Flipping the question around, with all of the smart "virtual
collaboration tools" lying around, what are we missing, in order to
make telecommuting a realistic possibility for our profession?
Nothing on the market seems to affordably provide that tactile sense
of "we're working together" as much as just sitting next to each
other in an office.
Hi Bryan,
I agree, there's no shortage of tools on the market to allow for
remote collaboration. I've worked with a number of them from
writeboards to sharepoints, and they all seem to work well for a fair
price.
From personal experience:
- The beginning of many projects is a human endeavor requiring that
people become familiar and comfortable working with each other. The in-
person meeting is still a preferred way to gauge each other, bond in a
direct way and put a face to a voice. People are behind productivity
and that's the first step for me. As a result I always fly or walk to
most locations to form bonds and share the human experience.
- There are going to be points along any project where people need to
come together in person. The week before freezing a design...
communicating a design to upper management for buy-in... examples of
critical times when in person presence is preferred.
I've always thought that the periods in between should be flexible
regarding in-person contact on a day-to-day basis. On the occasions I
was not able to allow my colleagues (or not allowed myself) to work
remotely, it was due to a lack of clear timelines and deliverables,
frenetic project management leading to stressful daily activity rather
than balanced individual contribution or teams that are made up of
junior members that need mentorship on a regular basis. On occasion,
nothing more than a personal preference.
Personal preference here - any chance that I can allow people to stay
off the roads, conserve and work in an environment that is best suited
to their productivity... not to mention expanding the reach and
experience of a team - I take it.
All the best,
-Dan
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