I was looking over the study "The State of Telework in the U.S." and noticed a very interesting statistic:

The study found no correlation between cities with the most congestion or longest commute times and number of workshifters.

One of the common arguments for telework is saving gas and the carbon footprint. That's not to say those benefits don't occur but the benefits of telework extend far beyond gas money. So for organizations looking at their telework options, there are more opportunities to consider.

And, what exactly are those different benefits, you ask? Well, the Families and Work Institute (FWI) in partnership with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) have created a national initiative called When Work Works, to bring research about flexible work to the business world.

The site includes a guide of best practices from the recipients of the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. It also includes tips and tools for companies and human resources professionals such as:

• Toolkit for Hourly Employees with Flexible Work Arrangements
• The Supervisors' Guide to Flexibility 
• Employer Guide to Getting Started with Flexible Work

...and many more. In searching around the site, I found tremendous resources to use in developing a telework program and a few best practices I hadn't thought of before. It's a great way to think beyond the obvious when it comes to talking about telework and weighing the costs versus benefits.

Telework is one of those subjects where most people can immediately see there are benefits. That's not usually the hard sell. It's trying to get our arms around how much of a benefit and when the benefit will be realized that's more of a challenge.

The research coming out of When Work Works can help us figure out how to put quantitative metrics around the benefits of telework. In order for telework to have long-term success in the workplace, calculating a tangible return on investment is essential.

Photo Credit: Citrix Online

Last year Australia watched while ash cloud plumes from Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano caused the closure of 20 airports for nearly a week across Europe causing chaotic and major economic loss. While Australian businesses watched as Europe ground to a halt, they may have done well to consider their own business continuity plans as volcanic ash from Chile's Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcano has forced the cancellation of more than 300 flights in Australia and New Zealand. Considering the vast expanse of this country, realistically, it's tough for a coach service to get you to that business meeting in a timely manner. Eleven hours on an overnight coach is not anyone's idea of fun - and certainly does not encourage productivity. Experiencing such a crisis may have previously seemed unlikely, our vast and sunburnt country makes it even more important to be prepared for when travel is not possible.

Although travel may be halted, your business doesn't have to encounter delays. Today, you can safely and easily conduct business just as if you are sitting across the room from your contacts or your office desk (if you so happen to be stranded en route home!). Whilst it may feel like the in-person meeting is the best way to get that human touch with customers and colleagues, there is something to be said for not having them wait or prolonging a decision that could inevitably lead to a better outcome for all involved. Think about your competition - just because you can't get to your customers doesn't mean your competition can't. So why let this unfortunate and uncontrollable event delay your business when the access, collaboration and connection tools you need to stay on track is a simple click away?

Want to learn more about business continuity best practices and options? Check out these reports to help guide your business continuity journey:

• Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery are top IT priorities for 2010 and 2011 - A whitepaper by analyst and research firm, Forrester this looks at how IT decision makers are disaster-proofing their businesses.
  
  
• Emergency Telecommuting - This is a quick-start guide to working well in a crisis - from wherever you are.
  
  
• Business Continuity Guaranteed - How to enable your employees to take the virtual road to work

Photo Credit: rwhgould

In 2009 Forrester Research predicted that more than half the workforce would be teleworking by 2016:

"Fueled by broadband adoption, better collaboration tools, and growing management experience, the U.S. telecommuting ranks will swell to 63 million by 2016. Those 29 million new telecommuters lined up five abreast would stretch from New York to LA! Leading the surge are occasional telecommuters and regular telecommuters who work from home between one and four days a week."

Lots of other respected organizations have made similar projections.

Well, call me a skeptic, but while I'd love nothing better than to see an end to traffic jams, I just don't see it happening any time soon.

For those of us who are lucky enough to work where and when we want, it's easy to forget that the majority of the workforce doesn't. They're bound to the cubicle farm with tethers that date back to the days of sweatshops and typing pools. Those tethers, a.k.a. managers, simply can't imagine not being able to see the backs of their employee's heads from 9 to 5 each day.

