tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220985856614784909.post4507849812580088615..comments2008-06-18T13:03:03.497+01:00Wired Workplacehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702609326247298144noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5220985856614784909.post-24525063605235439032008-06-18T10:50:00.000+01:002008-06-18T10:50:00.000+01:00It’s fantastic that the technology is now available to allow us to ‘work to live’ rather than the other way round – and you have to marvel at the technology now available which allows us to work remotely and still pick up email, consult company databases and browse corporate files, among many other activities. As many companies are discovering, embracing more modern working patterns enables them to reduce costs as well as attract and keep talented staff. But while technology is important – innovations like broadband and wireless kick-started the remote revolution, after all, and advances in virtual private networks, VOIP and mobile devices have fuelled its continuation – it isn’t the whole story. <BR/><BR/>Managing groups of employees who are geographically distanced from each other and their managers isn’t the same as managing people in a conventional office environment. Businesses are going to need to adopt a new management style, to facilitate and support, moving away from a directive style approach, as flexible working needs a management style that empowers rather than controls people. <BR/><BR/>Running ‘virtual teams’ requires good communications, excellent leadership and effective knowledge sharing. With virtual communication via media such as video and conference calls often replacing face2face meetings, the need for a defined strategy leading to clear communication is essential. If up to 100 users can be linked together in a videoconference at a time, how well those users collaborate and work together will depend, not on the quality of the hardware, but on the quality of the communications.Louise Esplinwww.i-working.orgnoreply@blogger.com