Barrie Byron & Anne Grove

1. 3/4/2011
A Virtual Success:
Best Practices for Working Remotely
by Barrie Byron and Ann Grove 1
1
A Virtual Success: Best
Practices for Working Remotely
Presented by Barrie Byron and Ann Grove
2
Topics
Define virtual work
Consider whether you have the right skills
and temperament to work remotely
Adapt your communication skills to
remain visible and earn trust
Create and protect a dedicated work area
Develop good work habits
3
Barrie Byron
25 years
Technical writer
15 years
Active STC
member and leader
10 years
Active Toastmaster
member and leader
4 years
Virtual success
4
Ann Grove
10 years
Business owner
10 years
Active STC member and leader
12 years
Virtual success
5
Virtual work by any name
Work is something that you do, not a place that
you go
Virtual work is work that is done in a location
other than the traditional on-site company office
Distance work Mobile work Telework /
Telecommute
OTTO (other
than traditional
office) work
Flexible work
arrangement
WFH (Work
from Home)
e-work Remote work Virtual work
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Advantages of virtual work
Greater work/life balance
More flexibility and control over working
environment and schedule
Increased
productivity
Reduced stress
Reduced
commuting costs

2. 3/4/2011
A Virtual Success:
Best Practices for Working Remotely
by Barrie Byron and Ann Grove 2
7
Disadvantages of virtual work
Social isolation
Home distractions
Lack of boundaries
Reduced visibility
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Are you well suited to virtual work?
1-4
1. Are you an independent, self-starter, self-
confident, and outstanding communicator?
2. Can you create and meet personal productivity
goals without much external accountability?
3. Can you resist temptations such as Facebook
when bored?
4. Can you commit to core work hours?
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Are you well suited to virtual work?
5-10
5. Are you comfortable working through your own
technical issues?
6. Can you easily build meaningful relationships with
others through email and phone calls?
7. Do you have an area of your house, preferably with
a door, that you can dedicate to your work?
8. Are you willing to invest money to create a
comfortable and appropriate home work space?
9. Do you have a healthy respect for your company
rules regarding security?
10. Can you fulfill your interpersonal communication
needs outside of your job?
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An employer’s perspective
Consider how much easier it is for home
workers to break these guiding ethical
principles (from Ann’s client):
We will behave ethically
We will comply with applicable laws, rules
and regulations
We will avoid conflicts of interest
We will protect company assets
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Convincing your boss
Your boss is not going to let you work from
home simply because you want to
Use the following information to earn the
privilege to work virtually:
Present supporting research
Increased productivity (10 to 35%)
Reduced office space and parking needs
Less sick time
Lower turnover
Define benefits for your specific role
Propose a trial period
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Most important tip
Make sure you have clear expectations for
your position
Ben Franklin claimed he was successful
due to “the precaution of having very
explicitly settled in our articles everything
to be done by or expected from each
partner. So there was nothing to dispute.”

3. 3/4/2011
A Virtual Success:
Best Practices for Working Remotely
by Barrie Byron and Ann Grove 3
13
Best practices for virtual work
Maintain high visibility
Earn trust
Set up secure and appropriate work area
Practice healthy habits
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Building and earning trust
Be honest, be open
Keep your commitments and don’t over-
commit
Don’t be negative
Take initiative and responsibility to create
and maintain social glue
Actively participate
Be available
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Maintaining high visibility
Proactively report status to your manager
Self-promote
Establish regular one-on-one meetings
Build relationships, face-to-face when
possible (at least once)
Work cross-functionally with other teams
Personalize your communication: get to
know your team and your manager
16
Setting up your work area: security
Your company’s network is only as secure
as the weakest link
Don’t be the weakest link
Consider:
Physical security: At home, lock the door. At
work, lock the laptop to the desk
Security of printed confidential materials
Electronic security
Lock your screen
Do not keep your password within five feet
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Setting up your work area: phone
Our approaches
Barrie: Tethered
Ann: Rotates between two cordless handsets,
and has a tethered backup
Important features:
Mute button
Good volume
Headset jack
Caller ID
Speakerphone
Redial
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Communicate, communicate,
communicate
Presence-awareness software
Keep availability status accurate
Respond promptly
Instant messaging
Use as a substitute for business-appropriate
informal communication
Technology
Use video conferencing, share your screen,
collaborate
Share files and calendars

4. 3/4/2011
A Virtual Success:
Best Practices for Working Remotely
by Barrie Byron and Ann Grove 4
19
Time zones, global teams
Time zones
Effective meeting schedules
Global teams
Different days in the work week
Diversity
Respect for culture
Learn communication styles
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Six habits for virtual success
1. Get up, get dressed, go to work
2. Maintain self-discipline for start and end
work times
3. Set and respect physical boundaries
between work and home life
4. Take breaks, leave the house
5. Set and communicate work norms
6. Outsource child and family care during
work hours
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Keep in touch!
Barrie Byron
barriebyron@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/barriebyron
barriebyron.wordpress.com
twitter @barriebyron
Ann Grove
anngrove@logicalwriters.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/anngrove
http://www.logicalwriters.com/
twitter @AnnGrove