My organization, the Telework Research Network, just completed a study that looked at telework trends over the past five years. Sponsored by Citrix Online, our summary report, The State of Telework in the U.S., reveals who's really teleworking, what they're doing, and where they're doing it. We even dared to make a prediction of our own--but it's one that's sure to disappoint the true believers, advocates, and companies hoping to cash in on the trend.

First for the good news. Telework is growing. In fact, based on U.S. Census data 61% more employees considered home their primary place of work in 2009 than in 2005, despite the recession. While the full story on the impact of the recession won't be known until 2010 Census data is available, private sector survey data just released by WorldatWork, suggests that while the overall number of teleworkers declined between 2008 and 2010, the frequency of telework increased.

Now the bad news. Census data shows that only 2.9 million employees work from home more than half the time (not including the self-employed). That's only 2.3% of the workforce. So while 61% growth sounds impressive, it has more to do with how low the number was five years ago than any kind of a wholesale change in the way we work.

How can it be that while 80% of Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies To Work For" already offer telecommuting, so few people are doing it on a regular basis? Again, I say, if you're lucky enough to workshift regularly, count your blessings. While a majority of large companies say they offer telework, it's largely granted as an occasional accommodation for only a handful of employees. Our study in fact showed that over 75% of employees who work from home earn over $65,000 per year, putting them in the upper 80 percentile of the workforce.

Employees want to telework-- according to WorldatWork, almost 80% of would do so at least part of the time if allowed. The tools and technologies to support it are widely available, inexpensive, and easy to use. But most companies simply don't have the culture of trust that comes from measuring performance by what people do rather than when, where, or how they do it.

In his bestselling book, Drive, Dan Pink observes "...despite four decades of scientific research on human motivation, there's an immense mismatch between what science knows and what management does."

He goes on to say, "...while the carrots and sticks worked successfully in the 20th century, it's precisely the wrong way to motivate people today."

It's time for managers to wake up from their "management by walking around" stupor. Fact is, their employees have already left the building. According to a recent DEGW survey of 60,000 worldwide employees, knowledge workers are not at their desk 65% of the time. So how's that whole management by walking around thing working? Not so good, I'd guess. If fact, as Pink and the majority of management gurus have been telling us for years, it really never did.

What employees of all age groups want is the flexibility to determine for themselves where, when, and how they work.

They want to be trusted.

They want to do their best and feel that they're a part of greater whole.

They want to be treated like adults.

And if they can't get what they want, they'll go somewhere else or venture out on their own.

This is not your grandfather's workforce.

You can download a copy of The State of Telework in the U.S. report here.

Photo Credit: TylerIngram

Whether you're a new visitor or an old friend of workshifting.com, have you ever wanted something tangible about the concept of "workshifting" that you could provide to your manager or a colleague interested in workshifting? Sure, you could point people to our About page or one of the many resources that we provide on the site such as "Workshifting - The Bottom Line." But, we wanted to go one step further for you and so we created a short, downloadable Workshifting Fact Sheet.

This fact sheet will help explain what "workshifting" is and the savings that workshifting can provide to employees, employers and the environment while increasing business performance and employee satisfaction. We've provided a handful of stats along with real workshifting stories and quotes.

You can download your copy of the Workshifting Fact Sheet here.

We hope that this Workshifting Fact SheetWorkshifting Fact Sheet will help you in learning more about workshifting and will help you in building your business case for workshifting at your company!

If you've ever wondered how many people are really doing some form of virtual and/or online employment, well wonder no more. oDesk, a global employment platform, is sharing the data. You can check out the May 2011 report here.

The report offers a tremendous amount of data, including month-over-month and year-over-year reporting. It also provides insight into the kinds of jobs that are being used in a telework capacity. In May, over 90,000 jobs were created and $16M spent in online work.

The report goes on to share the top locations for online workers both in the U.S. as well as globally.

