Whitepaper on Remote Access and Business Continuity

On this weeks radio show we talked about business continuity and the role that remote access can play in organizations being prepared for workplace disruptions. Citrix Online (makers of GoToMyPC) was kind enough to supply us with a whitepaper they have written titled “Business Continuity: Managing a Workforce Disruption with Remote Access”

Here is a summary:

Although no one can say with certainty whether an avian influenza pandemic will occur, business continuity experts and government agencies stress the importance of preparing now. While most companies have focused much planning effort on protecting systems and workplace assets in the event of a loss of power or server failure, many haven’t planned how employees will continue working if they are confined at home for extended periods.

This paper describes how you can complete the missing part of your business continuity plans by using remote access to provide employees with access to information and resources during an unexpected disruption. Remote access, when planned properly, can reduce the risks to your business during a workforce disruption.

You can download the full whitepaper below.

E-Book PDF: Open in New Window | Download (88.3KB)

5 Steps to Approaching your Current Employer about Telecommuting

I was interviewed by Jeff Zbar today for an article he’s writing for South Florida’s Sun Sentinal about how rising gas prices are prompting some companies and employees to explore telework as a possible solution. Jeff, aka the Chief Home Officer, will be joining us on next week’s show to talk about the pros and cons of working in a home office.

One of the questions he asked me was how employees should propose telecommuting to their employers. Although I was only able to give him a few short tips I figured I would post an article here I wrote a few years ago about that very subject.

5 Steps to Approaching your Current Employer about Telecommuting

A question I am often asked by people who would like to telecommute is, “How do I approach my manager or boss about this subject?” Many people fear that if they suggest telecommuting, or even working from home occasionally, that they will be viewed as “less than serious” about their job. Of course, if your company already has a formal telework plan in place it is much easier, but what do you do if they don’t?

Before you approach your boss or manager there are 2 main things you need to consider:

• Is my job right for telecommuting? If your job involves doing a lot of independent work such as reading, research, number crunching, report or document writing, or phone work then at least a portion of your job can be done outside the office – and might actually benefit from being away from common office interruptions. On the other hand, if your job requires a good deal of face-to-face contact or access to information or systems that are only available in the office, then your job might not be a good fit for telecommuting.

• Would I make a good telecommuter? There are certain traits that help make someone more successful at working outside the office. Successful telecommuters are usually self-starters who do not require much “hands-on” help from mangers or colleagues. They also need to be organized and possess good time management skills. If you don’t have all of these skills don’t worry, they can be developed over time.

Many companies have heard of the benefits of telework but they still have fears or misconceptions about what is involved. Here are 5 steps you can take to approach this topic professionally.

1. Go in with a plan, not a request. Do your research and be prepared to address any questions, fears, or objections that your manager and/or boss might have. Put together a short proposal including:

• Why you want to telecommute.
• From what location you will be telecommuting.
• Is the space and equipment sufficient?
• How will they know you are working?
• How many days a week you will work from a remote location. (Usually only a day or two a week to start)
• How often will you be “checking in?”
• Why do you, in particular, have the skills necessary to work from home?

2. Think like a Manager or Supervisor. Approach this proposal/conversation thinking like a manager. Don’t explain how it will benefit you; instead focus on how it will benefit the company and increase your productivity.

3. BE FLEXIBLE! Don’t initially propose this as a permanent arrangement. Explain that you’d like to try it for 2-3 months with an evaluation at the beginning, middle, and end of the trial to evaluate your progress.

4. Have measurable goals and objectives. How will they know you’re working? If you spend a lot of time preparing reports, figure out how many hours or days they usually take you to complete. If you work in a customer service position, then track how many calls you put out to clients. The bottom line is to find some way to quantify your current level of productivity so your boss or manager will have a basis for comparison.

5. Ease their fears with facts. Find recent statistics and articles about other organizations that have implemented telework programs successfully. It’s best if you can find those that pertain specifically to your job description. If you can show that other, similar companies are successfully executing telework, then the perceived risk is reduced.

I hope you found this article helpful. I cover this topic and other ways to find more flexible work and legitimate work at home jobs in my book Lose Your Commute.

Show #1: What is the Anywhere Office?

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our first broadcast. We had a great time and appreciate everyone that called in to wish us well and participate. We got some excellent feedback and look forward to learning all the ins and outs of this live radio thing. Also thanks to everyone that called in, especially Chuck Wilsker of the Telework Coalition.

If you missed the show you can listen in below or download the MP3 file. Use the links on the right to subscribe via iTunes or your favorite blog/podcasting software. We’ve also added some links on the right side of this page to our favorite sites and some fun stuff to explore if you’re killing time.

Show # 1: What is the Anywhere Office?

We kick off our first show with a look at the concepts of “The Anywhere Office”. You’ll learn about our dynamic backgrounds, our descent into madness, and our discovery of the fundamental ideas of a more flexible philosophy of working and living. Tune in and you might be surprised to find out how deep the rabbit-hole goes.

Resources Mentioned in this show:

• YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com
• SmallBizeMarketing
• The Telework Coaltion
• Jim McNeill

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:28 — 11.8MB)

Welcome to The Anywhere Office

Greetings and welcome to The Anywhere Office! This blog, podcast, and our radio show will explore a variety of topics such as: work life balance, home offices, virtual teams, virtual offices, mobile work technology, internet marketing, and all aspects of the changing world of work.

My brother Jason and I are looking forward to sharing our philosophies, strategies, and tips with you for navigating today’s digital lifestyle. We’re glad to have you along on our path to work life integration and we hope you will contribute and be an active member of our community. A great way to start is by posting comments to any of our blog entries so we can create an ongoing discussion.

We also invite you to subscribe to the blog feed and fill out the form on this page to receive email updates about new posts this site as well as updates about our radio show, such as who our next guest will be as well as links to all the great resources we’ll be sharing with you.

Speaking of the radio show – be sure to join us this Wednesday, July 12th for the big launch! The show will air Wednesdays at 2PM EST on the Voice America Business Channel. In our first epsiode next week we’ll be introducing ourselves, telling you more about the concept of The Anywhere Office and letting you know more about all the fun and information we have in store for you. In fact if you’d like to know a little bit more about us let us make a brief video introduction.

If for some reason you can’t join us live for the show, you can always come by and listen to our on-demand show archives or download the mp3 files and put them on your MP3 player (or listen to them on your Treo like I do!)

If you know of any friends or colleagues that would be interested in this blog our the show – please help us spread the word. So be sure to check back often for new updates and join us Wednesdays for the show! See ya soon . . .

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