

Debunking the Myths of the Telecommute - edw519
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/jobs/18pre.html?hpw

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grumpycanuck
I've been telecommuting for 3 years now, and I can agree that a large number
people seem to think that all telecommuters are slacking off and lounging
around in their pyjamas instead of working. Like the writer of that article, I
get up and get dressed every morning just like it was a job where I had to
travel to. I just travel from the kitchen down to my basement office, that's
all.

In my opinion, companies that allow full-time telecommuting understand that
the root issue is one of trust. If you are allowed to work 100% of the time
from home, it means you are being trusted to get your work done. I cannot
think of anything that would inspire someone to do their best work other than
that.

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evanrmurphy
_a large number people seem to think that all telecommuters are slacking off
and lounging around in their pyjamas instead of working._

Ideas about legitimate work tend to be so bound up with professionalism. Why
do I have to be dressed to be getting something done? Can't I make
breakthroughs while lying on the floor or standing outside eating an apple?
I'm excited about the potential of telecommuting to undermine all these
superficial symptoms of work that have become so ingrained in us over time,
perhaps at the expense of genuine attention to results.

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scott_s
Just as much as it is about professionalism, it's about routine. For me, I
don't "feel right" until I've eaten, showered and dressed. The day hasn't
started until I've done that. I suspect that this author is similar.

Before I go to sleep, I brush my teeth, take off my day clothes, and read for
a few minutes. I could just jump right into bed, but it feels weird. The
routine I have is a way of telling myself "it's time for sleep." It's the same
way for getting work done. Having a routine, however small, is a way to tell
yourself "Now I'm working."

It's also a way to tell yourself when you're _not_ working, which I think is
equally important when you live and work in the same space.

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ellyagg
Well, I telecommute, and I like to work in pajamas in front of the TV, take a
shower when I feel like it, pop off to the store for some refreshments as
necessary or run other errands, and deliver high volumes of quality code every
day.

~~~
spudlyo
I'm the same way, I usually don't hit the shower until lunchtime. The place I
work makes it pretty easy to work remotely. All our meetings have WebEx
sessions that you dial into, there is a culture of group IM usage, my voip
phone makes it so people can't tell if I'm at my desk or at home. Like others,
I rely on having an office at home with a door I can shut, which I think is
really important.

I don't worry too much about if other people think I'm slacking off (sometimes
I really do) because my productivity can be measured by the number of billable
hours I generate.

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bcl
I think I've said this before, the keys to successful telecommuting for me
are:

* get up, shower and get dressed like I'm driving to work * Office with a door that closes and family that acts like you are not there. * good communications with the rest of the team (IRC, IM, Phone)

~~~
ido
Harder to do when you're a one-man shop (although in that case the problem
might not be the telecommuting but the lack of coworkers).

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StacyC
Good article. I've been working from home for about six months and I love it,
but it helps to be a self-starter. I'm more productive and have fewer
interruptions, and I save nearly two hours every day by not dealing with the
drive to and from the office.

It's not for everyone, I suppose, but good managers know who their performers
are and know they can be trusted to do their jobs. If you think someone will
goof off at home, they're already goofing off at the office. Telecommuting can
be a very smart way to work, both for the company and the employee.

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ssharp
I telecommute a few days a week and find that I don't really need any
structure to survive. I don't try to emulate my normal morning pre-commute
routine or anything like that. I generally don't shower until one or so. I
usually start an hour or two earlier than I normally would but I keep things
extremely flexible.

One thing I found interesting was when she wrote something about not being
able to go back to an office job. My dad's office is at home now (though his
job still has him going out on the road some of the time) and he always tells
me the same thing - how he couldn't go back to a office job. I'm glad I mix
telecommuting with actually working out of the office. I feel like I get the
best of both worlds and even though my commute is long, I actually enjoy the
drive.

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cesart
How did this article debunk any myths about telecommuting? If it did anything,
it romanticized it.

~~~
scott_s
The author feels that some people think working at home is slacking.