The mere fact that online employment is being tracked is significant. It ought to be an indicator that telework is gaining a hold in the modern workplace. Otherwise, there would be no need to spend time and resources reporting the results.

It also opens the door to a new dynamic. In the past, we've spent our time convincing employers to create flexible work policies in order to retain talent. And this is still important. Now that data is being reported on where to find online talent and their skill sets, employers can start actively searching for online talent to fill their next opening.

Individuals looking to brand themselves as online talent will want to dedicate some time to thinking about their personal brand. The employment market just became incredibly large and very competitive.

What do you think? Are companies paying more attention to flexible work and hiring online talent? Leave us your thoughts in the comments.

Recently, Fortune Magazine published their annual list of the 100 Best Companies to Work for. It's always a popular read to check out the companies listed. If you haven't seen this year's list, you can check it out here.

What I always find more interesting that just the list of company names and their rankings, is what these companies offer their employees. To me, this is what the list is really about. It identifies best practices.

This year's list had some interesting data:

• The top 10 best companies encouraged employees to balance their work and personal life
  
• 82 of the 100 companies listed offered telecommuting
  
  

So, the key concept behind workshifting - being able to work productively from anywhere - are embraced by the companies considered to be the crème de la crème in Corporate America. This comes right after the Federal Government implemented the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, mandating Federal Agencies to implement telework policies.

It's clear organizations both public and private are recognizing the benefits of workshifting. This is terrific. But we all read this blog and know that, right? The next logical step in this new normal is education.

For years, employees have been accustomed to getting up every day and driving to this place called "work." They put in their time and go home. If they bring work with them, they make do with their resources at home. Today, work might be 10 steps away. It's a major change.

I remember when I first started consulting. I spoke to every consultant who would let me buy them a cup of coffee. And asked them their biggest challenges.

One person told me it would take two years to get used to working at home. Two years?! Somehow that seemed ridiculous. But let me tell you...for me, it took every bit that long. Working from home is not a cakewalk. You have to be disciplined and manage yourself.

In my case, it was a bit different. I was too disciplined. I was so afraid of getting distracted by television or the household chores that I made myself miserable. I finally lightened up and achieved some balance.

In order for workshifting to be successful, it takes a lot of information. Companies can't simply declare telework is OK and hope everything works out. Guidelines for success need to be created. Both employees and employers need resources.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Families and Work Institute (FWI) just announced a multi-year partnership called Moving Work Forward. Their goal is to be that resource that can help organizations adopt workplace flexibility policies in an effort to be more competitive.

Check out this video from FWI and SHRM that explains the Moving Work Forward initiative:

This is just one of the many resources available to help organizations. What other workshifting resources are you aware of that can help organizations successfully implement these programs? Leave us a note in the comments.

Photo Credit: justin_levy

Tom Bunzel stops by today to discuss the changing face of learning and the growth of online training . Tom is a writer, consultant and trainer in Los Angeles and the author of "Tools of Engagement:  Presenting and Training in a World of Social Media" and can be reached through his website.

For a long time "training" was in the province of a Human Resources department or considered an extra cost element of customer service.

Today, however, knowing how to use a product or service has become critical not only for internal members of an organization, but a much wider audience, particularly online. The advent of social media in particular has created a generation of active learners who want to grow their skills and reach their full potential in areas from personal growth to using technology.

This has really blurred the distinction between marketing and training--because providing training has expanded from merely learning technical skills to empowering customers, clients, associates and even vendors on a wide spectrum of knowledge.

More important perhaps, the availability of broadband has made it possible to take training anywhere and everywhere, so that the "classroom" can be in your home office, easy chair, couch or coffee shop.

When the web began this extended classroom was limited to online courseware, but now with remote training tools, live interactive events can be experienced by large scale audiences. The enables organizations or individuals to reach out and provide significant value across continents and time zones, to build a brand, engage end users, and build a loyal following.

