Re: Work remote

Eric,

In a message dated 98-11-16 13:33:06 EST, you write:

> I don't think that it is a "We want you on site so we know where you are" 
>  thing, but rather a "We want you on site so that we know that you are 
>  working" thing.

This is why you have to establish reasonable metrics for project measurement,
that will be trusted by all involved, when off-site work is going to be a
component of the project.  It is the engaging employer's responsibility to
ensure that deadlines are met and that reporting procedures are in place to
document discrepancies.  It is the hiree's responsibility to adequately
document reasons that goals were or were not achieved, or face the
consequences.

For example, a telecommuting employee or consultant turns in a project on
time.  His/her immediate manager says "good job!".  Meanwhile, his/her
manager's manager says "Our estimates are always too high, why are we paying a
premium for this work?".  Or, said person turns in a project a week under
budget, manager says "We're always estimating 3 days over, good job!"  Upper
management says "We're always estimating a week over, what's up with this
performance?".  Both situations are bad, but the worst is probably when the
person spends a week goofing off and still finishes the project on time (the
"Scotty Syndrome"), and all management components think that a good job has
been done.

Again, trust is the biggest issue.  The latter also goes farther than most
middle-managers think about it when it comes to telecommuting...

JMHO,

Dean Asmussen
Enterprise Systems Consulting, Inc.
Fuquay-Varina, NC  USA
E-Mail:  DAsmussen@aol.com

"A man can fail many times, but he is not a failure until he begins to blame
somebody else." -- John Burroughs
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