Ok, so it's been a while since I've blogged...I promise to leave a dollar under my pillow for the blog fairy!
I recently attended The Chicago Network - Women in the Forefront Luncheon, and had the pleasure of listening to Padmasree Warrior, CTO of CISCO Systems talk about "Technology and the Global Marketplace".
In her discussion Padmasree talked about market transitions and the future of work, computing and connected life. She said " that as the nature of work changes, collaboration becomes more critical then ever". I couldn't agree more with that statement and it stuck with me.
It stuck with me because she was right, the nature of work IS changing, but is Corporate America truly grasping the ability to be mobile and allow for collaboration? Let's think about it...most corporations block Internet email access, Instant messaging, or even social networking sites. The concept of "working from home" is almost frowned upon or interpreted as "I gotta get some errands taken care of" day. So how do you allow your workforce to be mobile, use technology to collaborate with each other, yet monitor or police your employees to ensure you're still getting at least 85 -90% productivity out of them? It's pretty sad when Elizabeth Taylor is hooked on Twitter yet I can't even access my Facebook page from work...and I'm in IT!
I'd like to think that every organization fully supports mobility to allow for a more work/life balance for their employees. Unfortunately I don't think we're completely there yet. I've seen way to many hybrid "mobile workforce" models that end up getting canned because of the lack of trust or the abuse of the "privilege"...yes I said privilege. But as we continue to evolve, I'll sit behind my desk wishing I was "WFH" on a nice sandy beach in the Caribbean, using my iPhone to ensure that the temperature of my home back in IL is set correctly...there's gotta be an app for that...right?
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
.jpg)
Posts
I couldn't agree more with your blog. I don't think we, or anywhere else, frankly, is culturally or technologically ready to embrace full mobility. From a cultural perspective, organizations need to reward positive behavior instead of punishing bad. Many of us that work remotely put in more hours and are far more productive than our counterparts in the office...with the benefit of a more satisfying work/life balance. Most organizations don't have a non-sales incentive program in place that rewards those who go above and beyond; instead there is a program to correct unwanted behavior.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to this, many organizations do not realize that not everyone is most productive between 9a and 5p. While customer-facing positions may need to be available during standard business hours, those with other types of positions may be more productive at other times of the day. Allowing an employee to be mobile would enable them to be most productive by allowing them to cater their work habits to their naturally productive times.
From a technology perspective, the threat of cyber attacks forces organizations to take an ultra-conservative approach; one good attack could more than wipe out an savings achieved from a mobile work force.
Essentially, for a mobile workforce to truly become more practical and commonplace, there must be a coordinated effort between HR, management and IT to create an environment in which mobile employees have the support, structure, and incentives to flourish.
Interesting blog Sonal. I completely agree with the stigma associated with WFH. The general perception seems to be that real work isn't getting done when someone is at home. With WFH capabilities making it seem foolish to waste the gas money,time, or the environment commuting into work something has to give. I personally like (actually, I NEED) the formality and structure the office environment brings to my work day. Will technology advances condition us to become a completely virtual workforce and eliminate the need for shared work space a.k.a "the office"? I certainly hope not!
ReplyDeletePatrick/Kelly
ReplyDeleteThanks for your responses to my blog. You both make very interesting points in your comments.
Patrick, I totally agree with you about how some people are more productive at home then being in the office. However Kelly, I also see your point about needing the daily structure of coming into the office.
I find myself torn because I like the idea of embracing technology and moving forward with the future of mobility BUT at the same time I think my role dictates the need to interact with people. It also fulfills my personal passion of wanting to be around people and learning from them.
I think corporations (IT & HR) will eventually have to embrace more open mobility. With Social Networking becoming ever more popular, organizations will be at a disadvantage if they don't figure out ways for employees to share knowledge not only internally, but with external sources as well.
Check out these articles I found about Security and the Social Web:
http://www.cio.com/article/494330/Web_._Security_Four_Things_to_Know_about_the_Social_Web?source=CIONLE_nlt_insider_2009-06-08
Here's another on Banning Social Networking...a Losing Battle:
http://www.cio.com/article/189300/Banning_Social_Networks_a_Losing_Battle?source=artrel_top
Here's one on how some companies gained a competitive advantage:
http://www.cio.com/article/443064/Web_._Companies_Gain_Competitive_Edge_with_Social_Networking_Tools?source=artrel_top
Here are some tips:
http://www.cio.com/article/216995/How_to_Use_Social_Networking_Safely_Tips_From_Security_Pros?source=artrel_top
Sonal, thanks for the post. Thought I'd contribute by saying that I think that a good approach for companies and employees maybe a hybrid. I work from home 2-3 days a week. Patrick is right-on with productivity. If I go in to the office, i lose time commuting, getting breakfast, chatting with co-workers before my day begins. In WFH world I say good morning to my family and get started easily 1-2 hours before I would going in. I wind up working more hours from home and with less interuptions (except barking Beagles when a squirrel invades).
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side, I don't think you can completely replace being in the office or having some personal interaction. Sometimes conference calls and emails are not the most productive forms of communication. And we all know about the value of non-verbal communication which gets completely lost in a remote work situation. One other thing to consider, if you have a family at home, be sure they are ready for you to work from home. Everyone would assume that they would want you around more often, who wouldn't, but reality is that this takes adjusting to.
So I guess the point of my rant is that perhaps companies and employees could create a win-win with a part time WFH model.