Telecommuters can work from anywhere and increasingly, they are leaving behind the confines or working at home to enjoy the flexibility that comes from being able to virtually work from any location with an Internet connection.
The next generation of workspace is based on total mobility. To be able to work in your vehicle at other remote locations, and while in transit between here and there. Our society and communities are tackling the issues associated with connectivity and communications. We know where our weak spots are in rural areas, and we are finding ways to bridge the technological gap.
We are adapting to cloud computing, secure online storage, and a variety of platforms that can do the heavy lifting of keeping us connected and secure from any location on our green Earth.
Better Use of Existing Technology
It is not enough to have a basic working knowledge of the new soft technologies that are supporting our higher connection and efficacy. It is important to have extensive knowledge of each tool, to understand its intricacies and all that it is capable of.
An organization could fall into the trap of having so many different tools to utilize for performing particular functions because answering the call of the quick fix,
“We need this, what program can help us do it now?”
When you should be asking the question,
“Is there any program or service that we are currently using that can help us do this?”
Too many tools will cost your organization productivity, which is an unnecessary cost to pay in the digital age.
Brainstorming Online
A problem that still exists for telecommuters who work from anywhere is live online masterminding or brainstorming sessions when separated by geography and time zones. The further the distance, the more inconvenient it might be to participate in live sessions.
By providing an organization and/or department-focused chat-client can help to preserve those precious moments which are the highly creative expression of a hallway drive-by or instantaneous chat at the water cooler, without losing time or having to call a special meeting to get a quick answer or idea.
Not as Good as Live
Even so, there exists a growing concern over live, organic employee interaction is declining, even with the best technological advancements, due to lack of telecommuters’ willingness to participate at the same level.
In a live office situation, employees are much more likely to reach out to others in passing, this spontaneous interaction is what appears to be lacking in the current wave of connectivity among coworkers, and it is not because we don’t have the technology. It appears that workers who are more likely to be supportive, proactive, and willing to express their concerns to other coworkers or ask for help are hesitant and even resistant to reaching out via the Internet.
Social engineers are aware of this social anomaly and they are looking for ways to bridge the gap between the Internet and face-to-face interactivity.
This seems to be the weakest link in the communication chain at this time in the work from home revolution.