I was recently quoted by Cari Sommer in Forbes.com regarding the pros & cons of working in an office space vs. working from home. Click the link at the bottom to read the whole article.
“Virtual work policies can be wildly effective, especially when a policy is well thought out with regard to communication and expectations. Eden Abrahams, Principal of Clear Path Executive Coaching, currently coaches someone who works from home and commutes to her office- a 3 hour round trip- twice a week. “My client has very deep and specialized content expertise that is quite valuable to her organization, and this arrangement has been in place since she was first hired. When I conducted her 360 degree feedback assessment, the only time her virtual status was mentioned was to emphasize how incredibly responsive she is, as a manager and a peer, despite working remotely. In the instances where virtual work arrangements haven’t worked so well, the factors to blame are typically some combination of mismatched or unrealistic expectations about accessibility, poor communications (rather than building in extra touch points, all-hands meetings, etc.) and a failure to use the right tools, such as video conferencing and instant messaging, to supplement email and calls. With regard to Yahoo!, if they’re committed to hiring and retaining the best people they can find, I would be surprised if this policy doesn’t get revised or relaxed at some point in the future.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/carisommer/2013/02/27/is-work-from-the-office-the-new-work-from-home/
