David B. Grinberg

7 years ago · 3 min. reading time · ~10 ·

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Top 10 Reasons Why Telework Makes Good Business Sense in the Digital Age

Top 10 Reasons Why Telework Makes Good Business Sense in the Digital Age

Top 10 Reasons Why Telework Makes Good Business Sense in the Digital Age0 v v
TOP 10 REASONS WHY TELEWORK IS
600D LIL 1} THE LT AGE

—— BY BiB BUTOR DAVID 8 —

om

INCREASING BOTTOM-LIN
PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFI

 

    

 

    
      
 

 

  
     

Argan :
GREATER

ACCOUNTABILITY :

   

INCREASING TRUST BETWEEN :
MPLOYEES AND MANAGERS

6 = ewes Q

~~ EXPENSIVE :

     

  

DECREASING HARMFUL POLLUTION ,» 3
INHERENT WITH GAS GUZZLING COMMUTES n

Stes

Call it what you choose: telecommuting, remote work, telework, working from home, etc. Regardless of how one labels it, the truth remains the same:

Telework works, period!

However, for remote work to be successful , employers must make sure such practices are properly applied and implemented with strict standards to ensure employee accountability, high performance and productivity.

Telework is obviously not for every employee. It all depends on the job at hand. First , an employee must be qualified, eligible, ready, willing and able to work remotely.

Second , an employee must demonstrate exemplary performance on a consistent basis whether working in or outside of the traditional office arrangement. Any employee who fails to meet these two basic standards should have their telework eligibility immediately revoked.

Although many jobs are not conducive to telework, others may be a good fit.

To wit: leveraging high-tech job tools allows qualified employees to work smarter and more effectively via the virtual workplace.

Telework also helps employees maintain the increasingly important work-life balance , which is especially beneficial for those with family and caregiver responsibilities or employees with disabilities and serious medical conditions.

That’s why more large global employers need to look at the macro picture. Today’s high-tech mobile/digital world is already an integral part of contemporary society and is fast becoming a permanent fixture of the modern-day global work culture.

Employer Intransigence

So why are so many private and public sector employers still intransigent regarding telework adoption? The answer may be twofold: management resistance and entrenched bureaucracy.

Most managers may not trust their employees to work from home or other remote locations. However, micromanagement and clock watching are not workplace best practices.

Moreover, it takes time for status-quo employers to accept new ways of doing business. This is more challenging for CEOs and the C-suite when veteran managers fight innovative change in favor of antiquated work policies.

Unfortunately, too many managers have tunnel vision regarding telework.

This is based on myths, fears and stereotypes, such as the work won’t get done because employees will goof off at home (as if this never occurs in the traditional office setting).

Showing up at work is not nearly enough to make an employee a human capital asset. Moreover, many managers are afraid of relinquishing any control over those they supervise. This is because they think it will weaken their management ability and be perceived as a loss of authority and power.

However, is it asking too much for managers to give some high-performing employees the benefit of the doubt regarding telework? How about adhering to the tried and true principle of “trust but verify”?

There’s already a plethora of empirical studies and anecdotal evidence demonstrating that telework simply makes good business sense when correctly applied to targeted segments of the workforce.

Top 10 Reasons Why Telework Makes Good Business Sense in the Digital Age0 v v
TOP 10 REASONS WHY TELEWORK IS
600D LIL 1} THE LT AGE

—— BY BiB BUTOR DAVID 8 —

om

INCREASING BOTTOM-LIN
PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFI

 

    

 

    
      
 

 

  
     

Argan :
GREATER

ACCOUNTABILITY :

   

INCREASING TRUST BETWEEN :
MPLOYEES AND MANAGERS

6 = ewes Q

~~ EXPENSIVE :

     

  

DECREASING HARMFUL POLLUTION ,» 3
INHERENT WITH GAS GUZZLING COMMUTES n

Stes

Empowering High Performers

Perhaps most importantly, telework helps build trust — not lessen it — by liberating and empowering top performers to do their best work, a win-win outcome for employees and managers alike. What should matter most to employers are tangible results rather than where or when work is done.

For instance, would a manager rather have disengaged employees who may consistently “punch the clock” but are unproductive and problematic? Or teleworkers who exceed performance goals and boost productivity and profit margins? The answer is easy.

Today’s employers must adapt to the 21st century Information Age just as their predecessors successfully transitioned to more effective, efficient and productive ways of working during the Industrial Revolution and thereafter.

The high-tech Information Revolution means the traditional brick-and-mortar workplace paradigm is undergoing a radical shift to a virtual work environment, albeit slowly but surely.

This is primarily due to proliferation of new and evolving digital, mobile and virtual technology.

A new era means new and better ways of doing business. Employers can run away from the virtual workplace but they can’t hide forever.

Recruiting Millennial Workers

If forward-thinking companies want to remain competitive in the future global marketplace they will be compelled to embrace telework for applicable jobs. Business leaders must accept the reality that working remotely will soon be the new normal, whether they like it or not.

  • It’s also a potent incentive to attract a new generation of workers.