Besides the obvious feature of being able to extend a training session to remote learners online, the use of a good remote training tool can provide several additional significant benefits for organizations, individuals or entrepreneurs with educational content of value to an audience:

• Provide an interactive platform for users to experience your product or service.
  
  
• Provide a central repository for content to be used and reused with minimal redevelopment.
  
  
• Provide reporting and follow-up capabilities that let you evaluate and stay connected to an audience.
  
  
• Provide an archived video file of the training that can be used on a hosted video site and in social media campaigns.
  
  
• Provide a database of contacts and feedback through a registration process that tracks attendees and connects them to content through social media sites like Facebook events or email campaigns.
  
  
• Develop and maintain a library of content that can be accessed by learners and potentially monetized.

The barriers to entry into the remote learning space are getting lower all the time, and a wide variety of tools exist from podcasts to enterprise programs--but significant benefits can be achieved with tools that offer the foregoing features at a relatively low cost in terms of reaching an audience and (re)developing content. And with the implementation of a complementary social media strategy, value can be provided across an array of platforms to a scalable audience, with accountability and interactivity through blogs, social networks and the features of the actual remote training tool itself.

What are your thoughts on taking learning and training online? Are you using it within your organization?

Photo Credit: doctorious

I wouldn't trade my digital nomad lifestyle for anything. My office is anywhere I am, and as a result, I get more accomplished and to better quality than if I was chugging away 8 hours a day in a stuffy cubicle. I think a lot of us workshifters feel the same way. But, none of it would be possible if not for a few essential tools. So, I thought today I'd share with you what's in my Workshifting Toolbox.

Dropbox

Some of you, like me, are old enough to remember life before ATMs. You know, when we went to the bank only when it was open, filled out a little slip with our account number on it and how much we wanted before we could get our money out? Think you could live without ATMs today? Me neither. And I feel the same about Dropbox - I don't remember how I got along without it!

Dropbox is a shared folder system that sits on your desktop, just like a regular file folder. The only difference is I can share my folders across different computers or with other people. The folders sync up every time someone shares a file, so it's a fast and easy way to collaborate on projects.

I work in a production environment - on any given day, we are pumping out several video projects and web site designs. Our team works entirely remotely, so without a way to share larger files like video and graphics, we'd be forever trying to shuffle hard drives, DVDs and USB keys around. Now, with Dropbox, I can have shared folders with each of my team members, my business partner, and our clients. We can upload screener videos for clients, share design concepts or collaborate on proposals with the team easily and efficiently. It's an amazing time saver and best of all, 2 gigabytes of space is absolutely free! There are inexpensive paid options for larger storage as well. Super cool.

Skype

Many of us are familiar with Skype, but in case you haven't heard, it's a free tool that allows you to make computer-to-computer phone calls, video calls, and send Instant Messages between yourself and other Skype users. You can also make really inexpensive phone calls to regular land lines or cell phones by purchasing credits.

Skype is another one of those indispensable tools that makes my life easier. I can connect with my contractors, my clients, my partner and my students instantly no matter where they are or where I am in the world, and they can reach me easily as well. It's nearly replaced my phone at this point. I love being able to work in real time with my team when we are launching a new web site or making editing tweaks to a video - it's often much faster than email, and if you can't get your point across in an Instant Message, you can just hit the "Call" button and do a multi-way voice call. It's a great productivity tool for remote teams and best of all, it's free!

Smart Phone

My smart phone is my computer on the go. In my case, I have an iPhone 4, but there are of course, lots of different types. I love my iPhone - it lets me be connected to my email and phone, of course, but it also lets me use many applications that help increase my productivity. For instance, I have my Dropbox available, so if I need to approve a video or a new design, I can do it from anywhere I have an Internet connection. I also have Skype on my smart phone, so I can instant message and talk with my clients or team no matter where I am. There are many other great apps that can help your productivity - I think a smart phone is a must-have for any workshifter's toolbox.

