Debunking the Myths of the Telecommute

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/jobs/18pre.html?hpw

by edw519 • 16 years ago

52 12 16 years ago

I've been telecommuting for 3 years now, and I can agree that a large number people seem to think that all telecommuters are slacking off and lounging around in their pyjamas instead of working. Like the writer of that article, I get up and get dressed every morning just like it was a job where I had to travel to. I just travel from the kitchen down to my basement office, that's all.

In my opinion, companies that allow full-time telecommuting understand that the root issue is one of trust. If you are allowed to work 100% of the time from home, it means you are being trusted to get your work done. I cannot think of anything that would inspire someone to do their best work other than that.

z92• 16 years ago

I tried it for 3 years. Didn't work for me. It has to do with myself not being much organized than anything else. I am as far from what the lady in the article wrote about herself as it can go.

All the downsides that are being said about telecommuting are true. But one need to learn how to overcome those. My failure was catastrophic. Lost 3 years from my life.

evanrmurphy• 16 years ago

a large number people seem to think that all telecommuters are slacking off and lounging around in their pyjamas instead of working.

Ideas about legitimate work tend to be so bound up with professionalism. Why do I have to be dressed to be getting something done? Can't I make breakthroughs while lying on the floor or standing outside eating an apple? I'm excited about the potential of telecommuting to undermine all these superficial symptoms of work that have become so ingrained in us over time, perhaps at the expense of genuine attention to results.

scott_s2• 16 years ago

Just as much as it is about professionalism, it's about routine. For me, I don't "feel right" until I've eaten, showered and dressed. The day hasn't started until I've done that. I suspect that this author is similar.

Before I go to sleep, I brush my teeth, take off my day clothes, and read for a few minutes. I could just jump right into bed, but it feels weird. The routine I have is a way of telling myself "it's time for sleep." It's the same way for getting work done. Having a routine, however small, is a way to tell yourself "Now I'm working."

It's also a way to tell yourself when you're not working, which I think is equally important when you live and work in the same space.

StacyC• 16 years ago

Good article. I've been working from home for about six months and I love it, but it helps to be a self-starter. I'm more productive and have fewer interruptions, and I save nearly two hours every day by not dealing with the drive to and from the office.

It's not for everyone, I suppose, but good managers know who their performers are and know they can be trusted to do their jobs. If you think someone will goof off at home, they're already goofing off at the office. Telecommuting can be a very smart way to work, both for the company and the employee.

ellyagg• 16 years ago

Well, I telecommute, and I like to work in pajamas in front of the TV, take a shower when I feel like it, pop off to the store for some refreshments as necessary or run other errands, and deliver high volumes of quality code every day.

spudlyo• 16 years ago

I'm the same way, I usually don't hit the shower until lunchtime. The place I work makes it pretty easy to work remotely. All our meetings have WebEx sessions that you dial into, there is a culture of group IM usage, my voip phone makes it so people can't tell if I'm at my desk or at home. Like others, I rely on having an office at home with a door I can shut, which I think is really important.

I don't worry too much about if other people think I'm slacking off (sometimes I really do) because my productivity can be measured by the number of billable hours I generate.

cesart• 16 years ago

How did this article debunk any myths about telecommuting? If it did anything, it romanticized it.

scott_s2• 16 years ago

The author feels that some people think working at home is slacking.

bcl• 16 years ago

I think I've said this before, the keys to successful telecommuting for me are:

* get up, shower and get dressed like I'm driving to work * Office with a door that closes and family that acts like you are not there. * good communications with the rest of the team (IRC, IM, Phone)

ido• 16 years ago

Harder to do when you're a one-man shop (although in that case the problem might not be the telecommuting but the lack of coworkers).

ssharp• 16 years ago

I telecommute a few days a week and find that I don't really need any structure to survive. I don't try to emulate my normal morning pre-commute routine or anything like that. I generally don't shower until one or so. I usually start an hour or two earlier than I normally would but I keep things extremely flexible.

One thing I found interesting was when she wrote something about not being able to go back to an office job. My dad's office is at home now (though his job still has him going out on the road some of the time) and he always tells me the same thing - how he couldn't go back to a office job. I'm glad I mix telecommuting with actually working out of the office. I feel like I get the best of both worlds and even though my commute is long, I actually enjoy the drive.

Debunking the Myths of the Telecommute

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