ORGANIZING

The Organization attribute of management deals with the structure and design of the organization and the work positions. Successful managers constantly seek to organize the available resources and the appropriate work processes in a way that provides maximum productivity to the organization. In the virtual office environment, additional factors must be considered by the manager to organize and utilize these resources

Organizing and assigning work (3.1)

Managers must consider numerous variables when assigning work to be completed in the organization. These factors include the available resources, skill sets required, time frame for completing the task, the location of employees, customers, equipment, etc. Telecommuter managers must consider what impact, if any, the nature of telecommuting will have on the overall success of the work assignments and take these factors into consideration when organizing the workload.

Several alternatives that could be considered include:

1 Use self managed teams or team directed work approaches.

2 Specify tasks as processes with specific inputs and outputs.

3 Use the same approach and techniques that have been used on successful projects in the past without telecommuters.

4 Focus on deliverables, measurable goals, work break-down, and schedules.

1	Use self managed teams or team directed work approaches.
2	Specify tasks as processes with specific inputs and outputs.
3	Use the same approach and techniques that have been used on successful projects in the past without telecommuters.
4	Focus on deliverables, measurable goals, work break-down, and schedules.

Discussion

Managers favor a combination of the last two approaches. They feel that if telecommuting is implemented correctly, it should have little, if any, affect on the assignment of work. In essence, the fact that an employee is telecommuting should not be a factor for the manager to consider when distributing work throughout the organization. The assumption is made that the employee would not be a telecommuter if their job was not already suited for the type of work that they are performing and potentially may be assigned.

Instead, the focus should be on the deliverables, measurable goals, work break-downs, and schedules associated with the assignment. Assuming that these factors can be clearly stated and accurately measured, the work would be appropriate for the telecommuter to be assigned. The manager and telecommuter can then reach consensus on the expectations for the project regarding quality, quantity, and delivery dates.

Selecting types of work appropriate for telecommuters (3.2)

As previously mentioned, important consideration should be given by the manager to determine if a job is appropriately suited for a telecommuter to perform. When organizing the resources and the work in the company, potential benefits can be achieved in productivity and job satisfaction if the right people and the right positions are considered for telecommuting. But not all jobs are ideal candidates for consideration.

Some of the types of jobs that a manager may want to consider include:

1 Jobs with more telephone interaction than face-to-face interaction.

2 Jobs that can be evaluated primarily by qualitative rather than quantitative results.

3 Jobs that can be evaluated primarily by quantitative rather than qualitative results.

4 Jobs that do not involve high security or handling of proprietary data.

5 Information handling jobs that require computers (e.g., insurance agents, accountants, programmers, data entry, designers).

6 Individual contributor jobs not dependent on a team environment to accomplish tasks.

1	Jobs with more telephone interaction than face-to-face interaction.
2	Jobs that can be evaluated primarily by qualitative rather than quantitative results.
3	Jobs that can be evaluated primarily by quantitative rather than qualitative results.
4	Jobs that do not involve high security or handling of proprietary data.
5	Information handling jobs that require computers (e.g., insurance agents, accountants, programmers, data entry, designers).
6	Individual contributor jobs not dependent on a team environment to accomplish tasks.

Discussion

The ideal job that most managers feel is best suited for telecommuting is one with more telephone interaction than face-to-face interaction. If the telephone can be utilized to effectively perform some or all of the work for the job, consideration should be given for establishing a telecommuting arrangement. If a job does involve some face-to-face interaction which can be handled on days when a telecommuter is in the office, managers can still consider the position as a candidate for telecommuting, perhaps on a less frequent basis.

Additional factors that require secondary consideration include the extent to which the job involves processing information via a computer and the extent to which the person in the position would be dependent on a team environment to accomplish most or all of their tasks. Assuming that information processing is a substantial portion of the job, the total amount of computer and telephone usage should be considered. Similarly, if a great deal of team participation is not required to successfully complete the tasks, this should be analyzed along with the other factors to access the potential for telecommuting. The existence of any one or some combination of all three factors suggest that serious consideration should be given to allow the employee performing this job to telecommute.

Addressing technical support issues to ensure productivity (3.3)

The manager of any office must be sure to provide the levels of technical support that the organization requires to maintain a high level of productivity. With the introduction of telecommuting, special consideration needs to be given to the needs of employees who are no longer performing their tasks within the conventional office walls. In many cases, new and different equipment may be utilized to perform the tasks from home. What levels of support should the manager try to provide and what approaches should be considered?

Some of the alternatives that the manager may wish to consider include:

1 Solicit assistance from organizations such as local telephone companies, who promote home office environments.

2 Subscribe to telecommuting publications that address telecommuting issues.

3 Assign resources within the company to assist the telecommuter with hardware and software configurations and required equipment maintenance.

4 Vendor discounts and/or service contracts with hardware and software vendors are provided for use by the telecommuters at their home offices.

