For small businesses, the phenomenon that began as telecommuting, like all “buzz words” evolved into “telework“, and is now best described as “distributed work“, “mobile work”, or in some environments “just everyday work”.
The key distinction here is that telework is achieved independent of location, away from the corporate headquarters: at home, a hotel, a client’s offices, the train, an airport, a car.
In this article, and pdf download below, we look at this ‘new way of working’, how and why it started, its development and it’s evolution – where it is today, where it’s going, problems and issues that every small businesses need to address, and most importantly why it’s being adopted by an ever growing number of companies.
The means that enable and facilitate the ‘new ways of working’ are the advances in technologies that have madetelework easier and more cost effective. If fact, many organizations that have carefully crafted and developed telework programs (either on their own or with the assistance of consultants) are willing to share their Policies, Practices, and Procedures (P3’s), the lack of which has been a major impediment to telework’s comprehensive integration and the necessary change management.
Technology is the mature enabler that, when coupled with supporting “Information Age” theories and practices, creates high-performance work environments for success in the evolving global economy.
The majority of small businesses that have telework programs still do so on an ad hoc basis, and neglect the critical necessity of incorporating the P3’s mentioned above into a formalized program specifying the how, when, and why of teleworking, and the responsibilities of all involved.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 changed the geo-political environment. Rising fuel prices, global warming trends, a recognition that reliance on foreign energy is not in the best interest of all, and the ever present threat of a pandemic such as the avian flu, further accelerates the need for newer Information Age best practices as the standards for the 21st Century. We now have an unprecedented opportunity to adopt new work technologies and practices, and to reach for higher levels of economic freedom, energy independence, and work/life balance, while realizing considerable cost savings through increased productivity, greater employee retention, reduced real estate requirements, enhanced responsiveness to customer and client needs, and improved employee loyalty and morale.
More organizations are examining this growing trend, and as time and technologies advance there are both more reasons and more opportunities to shift their thinking to “work is something we do, not a place we go”, while addressing the flexibility, benefits, and security these technologies can provide. This flexibility includes being accessible whenever and wherever work takes us.
This paper outlines and discusses the evolution of telework and the innovative technologies now available to level the playing fields of commerce for all those who wish to succeed. Solutions are available which address the ‘objections’ offered by those with little foresight or that have been floated by those who wish to keep their industrial age models intact.
To continue reading and learning how to Unlock the Hidden Productivity of Your Small Business download this 11 page PDF titled: Unleashing the Hidden Productivity of your Small Business
