LEADING

The Leadership attribute of management consists of four primary areas: team building, developing individuals, motivating, and stimulating. This set of skills requires the manger to be the coach, mentor, and inspiration to both the individual and the team. Additionally, it is a manager's responsibility to ensure that proper credit for accomplishments achieved by individuals and teams.

Coaching and mentoring the telecommuter (5.1)

A manager must do more than supervise an employee-they must be a coach with responsibility for the individual's growth. In the traditional office the coaching function is often addressed through the technique of apprenticeship. Another common technique for coaching and mentoring is referred to as "on the job training," which is usually done as a part of the normal work process. Telecommuting provides a real challenge to the traditional coaching process because of the lack of physical interaction. Selecting new methods that allow managers to perform this vital role is a key factor in implementing telecommuting.

Possible solutions for performing the coaching function include those that follow:

1 Set aside specific "face" time to provide feedback and reinforce positive behaviors.

2 Communicate advice on performance and behavior immediately via phone, fax, or E-mail.

3 Appoint a mentor/coach for each telecommuter, with responsibility for career growth.

4 Establish a regular dialog with the telecommuter using communications tools to provide timely, ongoing feedback.

5 Provide/establish a career development plan that is regularly reviewed with the telecommuter to measure progress.

1	Set aside specific "face" time to provide feedback and reinforce positive behaviors.
2	Communicate advice on performance and behavior immediately via phone, fax, or E-mail.
3	Appoint a mentor/coach for each telecommuter, with responsibility for career growth.
4	Establish a regular dialog with the telecommuter using communications tools to provide timely, ongoing feedback.
5	Provide/establish a career development plan that is regularly reviewed with the telecommuter to measure progress.

Discussion

Managers still feel that face to face contact provides the best reinforcement and coaching opportunities. For this reason, they preferred the approach in which the manager sets aside dedicated personal contact time to meet with the employee and provide the normal mentoring feedback and reinforcement (approach #1). Some managers prefer to schedule "in office visits" for the telecommuter to meet with the manager (as well as provide visibility to other team members). Other managers prefer to schedule weekly visits with the telecommuter either at or nearby their telecommuting locale. This solution is usually chosen when the telecommuting distance is great.

A second approach chosen by managers is to establish a regular dialog in which timely, ongoing coaching can be provided (approach #4). Several companies have chosen to implement technological solutions which allow communication tools such as teleconferencing or video conferencing to substitute for face-to-face contact. Regular meetings are held between telecommuter and manager, in which on-going feedback is provided. Another less costly approach is the use of electronic mail and electronic bulletin boards. Managers use this electronic medium to make observations, reply to questions, forward compliments, and give advice in an ongoing dialog. In effect, the manager could be "down the hall" and not miles away.

Inspiring telecommuters to accomplish their tasks (5.2)

Obviously, working at home is different than working in the office and thus, the job of motivating telecommuters to accomplish their tasks is more difficult. The traditional office environment includes external motivational and inspirational devices such as displays of charts, graphs, measurement data, goals, and messages. The telecommuter is much more "alone" without support mechanisms to reinforce their drive to complete tasks and meet goals. While the employee is ultimately responsible for meeting their deadlines, the manager is responsible for looking for new ways to inspire the telecommuter to achieve their goals.

Possible approaches for providing inspiration include the following:

1 Set an example as a telecommuter.

2 Be a participatory manager.

3 Provide training sessions to teach telecommuters how to set goals, meet commitments, and handle common problems.

4 Select self-motivated people who are already well-trained and have the right attitude.

5 Establish an administrative structure, such as a telecommuting coordinator who assists managers in managing telecommuters.

6 Help telecommuters set up effective structures, processes and "systems" for accomplishing work at home.

1	Set an example as a telecommuter.
2	Be a participatory manager.
3	Provide training sessions to teach telecommuters how to set goals, meet commitments, and handle common problems.
4	Select self-motivated people who are already well-trained and have the right attitude.
5	Establish an administrative structure, such as a telecommuting coordinator who assists managers in managing telecommuters.
6	Help telecommuters set up effective structures, processes and "systems" for accomplishing work at home.