5 Purchase software that licenses telecommuters to utilize copies of the software on their personal computers at home.

1	Solicit assistance from organizations such as local telephone companies, who promote home office environments.
2	Subscribe to telecommuting publications that address telecommuting issues.
3	Assign resources within the company to assist the telecommuter with hardware and software configurations and required equipment maintenance.
4	Vendor discounts and/or service contracts with hardware and software vendors are provided for use by the telecommuters at their home offices.
5	Purchase software that licenses telecommuters to utilize copies of the software on their personal computers at home.

Discussion

The most often used approach to address the support requirements of the telecommuters is to assign resources within the company to assist them with their needs. This typically involves resolving problems associated with hardware or software equipment and configurations. These resources can be part of existing organizations that support the computing resources at the office, including help desk functions, system administration, or network support. They might also include resources from purchasing and maintenance organizations as needed. Managers must try to anticipate the types of problems that their telecommuters might frequently encounter and ensure that support arrangements are in place. Without them, the productivity of the telecommuter is likely to suffer.

Ensuring access to required tools and support (3.4)

The ability for an employee to obtain the necessary information, expertise, and office support when in the office is not always easy. As a telecommuter, it can become even more difficult. Managers of telecommuters must be aware of these potential difficulties and take appropriate steps to minimize their impact.

Some of the potential solutions include:

1 Teach telecommuters the appropriate way to use technologies (e.g., voice mail, electronic mail, facsimile, conference calling, video, pagers, etc.).

2 Establish procedures for telecommuters to interface with support personnel, and train non-telecommuters how to handle a telecommuter's request.

3 Introduce each employee to key personnel during training, prior to telecommuting.

4 Train telecommuters how to find important information and resources (e.g., databases, procedures, templates, etc.).

5 Provide job aids, reference manuals, or guides to help them find information, use technologies and resources, and request/receive information and expertise.

1	Teach telecommuters the appropriate way to use technologies (e.g., voice mail, electronic mail, facsimile, conference calling, video, pagers, etc.).
2	Establish procedures for telecommuters to interface with support personnel, and train non-telecommuters how to handle a telecommuter's request.
3	Introduce each employee to key personnel during training, prior to telecommuting.
4	Train telecommuters how to find important information and resources (e.g., databases, procedures, templates, etc.).
5	Provide job aids, reference manuals, or guides to help them find information, use technologies and resources, and request/receive information and expertise.

Discussion

The most effective way to ensure that a telecommuter has ready access to the necessary information, expertise, and office support is to teach them the appropriate way to use technologies. This creates less dependence on other people who may not be available to assist the telecommuter when required. When fully utilized, these technologies can enable the telecommuter to complete their tasks independently and ensure that they are a significant contributor to the organization. Managers need to ensure that everyone in the organization, especially the telecommuters, has access to this type of training.

Providing growth, training and development (3.6)

Successful managers are constantly looking for opportunities to develop and challenge their employees. These opportunities may be harder to find for the manager of a telecommuter. With the employee spending much of their time out of the office, some of the techniques and approaches utilized by managers in a traditional office setting may no longer work as effectively, if they can be employed at all. So how does the manager provide growth, training, and development for telecommuters?

Some of the potential options available to the telecommuter manager include:

1 Interactive training opportunities, such as computer-based-training (CBT), distance learning, and teleconferences.

2 Require employees to attend training in the office prior to participating in the virtual office and at periodic intervals during career.

3 On-the-job training (OJT) for all employees participating in the telecommuting program.

4 Managers of telecommuters communicate regularly about career and professional development goals and educational opportunities.

1	Interactive training opportunities, such as computer-based-training (CBT), distance learning, and teleconferences.
2	Require employees to attend training in the office prior to participating in the virtual office and at periodic intervals during career.
3	On-the-job training (OJT) for all employees participating in the telecommuting program.
4	Managers of telecommuters communicate regularly about career and professional development goals and educational opportunities.

Discussion

The managers of telecommuters must communicate regularly about career and professional development goals and educational opportunities. With the employee no longer interacting with the manager face-to-face on a daily basis, the two need to make a conscious effort to review the employee's training and development needs on a consistent basis. Although some of the techniques available for training and development may be different, the most important requirement is to establish goals and identify opportunities that can provide the growth and experience that will benefit the telecommuter. Managers need to provide them with the same opportunities for advancement that they provide to all other employees.

Despite the appeal and benefits of telecommuting, a major drawback of this alternate work style for some participants is the fear that they will be passed over for promotions. As the managers and telecommuters gain more experience however, they discover that their concerns are almost always unwarranted. Some companies, such as Health Net in southern California, have addressed this concern by regularly requiring employees to work at headquarters and routinely posting job openings so that everyone has an opportunity to apply. However, according to Rosemary Mans, vice president and manager of flexibility programs at Bank of America, perhaps even more important is that "... managers and their employees need to talk regularly about career and professional development goals and educational opportunities. People haven't vaporized!" she points out. Many forms of electronic communication are available as a medium for this communication to take place and typically the telecommuter is in the office on a regular basis each week. (Dutton 1994)

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