Remote Work Confession
Robby Slaughter
Under the condition of anonymity, a friend recently admitted to me that he loved his new job but one factor frustrated him to no end. He explained that “99% of what I do at work could be done remotely, but I have to be in the office 100% of the time.”
The details of this case are even more gut-wrenching than I can reveal. My friend has had a career of exceptional independence, where he has completed countless freelance projects without the overhead of an office. His new job for the mystery firm is one working in marketing and social media. Worst of all, the company is a hometown darling. They’ve been profiled over and over again as a great example of an innovative Indiana enterprise.
It’s not as if talking about telecommuting is anything new here on The Methodology Blog. We had five blog posts in Remote Work Week. We’ve predicted the telework revolution. We’ve complained when journalists say that a four day week is “weird news.” We constantly quote our own philosophy on workplace productivity, which is simply:
Please conduct your work wherever and whenever you feel you can be most productive, most efficient, most effective and most satisfied.
Why are we taking on the location of work as a battleground in productivity? Aren’t there more important factors like technology, management styles, or workflow design?
It’s true that all those can help. But none is particularly effective until you address the fundamental issue: empowering stakeholders to get work done. The office is usually a place where we manage to make progress despite the distractions, politics and constant monitoring. If we’re less worried about where employees are working and more focused on meaningful outcomes, productivity will rise. People will accomplish more, and those who can’t work without being micromanaged will end up elsewhere.
My friend’s employer needs to take notice. Stop demanding face time from your workers. And if they can get 99% of their work done from elsewhere, you’re probably making them less productive by controlling their hours. Work is about getting work done. Let people prove themselves through their results, not their obedience.
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Tags: emplyoer, indiana, remote work, telecommuting, telework, working remotely
February 27th, 2012 at 10:44 am
I used to manage many different aspects of a publishing company – remotely. In fact, the business was designed for employees to work from anywhere in the world. All we needed was internet access and Basecamp, a virtual project management system. It was very effective, and we were all in close contact. And everyone had time for their families and worked during the hours that best suited their brains.
I must admit that having no office had drawbacks. Sometimes I craved some face-to-face interaction. We would have monthly team meetings and brainstorming sessions at the owner’s home office, and we got loads of work done. And we made our hours convenient for our clients. If they were only available for a phone conference after 6 pm, we didn’t have to work overtime to accommodate them.
Not all work can be done this way, but when it can I do agree that allowing people to work when and where their minds work best benefits everyone. Not all employees are responsible enough to handle this, but more businesses should consider it for particular positions for exceptional employees. I think it’s also a great perk to offer when a company cannot offer a great employee a raise.
February 27th, 2012 at 11:32 am
Thanks for your comments, Leigha!
I agree with everything you said except your comment that “[remote work] is a great perk to offer when a company cannot offer a great employee a raise.”
Having an employer that trusts you is not a “perk.” The right to work in an environment that makes the most sense to you is not a “benefit.” Instead, it’s the opposite of these which are the issue. Forcing your employees to be in a certain place and a certain time (or otherwise showing them you don’t think they are responsible) is just a passive-aggressive form of bullying.
February 27th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
Very progressive thinking, Robby. You are ahead of the curve, but I like those who activate change.