Discussion

Managers feel that inspiring telecommuters is no different a task than inspiring the in-office worker, with one exception. The telecommuter must rely more on internal motivation and inspiration. Consequently, managers overwhelmingly agreed that selecting self-motivated individuals (approach #4) was a prerequisite to being able to effectively inspire the telecommuter. For example, for inspirational or motivational messages to be effective in a telecommuting environment, the individual must be motivated to read or post the stuff in their local environment.

Once the right type of people have been selected, the second solution preferred by managers was to help them set up effective process for accomplishing work at home (approach #6). One implementation of this is to send charts, graphs, banners, and normal office motivators through communications means like E-mail, facsimile, and U.S. mail. One company chose to send a "care package" to the individual's home at the beginning of each month. The package included tracking or milestone charts, inspirational posters, and new product introduction materials such as videos, pamphlets, and presentations.

Another way to help telecommuters accomplish their work is to provide sample work schedules that assist telecommuters in organizing their work according to reasonable time frames. Additionally, managers can provide time management tools such as Day Timers, computer-based personal information managers, and training to help inspire telecommuters to set and meet achievable goals.

Inspiration also includes breaking down barriers that inhibit productivity. Consequently, managers must also help telecommuters set up structures for filing that enhance the retrieval and use of the information needed to complete work.

Building a sense of "team" (5.3)

The concept of building high-performance teams is considered by most managers as they key to productivity in the 90's. Yet like all groups, teams require attention and support to achieve their full potential. While it is not easy getting a team to work well together in the traditional office environment, it becomes much more difficult as individuals are separated by time and space. Problems that previously could be worked out through face-to-face solutions now require new approaches to overcome these hurdles. Two particular problems can exist for the telecommuter in the form of isolation and loneliness. Building a sense of team will require that these and other problems are mitigated through the team-building approaches used with virtual teams.

The following approaches are some of the suggested solutions to these problems:

1 Establish a "buddy system" which partners the telecommuter with a co-worker located in the office.

2 Involve the telecommuter in all group meetings either in person or via conference calls, and ensure attendance at celebrations, lunches and special team activities.

3 Speak and act positively toward telecommuters and their contribution to the team.

4 Establish dedicated office space and equipment that telecommuters can utilize when they are in the office.

5 Hold frequent team contests and activities to promote social interaction and team building.

1	Establish a "buddy system" which partners the telecommuter with a co-worker located in the office.
2	Involve the telecommuter in all group meetings either in person or via conference calls, and ensure attendance at celebrations, lunches and special team activities.
3	Speak and act positively toward telecommuters and their contribution to the team.
4	Establish dedicated office space and equipment that telecommuters can utilize when they are in the office.
5	Hold frequent team contests and activities to promote social interaction and team building.

Discussion

Over half of managers surveyed felt that involving telecommuters in all group activities was the primary approach to building and effective team (approach #2). This approach involves having the telecommuter participate in normal group meetings via technology such as phone or video, as well as ensuring their physical attendance at special team activities such as celebrations, reviews, and important occasions. One example frequently used by managers is to set a weekly team meeting using a teleconferencing system, in which all off-site team members dial in and participate. This involves sending out a clear agenda prior to the meeting along with responsibilities for each of the topics; soliciting for additional agenda topics; and providing telephone numbers and participant codes for the teleconference. Additionally, a fax machine can be used to supplement materials used in the meeting giving the participants a sense of real-time information transfer. Another, more costly use of technology is to schedule important review sessions using videoconference facilities usually available within large organizations, or from independent establishments such as Kinko's. While this can be expensive, technology solutions which take advantage of desktop video for personal computers are now available and can be coupled with ISDN communication lines to bring the cost of this solution within the reach of smaller organizations.

The second most-preferred approach was to continually verbalize and point out the positive contributions of telecommuters to the overall team's success. This allows their inclusion even when they are not physically present and avoids the common problem of "out-of-sight-out-of-mind." One example managers frequently use is to reference telecommuter's work during impromptu and unscheduled office meetings. Another example is to route work products submitted by telecommuters through the office along with attached comments. One word of note is to reciprocate for in-office workers-do for in-office workers what you do for telecommuters. To fail to do so is to risk alienating in-office team members, which can instigate jealousies and rivalries. Sharing contributions with individual team members creates a positive atmosphere and sense of team and goes a long way towards helping individuals appreciate the strengths and contributions of each member.

