Some years ago, we experimented with various models of Flexitime at our company. One work model that was developed out of that experience was the concept of The Virtual Private Office (VPO). VPO enabled persons to devote large blocks of uninterrupted time to the completion of a project. VPO had three (3) levels. Level One had you working at your desk but with the understanding that the rest of the office would act as if you were not in the office. This would allow you a solid block of uninterrupted time to really get your work done. Level Two would allow you to seclude yourself in the meeting room, physically away from the rest of the team, to meet the same objective. Level Three allowed you to work from anywhere you wish, even Hellshire Beach. In each instance, the only requirement was that you deliver your project on time.  How many of you could benefit from these options?

More companies really need to examine and determine the contexts in which their staff members are most productive. We also need to measure what various elements of our business actually contribute to the bottom line. One such aspect is the physical office space itself. I have a Palm Treo on which I get all my email and text messages. It can also take pictures and video clips, and make and receive telephone calls. A Tungsten T3 PDA that does everything plus a laptop computer equipped with wireless Internet access makes it possible for me to work from wherever I happen to be. I now do ninety percent of my work at the facilities of my customers. Why do I need an office?

Some months ago Business Week reported on the increasing number of small businesses that are now employing full-time and contract staff who are based at home or on the road. The data reveals that telecommuting in the USA has risen by 41% overall since 2001.  As this phenomenon grows, we are seeing many companies redefine the concept of ‘office’. ‘Office’ is no longer strictly defined as a brick-and-mortar, geographically fixed location.  One such company is MediaThink, an Atlanta-based marketing firm with four full-timers and 10 to 20 independent contractors. They serve small and mid-sized clients in hospitality, software, broadcasting, and other industries – without the 9-to-5 office time. An interview conducted by Karen E. Klein with the Chief Operating Officer John Piccirillo revealed the following issues.

Why did they go that route?
They had all worked for other agencies in traditional settings and came to realize that activity doesn't equal results. They wanted to be dynamic about selling the products and services that the clients needed, not just selling what the agency had, and they knew that that meant being with their clients. They also knew that you develop new business contacts and contracts by being out at the events that are important to clients and potential clients.

The Employee
They do have an office space but are rarely there. Everybody is all over the place - at home, on the road, at meetings, working out of clients' offices. The environment requires having the right people. You need to have people who can deliver on schedule.  Not everybody works well this way, so they had to run through two or three people before finding a designer or developer or artist who can do this. Nurturing talent and developing people became one of their critical issues as opposed to making sure they're doing the job they are told to do. These people must be self-directed and genuinely interested in the team and the tasks. Employees and contractors must have the ability to understand what needs to be done and have a fire for creating a competitive advantage for the company.

The Challenges
Communicating is the biggest challenge since you can't walk down the hall and chat with someone else on the team. They manage that by knowing where people are all the time and by using technological solutions. Their telephone system extends to all their consultants, and they can use one telephone number to reach a person anyplace s/he happens to be (Call-forwarding), so consultants can always be reached.

They also do what is called "rhythm meetings." These are really fast get-togethers, no longer than 10 or 15 minutes each day in their office (or any other convenient location). When there are long stretches where they can't physically get together, they have found that they tend to have problems. This also affected the relationship with their vendors and contractors who needed direct contact with them.

The Technology
The availability of broadband connections and innovative software allowed them to do a lot of things that would have been cost-prohibitive even a few years ago. They have a system to manage different versions of documents for various projects, and all the e-mail relating to each project is kept together. They also use Instant Messaging.

Next week we will examine the advantages and disadvantages of the Virtual Office and see if it could be in your future.

Dr. Semaj is a frequent facilitator for Strategic Planning Retreats, Cultural alignment and Organizational Restructuring. He conducts Staff Selection and Development Programmes for different business sectors across the Caribbean.