Bill Walker's Blahg : Weblog

I have written before about Flexible Office and Work from Home programs. One of the problems with this kind of work environment is the lack of personal contact with the folks that you are working with. In conference calls, you don't get to read the body language or see the facial expressions. This makes for an interesting balance.

Sidebar: After a Re-org last year, I decided to join the Managed Services group at Sun. The new manager was a co-worker from a previous job at Sun, and an all around decent kind of bloke. Soon after my arrival, he was deployed to Iraq with his National Guard unit. Bingo, new boss.

Back to the story. I am wandering down the hall yesterday and someone (who looked slightly familiar) calls out my name. I stop, and she starts a conversation, seeming to know an awful lot about what I do and what I am working on. "I'm sorry, you look familiar, but I can't place your name." Yes, you guessed it. It was the manager to whom I have reported for the past 6 months. Probably not a career enhancing move on my part.

So Jeanne, if you are reading this, please put your photograph into the corporate directory. I promise I won't forget who you are next time.

Comments:

Nice one, Bill! I agree totally about the whole 'body language' thing... It;s not so bad when you are dialling in to interact with colleagues, but a few weeks ago I had to do a customer presentation through the Polycomm in the middle of their table. A colleague on the spot obligingly hit "enter" for me when I wanted the next slide. I know there are webcast tools to take care of the technology, but I found it so hard not seeing those all-important nods (or yawns!) around the table.

Posted by Robin (racingsnake) Wilton on March 09, 2005 at 10:01 AM EST #

This commentary hits home for 2 reasons:

I recently got involved in a project at work that requires 2 to 3 meetings a week, where I am one of a few participants who dial in. The collaboration tools keep you involved, but I can see why folks miss seeing the faces. You don't even have emoticons in a situation like that.

We had a group meeting yesterday where we heard about efforts to allow the support folks to work from home. Alot of my colleagues would like to do it, but there are technology issues regarding call routing. At some point those hurdles will be over come. I'm not sure I'd like doing the support thing from home: I thrive on working along with my colleagues and having them at close hand when I need help. But for other tasks requiring thought and concentration, like writing, I'd prefer to be home. It's very quiet at home during the week. Can't always say that about the office.

Posted by ML Starkey on March 09, 2005 at 10:49 AM EST #

I have the same problem with people I dated. Does that count?

Posted by Torrey McMahon on March 09, 2005 at 11:02 AM EST #

Sounds a little bit like on line Poker. You can play a sound statistical game, but miss the tells when the bluff is on. I like the post three where a little eye to eye gaze is on to know the chemestry is mutual. Being taactile with the keyboard can bring on a whole new meaning to isolation.

Posted by GerwingR on March 09, 2005 at 02:51 PM EST #



Bill Walker's Blahg Subversion, Rantings and Ravings	bill.walker@sun.com