Telecommuting

I have always been intrigued by the prospect of telecommuting. Living where I do (the Washington metro area is considered to be the second worst traffic area after Los Angeles), the prospect of cosying up to my computer, dressed in pajamas, with a hot mug of coffee was enticing, to say the least, instead of being stalled in traffic and watching people shave/repair makeup/read newspaper/pick their teeth in my rear view mirror on the way to work every morning.

Looking at the isolation of our lives starting from the Sony Walkman, that started disconnecting us from people and connecting us to headphones, to the video games that young people play in solo mode, I begin to wonder whether cutting ourselves off to work efficiently and conveniently from the comfort of our homes is also cutting us off from essential socialization and presence-enabled relationship building - and whether this diminished relationship building has a direct consequence to the success of our projects..

It is said that the Japanese spend 30-40% of project time building relationships and the other 90% (!) finishing off the work. It is true that relationship building is a complement to competence and diligence and one is not a substitute for the other. But have we gone too far in the direction of efficiency and sacrificed effectiveness?

The basis of effectiveness lies in trust, and autonomy - both factors that are colored by personal relationships. When people complain of lack of trust, and lack of freedom to execute, often, there is a deeper absence of relationships between their sponsors/customers/overseers/collaborators and themselves. Forced coexistence, common enemies or opportunities and close working proximity tends to round out and soften the corners of mistrust and needs for control. Telecommuting forces all encounters to occur on telephone and computer network - and usually to encounters that are stressful such as project reviews, status meetings and division of budget items...

Doubtless, telecommuting is a more effective in use of personal time and flexibility in personal schedule, as well as all the ecological benefits of a smaller carbon footprint, less dependence on fossil fuels and a higher quality of home life. But there is a tradeoff - and lack of trust, inability to delegate effectively, and project related hostility and indifference may sometimes be the outcomes....