By Daniel Pearson

What's the downside of telecommuting?

A 1999 study released by the American Management Association (AMA) found 41 percent of telecommuters cite a lack of communication with office colleagues as the biggest pitfall of a home office.

Susan Davis, outreach director for WaterPartners International, agrees with the study and said she has discovered effective ways to overcome the isolation bug.

"I do miss being around people, but I make an effort to get out of the house at least once each day," Davis said. "(Even if it's just) to go to the post office, pick up some office supplies or go for a walk."

So how could an organization like WaterPartners, which exists solely online, establish an "esprit de corps" when its staff members rarely see each other? Gary Davis, WaterPartners' executive director, said he makes sure there are a handful of opportunities each year for his employees to meet in person.

"There is a lot to be said for (being able to gather) staff in one room each week to talk," he said. "So we plan face-to-face meetings around our fundraising events in Seattle, Kansas City, Chapel Hill, Washington D.C. and San Francisco. We also bring the entire staff together at least once a year for a retreat. This allows us to accomplish a great deal of work, but equally important it helps us substitute for all of those water cooler conversations we miss out on throughout the year."

Many say employers tend to scoff at the idea of letting workers stay home for a majority of the business week, or even a couple of days. A nonprofit organization such as WaterPartners proves it can be done successfully, but the right tools must be used to foster productivity by virtual workers.

Telework programs

Phil Montero, author of "You Can Work From Anywhere," produces educational seminars on telecommuting for workers and employers. In a recent interview with About.com, Montero said the best defense employers can use to continue and increase productivity is to educate themselves, and their workers, on exactly what e-commuting entails.

"A well-developed telework program will allow you to work where and when you need to," Montero told About.com. "Unfortunately, many myths like these exist and unfounded fears often act as roadblocks, stopping companies from realizing the power and flexibility that comes with being more mobile workers."

The Gartner Group, an information technology research firm, released a study showing more than half of all telecommuting programs fail within the first few months. The study suggests the reason some programs never really get off the ground is due to companies proceeding without having a smooth transition into the new way of working.

"Beyond the skills are the personality traits," Davis said. "People have to be comfortable working independently and have to have the discipline to accomplish their work without formal times to punch the clock."

The AMA study finds 93 percent of employers do not provide training for working at home. Besides training telecommuters, employers have to think about the technology and logistics needed to teach supervisors how to manage telecommuting workers effectively, in order to establish a successful program. Remote workers can still be managed by defining goals, setting clear objectives and measuring employee accomplishment, as is the case with any business.

It can also be argued that many of the people using computers are not aware of half the features on the software and hardware they use. Training telecommuters how to fully operate their computers will not only help an e-commuting program succeed, but it also eliminates much of the time spent on technical assistance.

There is a lot more to an organization's decision to go virtual than selecting the right employees to participate and providing them with the proper training. A nonprofit needs to pick the right technology to go with its objective, and in the philanthropic world, the right technology means that which is affordable and readily available. Part four of the series will explore this issue.

Daniel Pearson can be reached at
danielpearson@mindspring.com