The fact is that Millennials (Generation Y) are over 80 million strong and growing. Millennials are now the largest generation in terms of sheer numbers, according to demographers. They are entering the workforce at increasing rates and will eventually take charge of it altogether — followed by Generation Z — as Baby Boomers and Gen Xers leave the workforce.

This new generation of young innovators is fully embracing the reality that many aspects of work are inextricably linked to virtual environments.

Old-school employers who choose to reject telework do so at their peril.

What do YOU think?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

David B. Grinberg is an independent writer and strategic communications executive based in the Washington, DC-area, with over 20 years of work experience — including the White House, U.S. Congress, and national news media. He also teleworks in his current job several day per week.


""
Comments

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #12

#25
Thanks so much for your responsiveness Ren\u00e9e \ud83d\udc1d Cormier. FYI - my day job allows me to telework on most days and work in the office only on some days. I actually find myself less distracted and much more productive when working from home. However, it can be a bit isolating, which I presume is problematic for extroverts. Still, it's refreshing to go into the office periodically for direct interpersonal exchanges and real face time with my co-workers. I'm always just happy to find that my office is still there!

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #11

DO YOU AGREE that telework (remote work, telcommuting) makes good business sense in today's mobile, digital and virtual global workforce?

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #10

#19
Thanks, as always Teagan Geneviene, for sharing your important insights. I think requesting an hourly breakdown of work falls into the "micromanaging" category whether working in the office or remotely. We're not in grade school anymore, thus don't treat us that way. This actually defeats one the key principle of telework, which is establishing a strong bond of trust and accountability between the manager and employee. In my book, it's all about results, and only results. If the results are poor then micromanage as needed or withdraw the telework option. But give teleworkers the "benefit of the doubt" unless or until they prove otherwise. I would counsel managers that as long as the teleworker is a high performer, who exceeds expectations, then there should be no need for a supervisor to treat the person like a child. Hopefully, this type of over-the-top managing of remote work will ease in due time. Otherwise, companies will lose out to competitors who offer more reasonable management of flexible work options. Wishing you all the best, Teagan!

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #9

#17
Thank YOU Brigette Hyacinth for taking the time to read and share your exemplary comments. It's always a pleasure and honor to receive your valuable feedback.

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #8

#14
I appreciate your excellent feedback Phillip Hubbell. I believe that virtual workplaces will be the new normal in the coming years and decades as high-tech work tool make remote work easier and more cost effective for all parties -- not to mention all the other benefits. As noted, telework simply makes good business sense. Thanks again for sharing your important insights.

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #7

#13
Thanks so much, Tetyana Stadnyk, for sharing your valuable feedback which is most appreciated. You raise a good point for which employers need to be aware. However, it strikes me that the "pros" vastly outweigh the "cons" for employers who implement telework programs for eligible employees. It's simply a win-win outcome. Thanks again.

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #6

#11
Thanks for your kind words, Michele Williams, which are most appreciated. I've been a major proponent of telework for several years now and it's refreshing to see it catching on more in business and government. Remote work makes a major positive difference in the work lives of those who leverage this flexible work option. Thank goodness there are an increasing number of good managers and employers who clearly recognize the benefits of telework as a win-win for the company and employee alike.

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #5

#8
Thanks for your kind words and humility, William Rakow, I am truly flattered -- and ditto that on my end, as YOU are an American hero. You are a true patriot, Billy, as a Vietnam vet who served his nation with valor. There's no higher honor in my book than military service. I feel fortunate to call you my friend, as you have some many connections and contacts (tens of thousands), which speaks volumes about your character and success as a businessman. Remember, Billy, I'm just a lowly scribe, one of countless millions of bloggers in a vast blogosphere of writers. Nevertheless, your inspirational words mean a lot to me. Thank you, again, kind sir. Talk soon.

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #4

#5
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Lisa Gallagher, it's always a pleasure to hear from you. May I suggest the following twitter handles to follow about remote work, including job openings: @WorkfFlexibility and @Flexjobs. Their websites are www.workflexibility.org and www.flexjobs.com Hope this helps!

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #3

#3
Thanks again, Phil Friedman, as your endorsements of my writing means a lot to me. Yes, it's true I've lived and worked in the nation's capital area since attending the University of Maryland in the early 1990s -- but please don't hold that against me. However, my true roots are in the Empire State, as I'm a native New Yorker by birth and upbringing. Perhaps that helps explain the "common sense" to which you so kindly refer and to which I so greatly appreciate.

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #2

#2
Thank you, Phil Friedman, for your sharing your exemplary insights. You make many excellent points, as usual, with which I agree. And thanks for reminding me about the so-called "Results-Only Work Environment" or ROWE, of which telework is one part. I plan to blog about ROWE soon because the bottom line, as you so wisely articulate, is all about results and only results. Thanks again, my friend.

David B. Grinberg

7 years ago #1

FYI friends, in case you missed it earlier on hiveBlog in April 2016 Thus, if you have a minute, please consider sharing and engaging with this blog post to help attract more North American users and grow beBee's presence. Many thanks! Javier C\u00e1mara Rica

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