eWeek ran an article back in May discussing the perils of telecommuting and potential solutions. The article tells how companies started bringing employees back into the office due two problems: a feeling of isolation, and difficulty achieving a work-life balance. Not surprisingly, when looking at ways to address these issues, the experts say:
“… that [it] depends on the person, the manager and the arrangement at hand, and that there is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution.”
Dan Benjamin discussed the affect of space on creativity in Offices and the Creativity Zone. The “zone” is a familiar concept to creatives. It is when you are so deep into what you are doing that your fingers fly over the keyboard and the mouse becomes an extension of your hand. If you are in the zone you are not concerned with outside matters. Isolation is a non-issue. So what about work-life balance. Is such a thing even possible? Is it really an issue?
At ADS we set up the war room, where everyone can come and work when they want. Otherwise, our CREW can work wherever and whenever as long as the work is getting done on time, per spec, and our clients are happy.
I talked with the CREW about keeping productive and when they felt it was more beneficial to work in-person. The times they mentioned were:
- At the start of a project
- When dealing with complex parts of a project
- When you’ve been in your room so long that you wonder when the last time you went outside was
We’ve discussed getting an office many times, and it has continuously been shot down. With the current gas prices, which almost never go down, I can’t blame them. In my last full-time job I commuted an hour each way, and it was no more than 15 miles from my house. Gas was burned, there was additional wear and tear on the car, and productive time was lost.
So, what to do? How do we keep in touch?
Using a combination of Campfire (37signals), instant messenger, email, online project management, and the phone, we are continuously in contact. Everything is available online. This keeps everyone plugged in, doesn’t force conformity to a 9-5 Dilbert-esque life, and everyone is much happier. Happier developers = more productive developers = happy clients = happy Rob.
If you telecommute to your job, how do you stay plugged in? How do you fight the potential feeling of isolation that can come from working from home? What advice would you give to others?
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