Telecommuting Trends

Hush - don't tell my boss, but it is 10.30 Monday morning and I am on my exercise bike watching TV -  Gerri Willis of CNN talks about telecommuting.

I remember Verizon pitching telecommuting to clients as a buffer against an avian flu epidemic a couple of years ago. Did not help. But gas at $ 4 a gallon just might. But as Gerri counsels - present it from an employer's perspective. Don't demand it. Offer to see more local customers. And only ask for it 2-3 days a week. And assure your employer about your home comm's infrastructure. Larry Dignan has more on the topic.

Of course, I am biased on the topic. Since Gartner (reluctantly) allowed me 13 years ago, I have had a home office. Back then remote workers got  a first generation multi-function copier. And an additional line for dial up access to the network. We have come a long way since then. JetBlue's work at home reservation agents and Offshore firms delivering 75 to 80% of work from thousands of miles away are proof of that.

I can tell you all about the joys and the drawbacks of telecommuting - odd hours, proximity to fridge, kids and dogs saying hello at awkward times, and no office water cooler influence :)

Of course, my commuting with Gartner also significantly increased my air travel. A pattern which I have not successfully managed to break years later. So to me the big excitement is around telepresence technologies. Especially since there is already starting to be disruptive alternatives to Cisco's lofty expectations.