Contenu connexe Plus de Rhonda Bracey (20) Remote working: Telecommuting from the trenches1. Twitter hashtags:
@cybertext
@astcnsw
REMOTE WORKING:
Telecommuting from the trenches
November 2012 Rhonda Bracey
2. “The virtual office has existed for at least a century...
Clothing factories used to drop off piecework at the
homes of stay-at-home mothers who would sew the
pieces together and receive payment on a per-item basis.
…it’s simple enough to give a worker a remote login to
your network, a high-speed Internet connection, or
whatever other connectivity service she requires.”
Lee, TJ. The Virtual Office: Part 2
www.thenakedpc.com/articles/v02/20/0220-03.html
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd
3. “I’m sitting in a traffic
jam, in the car that I need
to get to work, so that I
can pay for the house
that I’m never in.”
How many minutes of this per day?
3
10? 20? 30? 45? 60? More?
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd <date>
4. 4
Only to face this for 8+ hours…
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd <date>
http://dcdana.blogspot.com/2011/07/cube-life_21.html
6. Worked remotely full-time since Feb 2007
Several long-term clients in that time (WA, Qld, Tas, Israel, US)
Main client since late 2008: [removed]
Rarely, if ever, meet my clients/work colleagues
Mostly do tech writing/editing for large teams of authors
About me
7. Positives
7
No commute; no madly running errands on the way home;
More discretionary time no ironing! More time for family, leisure activities
No expensive meals/snacks/drinks; no parking/public
Less costs (~$10,000/yr) transport costs; reduced fuel usage; no need to regularly
update wardrobe/shoes/makeup/hair/nails
No/fewer meetings; no water cooler chat; few ad hoc
Greater productivity interruptions (prairie dogging); little office politics
Few interruptions = meet deadlines; work hours to suit body
Less stress/better health clock/commitments; not rushing; fewer take-outs/meals out;
more time for exercise; don’t catch/transmit bugs
Reduced footprint on Not running car as often; not consuming as much
Earth
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
9. Negatives
9
Miss ad hoc work and social relationships with co-workers; out of the loop;
Isolation no body language/facial expression nuances
Possible increase in power/internet/phone costs; equipment/software
Increased costs
costs if employer doesn’t provide; dedicated office space and furniture
Family/friends may assume you’re ‘always available’ to do other tasks
Interruptions
(chores, shopping, kid taxi, coffee/lunch etc.)
Managers/co-workers may assume you’re doing nothing or doing things
Perceptions
other than work
Overworking Can be too easy to work all hours and not separate home/work life
Self-discipline is essential otherwise you’ll get nothing done; beware of
Underworking distracting yourself with non-work tasks
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
10. It’s about managing…
10
Yourself and your time (discipline/routine)
Perceptions of others (ALWAYS be available during core hours)
Interruptions (train your spouse, family, friends)
Your workspace (dedicated is best, with a door)
Your mental and physical health (exercise regime, social contact)
Your employer/manager (who pays for what; negotiate core hours)
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
12. Helping hands: If you have these…
12
Existing
work/
network
Appropriate Existing
environment reputation
Consider
telecommuting
(at least some of
the time)
Good self- Supportive
discipline employer
Supportive
family
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
13. 13 Connecting Technologies
Takeaways:
Internet essential—the faster the better
Remote access and collaboration tools are
getting better all the time
Have regular voice meetings with
boss/colleagues
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
14. Internet
14
MINIMUM: Broadband connection (>1.5 Mbps)
Websites, email, social media
Conference calls: phone and video
Transfer/backup data files
Connect securely to another system (VPN)
Work on another system as though you were there (Windows
Remote Desktop: free)
Instant messaging (e.g. Microsoft Lync in corporate environment)
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
15. Telephony
15
Landline, mobile, VOIP (e.g. Skype, Cisco)
Skype:
• Computer to computer (free)
• Smartphone app, conference calls, video
calls, chat, voicemail, file transfer, screen sharing...
