It May Be Wise to Rethink Your Work-At-Home Option

Before you get too excited about the prospects of continuing to work remotely when given the opportunity by your employer, you might want to consider the following:

·      Give some thought to what hidden message you may be sending to the larger organization and your boss when opting to work from home. Think about this: in a recent article that appeared in The Wall Street Journal, WeWork CEO, Sandeep Mathrani, pointed out that “there is an easy way for companies to spot their most engaged employees: They’re the ones who want to come back to the office”!

·      Advancement involves more than simply achieving stated goals. There’s a subjective element that comes into play. Being perceived as an effective team player, collaborator, idea person, and influencer, for example, is hard to project when working remotely. The more leaders or future leaders see you, get to know you, and learn what you’ve accomplished, the more likely YOU will come to mind when opportunity knocks.

·      It is hard to develop the bond and trust in relationships that are important for influencing others and knowing how to navigate the organization when you’re working remotely. It’s not just about getting “the work done”! It’s also about who’s around when the credit is given for a job well done!

·      You miss out on those less formal, yet important, in-person get-togethers where problems are often solved, and creative ideas are generated. Guess what? That coffee station down the hall from your workplace is a mini conference room sometimes! Some businesses are starting weekly virtual coffee chats, but they just don’t have the interpersonal dynamics of a face-to-face coffee klatch.

·      While you’re working diligently at home, on-the-spot assignments may go to others who happen to be in the presence of the boss or an influential leader. Some call being there at the right time the “shirt collar assignment.”

Even though the advantages of working remotely are real and very tempting, being there in person may be more rewarding in the long run!