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Home, home on the job
(Arizona Daily Star, The (Tucson) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Apr. 9--More than 40 percent of your workers don't come to the office every day.
But you don't care when or where they work, as long as they get the job done well.
That's the IBM way of work-life balance.
The company, which has about 1,450 full-time-equivalent jobs in Southern Arizona, is studying its increasingly virtual work force and is one of the corporate subjects of a research project at Northeastern University in Boston.
"When employees have flexibility and autonomy on when and where they work, they're more productive and more committed to the business," said Andre'a Jackson, IBM's manager of work-life, flexibility and mobility.
In fact, workers say flexibility is the second-highest reason for their staying with IBM, right behind compensation, Jackson said.
Mike Solan is a longtime IBM finance and marketing professional who has worked from his Foothills home since 2001.
In the office, "I was the sort of the person who would go down the hall and talk to somebody rather than call them on the phone," he said.
Now, Solan said he would have a hard time working from an office again. He spends a lot of time on the phone, but also in chat rooms and in a virtual meeting room where team members can see a common drawing board.
"It's like being in the same room with the folks," he said. "I'm effectively in an office with whoever I want, whenever we need to do it.
"I've come to like it a lot," Solan said. "I certainly don't miss the commute," which was at least a half hour each way to the local IBM site at the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park, 9000 S. Rita Road.
"The downside is the cafeteria is never closed, but it certainly allows me more flexibility" in his work schedule, like when he has to get up early to take an early call from Brazil, he said.
He also makes most of his own decisions.
"I know what I have to do and the guidelines I work under, and I get approval when I need it," he said.
There are pros and cons to telecommuting, and IBM is addressing them using their internal research and an ongoing study of corporations' remote workplaces by Jay Mulki, assistant professor of marketing at Northeastern University.
The two major challenges to solve are a feeling of isolation and managing work-life balance, Mulki said.
Jose Chavez is a Distinguished Engineer, one of the highest-ranking technical professionals at IBM. He has been based at the Southeast Side IBM facility for 23 years, but he has worked from home for the past four.
Chavez said he is driven by his calendar, whether it's a 5 a.m. call to Europe or a 9 p.m. call to Asia. And he really appreciates the flexibility.
"I don't have to try to fit everything into a traditional workday," he said. Plus he likes the ability to work with a lot of different people on work trips and work on a lot of different problems across the globe.
He doesn't feel isolated because he uses instant messaging to communicate with co-workers, but it's not an exact replacement for face-to-face communication, he said.
"You have to be a little more careful of what you type," Chavez said, because no facial expressions or tones of voice are involved.
Isolation happens when telecommuters can't get the support they need, Mulki said. When face-to-face communication isn't possible, workers need a substitute -- and voice mail isn't it, he said.
The other aspect is a feeling that work isn't being recognized. Employees appreciate managers who "toot their horn," Mulki said.
Other best practices included celebrating virtual birthdays or starting meetings by asking where everyone spent his or her weekend.
And those who successfully manage telecommuters differ from traditional office managers, Mulki said.
"Managers are not the traditional command-and-control managers; they're more like coaches," he said. "They say, 'Tell me what you need, and I'll go get it,' or they run obstacles for their employee."
Mutual trust is key to this work situation, Mulki said. Employees resent managers who give the impression of monitoring them, he said.
And when it comes to work-life balance, working from home can be good or bad.
"On the employer side, when you're at home, you're always available," Mulki said. "On the employee side, you wanted to be there to pick up your kid, or whatever the case may be."
When you're commuting to an office, the drive is a transition time, he said.
"When you're working at home, if you're not careful, you're never disengaged. You're always involved," Mulki said.
People who overcome the problem of work overtaking life have a separate room or work space, they dress for work instead of staying in their pajamas, and they take scheduled breaks and sick days when they need to.
Solan said he had a hard time learning when to quit work at the end of the day.
He solved the problem by scheduling and prioritizing, he said.
Twice a week, he starts work a little later to allow time for a bicycle ride. And he has an agreement with his wife that she can say hello when she comes home from her job, but they don't spend time together until he is done working, too.
Breaks also have changed. If water-cooler conversations start over the phone, it's easy to excuse yourself, Solan said. Now breaks are for stretching or letting his dog outside.
IBM's tips for telecommuters
--Test the water by working from home one or two days a week to begin.
--Don't make your work area an afterthought. Create a home office that is a designated work space. Find groups and activities to replace the office social scene.
--Be careful with instant messaging. The recipient can't judge your tone or see your facial expressions. When one line of communication isn't working, such as e-mail, be willing to drop it and set up a phone call.
IBM's tips for their managers
--Talk with employees about flexible work schedules. If the employees can't work from home, perhaps they can adjust their hours or leave work at key times. Managers can work outside the office too, setting an example for employees.
--Take advantage of technology. Beyond phones and faxes, try Voice over Internet Protocol, instant messaging, virtual meeting places and social networking sites. Make staff meetings available by dial-in phone, webcast or podcast.
--Trust your workers to do a good job, and measure their performance. You know it's working when employees achieve results and customers are happy.
Read the latest on workplace trends at www.AzStarBiz.com
--Contact reporter Becky Pallack at 573-4224 or at bpallack@azstarnet.com.
To see more of The Arizona Daily Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.azstarnet.com.
Copyright (c) 2008, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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