Telework; back to the office

Nothing snaps you back into being back at the office quite like the first day back after teleworking for a week solid. Upon reflection there are a couple takeaways that are worth noting. Maybe they will be helpful for you and your teams as you approach navigating telework in your context.

1.) Telework is not only about you.
We have the benefit to be subdivided into smallish teams in MSIS. We do not have any great hulking collections of drones despite our department being one of the largest School information service delivering organizations. This more familial style allows us to partner with each other and work much more flexibly than I think most 200+ organizations can. When teleworking enters into the calculus for your team, consider that your physical absence will have an effect and that effect may be overtly or covertly damaging to reputation, workflow, relationships and a sense of community. I think that should be part of the discussion in your teams to consider how you will measure and look for those effects so your teleworking arrangement can be successful for you, your supervisor and your team.

2.) It does not have to be all telework or all conventional office space
I do not think I am as effective in my job working remotely as I am in the office. I also miss out on a lot of the garnishes of work that make it all a tad more interesting. I do think that there is a place in my work-life for a touch of telework  though. I have a pretty busy meeting schedule most weeks, but typically if I plan out about two weeks ahead I can find a half-day here or there wherein telework to catch up on those ever elusively resourced "medium priority" tasks have a chance to get accomplished.

3.) Our office space desperately lacks Labradors.
Labradors in my opinion would dramatically improve morale and the OneMSIS culture. I think this should be part of our MSIS Strategy Map for FY16 in a new strategic objective for our Internal perspective to "liberate snausages and empower coziness". Alas that being said, it may not make the cut for the updated Strategy Map for FY16 but lots of good work has been going into the strategy planning to help guide the organization and clearly relate how we all can see ourselves as part of being a strategy-driven organization. More updates on that to follow but I look forward to working with my teams on it more completely than prior years.

Thanks again go our to Tony Mignano and Gray Carper for being the engine that drove the Telework guidelines to completion and thanks to Cindy Leavitt for sponsoring the effort so that we could take a good idea and see it through to realization.