Ensuring visibility for telecommuters (5.4)

The importance of personal contact and being "seen in a positive light" cannot be underestimated in today's organization. The result of not being visible in an organization can be devastating when individuals are not given promotions and rewards for achievements they have earned. The problem of visibility is seen in the loss or minimization of promotions, self esteem, credibility, and tangible rewards. The manager plays an important role in the visibility of the telecommuter and can help or hinder the advancement of the employee.

The following approaches are some of the suggested solutions to these problems:

1 Establish limits on the amount of time that an employee may telecommute.

2 Telecommuters must trust their manager won't forget about them simply because they are not in the office every day.

3 Ensure daily contact with team members through voice, fax, mail, E-mail, or video.

4 Plan and present their work in such a way that telecommuters suffer little decline in their workplace visibility.

1	Establish limits on the amount of time that an employee may telecommute.
2	Telecommuters must trust their manager won't forget about them simply because they are not in the office every day.
3	Ensure daily contact with team members through voice, fax, mail, E-mail, or video.
4	Plan and present their work in such a way that telecommuters suffer little decline in their workplace visibility.

Discussion

Managers were evenly divided on approach 1,3, and 4 as preferred solutions for ensuring employee visibility. However, most managers showed a slight preference to planning and presenting the work of telecommuters in a way that enhances their visibility in the workplace (approach #4).

Another solution used by successful managers is to enforce the rule of daily contact for the telecommuter with the organization, including co-workers, peers, subordinates, and managers.

Many managers use the approach of setting limits on the amount of time that the employee can telecommute. Most managers agreed that full time telecommuting was not yet a viable option in their work environment. The average telecommuter spent 2-3 days telecommuting and was "visible" in the office on other days.

Motives for rewards and motivation (5.5)

Successful managers must understand what motivates their employees in order to establish and maintain a high performance team. This is especially true in the virtual office when the manager cannot easily observe what contributes to a worker's job satisfaction. Yet, this represents a critical factor with respect to the employee's overall ability to perform their job responsibility with a significantly reduced level of direct supervision. Potential motives that are important in the telecommuting environment include (Kanter 1989):

1 Mission (i.e. giving people something they can believe in)

2 Agenda control (i.e. giving people a say in what happens)

3 Value (i.e. immediate or delayed financial rewards, awards, and public recognition)

4 Learning (i.e. new skills development)

5 Reputation (i.e. opportunities to enhance one's own reputation)

1	Mission (i.e. giving people something they can believe in)
2	Agenda control (i.e. giving people a say in what happens)
3	Value (i.e. immediate or delayed financial rewards, awards, and public recognition)
4	Learning (i.e. new skills development)
5	Reputation (i.e. opportunities to enhance one's own reputation)

Discussion

Managers surveyed identified mission as the primary motive that drives their telecommuters. This ranking is consistent with the rankings of managers of traditional office workers. Agenda control was ranked a close second, indicating that managers believe telecommuters enjoy working in a autonomous environment where their input and opinion are valued by the organization.

These rankings indicate that managers perceive that the telecommuter puts a much higher value on the quality of the work environment and less about the salary/wage aspects of the position or the opportunities available for improving their skills or enhancing their reputation.

"As businesses continue to streamline for efficiency, there will be fewer managers managing more people with more geographic separations, but with less loyalty" according to Robert Johansen, director of new-technology programs for the Institute for the Future. "Companies will need a new form of glue, he says, to get people to be loyal - and that glue will be alternative work schedules and arrangements." (Verespej 1994) According to a five year study conducted by the Families and Work Institute in New York entitled the National Study of the Changing Workplace, "workers are more loyal, more innovative, and more satisfied with their jobs when they have more of a say in how to do their jobs and have more control over the scheduling of their work hours" (Geber 1995). The study also discovered that workers are very concerned about their work environments and that until these needs are met, efforts to improve productivity through the use of empowerment, diversity, and quality management will not succeed. Flexible work options, they say, are custom made to help companies build or win back employee loyalty by improving the quality of the work environment.

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