Cisco IP Phone option if already used in office:
• Office phone directory
• Dedicated local number/extension
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
17. Web conference/screen sharing tools
17
A Google search for screen sharing applications gives 50 million
results! Many are suitable for tablets too. Examples:
Provider Pricing (in US$, as at July 2012) Website
WebEx Free (up to 3 people); $24/month (up www.webex.com
to 8); $49/month (up to 25)
GoToMeeting $49/month (up to 25) www.gotomeeting.com
Adobe From $45/month; also ‘pay per use’ www.adobe.com
Connect option: 32c/user/minute
Microsoft Various prices depending on Office 365 http://www.microsoft.com/
Lync Online subs, corporate installations etc. en-us/office365/lync-
online.aspx
Join Me Free; Pro version from $19/month www.join.me
Fuze Meeting $15/month (up to 15); $49/month (up https://www.fuzebox.com/
to 25) pricing
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
18. Remote access requirements
18
If you need to Domain name, username, password
access:
your own
Client sys admin to allow VPN access
system
while on
Tools to provide access, such as:
the road
Remote Desktop (Windows)
a client’s
system
Remote access to server and networked
from PCs via HTTP
anywhere
Microsoft Outlook Web Access (if using
then you’ll
need this Exchange Server)
information…
Commercial desktop and web tools
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
19. Remote access tools
19
A Google search for remote access applications gives 76 million results!
Examples:
Provider Pricing (as at July 2012) Website
GoToMyPC $10/month for access to one PC www.gotomypc.com
LogMeIn Free for basic access www.logmein.com
WebEx PCNow From $10/month for access to one PC http://pcnow.webex.com
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
20. Example collaboration tools
20
Content management systems, wikis, forums, blogs, Twitter (!)
Document sharing tools (e.g. Google Drive, Office 365)
File sharing tools (e.g. Microsoft Skydrive, DropBox)
Project management tools (e.g. BaseCamp, ToodleDo)
Microsoft SharePoint: Tries to do all the above in the one
package; success varies…
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
21. Why these?
21
• Simple file transfer/sharing
• Available for PC, tablets, phones
DropBox •
•
Free
www.dropbox.com
• Instant help from around the world
• Keep up-to-date with events/trends
Twitter in field
• Water cooler chat
• www.twitter.com
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
22. Twitter is good for information
you might not normally hear
about
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
23. Twitter is great for
quick answers to
questions/problems
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
24. 24 Home Office
Takeaways:
Essentials: dedicated space with a door
Get a GOOD chair
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
25. 25 © CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd <date>
26. 26 © CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd <date>
27. Minimum equipment
27
PC and/or laptop
Modem/router
Printer (multifunction for single footprint – copy, scan, print, fax)
Headset (or microphone + speakers [often built-in to laptops])
External, portable hard drives/thumb drives
Phone (smartphone is ‘one device to rule them all’)
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
28. Nice to have…
28
Tablet (iPad etc.)
Wireless connection (built-in to later laptops; on phone)
Digital camera/camera on phone (if your work includes photos)
Webcam (built-in to later laptops; on phone)
Travel-sized bits and pieces (mouse, network cables etc.)
Digital voice recorder (try your phone!)
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
29. Stuff for your body
29
Decent desk + chair (you’ll spend a LOT of hours at both, so don’t scrimp)
Quiet/free from distractions (noise-cancelling headphones, ear plugs)
Good lighting
Temperature control
Exercise
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
30. Some facts…
30
UK companies spent 24 billion GBP on business travel in 20111
It costs employers 7000 GBP per person per desk for office workers1
90% of office workers would like to work from home some of the
time1
35% of tech professionals would sacrifice up to 10% of their salaries for
full-time telecommuting2
1. From "Home of the future" Episode 2: Work (TwoFour Broadcast Ltd, 2012; presenter Chris Sanderson)
2. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/040511-it-telecommute.html
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
31. 31 Resources
Takeaways:
Search for ‘remote working’, teleworking’
‘telecommuting’
Plenty available on benefits/costs of telecommuting
and convincing arguments for your boss
List of some on my blog today
(http://cybertext.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/
resources-for-remote-working-presentation/)
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012
32. 32 Thank you…
Any questions?
Contact me:
rhonda.bracey@cybertext.com.au
http://www.cybertext.com.au
http://cybertext.wordpress.com
Twitter: @cybertext
© CyberText Consulting Pty Ltd November 2012