |
| Many managers, however willing they are to allow their | | | | Propose two or three telecommuting days. Fewer is |
| employees to telecommute, still want some | | | | better if your manager is apprehensive about the |
| face-to-face communication on a regular basis. It | | | | arrangement. Your initial arrangement is a trial period. |
| provides them with a degree of needed comfort and | | | | Later, you can ask to increase the number of days. |
| control. | | | | Oh, and don't suggest Mondays. |