Instincts

Tools and technology are wonderful things, but they are just that - tools. No tool is going to be effective if it's not backed up with good decisions and great communication. So, by far the most important tool in my workshifting arsenal is my instincts. My instincts tell me when I need to step into a conversation to sort things out. They tell me when I need to reach out to a client to make sure we're in sync on the project requirements. If I'm not honed in and sharply focused on the goals and objectives of my projects, then all the tools in the world aren't going to help me. Instincts trump all.

Now, it's your turn. What are some of the tools in your workshifting toolkit? What can't you live without? How do you make sure you stay on target to achieve success?

Photo Credit: Rosa Say

Wifi is great. Except when it isn't there. And it's usually when you need wifi the most that it's either not available or goes down.

But if you have a smartphone and a good data plan, you can can get around any wifi problems that you might encounter. How? By tethering your phone to your laptop.

Tethering?
Think of tethering as turning your smartphone into a high-speed modem for your laptop or netbook. It's easy to do, and can not only but a life saver but a sanity saver too. Tethering has enabled me to get information and deliverables to clients when the wireless I've been using has gone down.

Tethering involves connecting your smartphone to your laptop. That can be a physical connection using a cable (I know, how old school!) or making the connection using Bluetooth. Once attached, your phone's data connection acts like wifi.

Your connection speed will, as you've probably guessed, depend on your phone's signal strength. When you're getting four or five bars your Internet connection will be barely distinguishable from a good wifi link. On the other hand, if you're phone is only getting a couple of bars ... like molasses is a good way to describe the experience.

What you'll need
Obviously, you need a smartphone and a laptop. Keep in mind that not all smartphones support tethering. Ones that do include the iPhone, several models of BlackBerry, and most Android-powered phones.

Besides a phone, you'll need a 3G data plan. Anything else and you might not be able to tether. If you can, then you'll get speeds that rival dial up. If you're going to tether, make sure you have a data plan that gives you a lot of bandwidth; at least 5 GB a month.

You'll also need a USB cable to connect your smartphone to your laptop; the phone usually comes with one. This is a moot point if you're tethering over a Bluetooth connection.

You might also need to install drivers -- specialized software that allows your computer to interact with your phone -- on your computer. This isn't always necessary, but whether or not you'll need to install drivers will depend on your phone.

Explaining how to tether specific smartphones is outside the scope of this post. You can find some good tutorials here. And here's an overview to tethering an Android-powered phone running the latest version of the operating system.

Drawbacks
Yes, there are a few. The biggest one is that you can really burn through your data plan's bandwidth by tethering. Getting hit by additional charges, like a colleague of mine recently did, can really hurt your wallet.

While your phone is tethered, you can't make or receive calls. Any calls will be shunted to your voicemail.

Finally, if you use Bluetooth to tether your phone to your laptop that will really speed up the drain on the battery for both your phone and your laptop. Using a USB cable isn't too bad -- taking this route will charge your phone.

Overall, though, the benefits of tethering a smartphone to a laptop outweigh the disadvantages. As long as you do it sparingly, tethering can be a great addition to any workshifter's toolkit.

What are your experiences with tethering?


Photo credit: .shock from Photoxpress

Much like the shirtless dancing guy in the amusing but compelling video above, workshifting is a physical movement--but instead of flailing your arms, you seamlessly move the location of where you do work. One day, you're meeting your manager online from a coffee shop.  And the next, you're prepping a client presentation while sitting at an airport gate.  This is all possible thanks to the World Wide Web and its wondrous ways of allowing us to use remote technologies.

• www.workshifting.com ;)
• "Work Unchained: Workshifting and the Competitive Edge of the Anywhere Office" [podcast, eBook]
• "Leading Virtual Effectiveness: Four Strategies for Effective Communication in a Distributed Workforce" [eBook]
• "The Top Ten Strategies for Managers of Mobile Workers" [white paper]
• "Presenting the Business Case for Web Commuting" [white paper, podcast]