Telecommuting

[Mark Keating]

Leo Nails it. Working all the time with large distributed teams means that you create several "virtual water coolers"and use chat/query channels for the cup of tea/break discussions and laid back silliness we all need to keep us [in]sane.

I add my 2 pence to your 2 cents making a grand total of 5.14 cents.

-mdk

On 9 Dec 2011, at 17:30, Leo Lapworth wrote:

> For a long while I thought telecommuting would be how I ended up
> working eventually.
> 
> An interesting thing for me (as a Technical manager and developer) is
> that over time I've come to think that this would only really work if
> the whole team/company was distributed.
> 
> It's the passing comments and discussions (we go for a walk twice a
> day around the business park lake), the seeing something on someones
> screen, or being able to get a quick bit of feedback when you see
> someone getting up to make a cup of tea (not to mention being able to
> ask for a cup of tea as they do so) that make working with a group of
> people onsite so valuable to me.
> 
> If you don't have everyone remote then these comments happen... at the
> physical water cooler, if everyone is remote then you can create your
> virtual water cooler (IRC or what ever).
> 
> I think it really does depend on the type of business and projects,
> and probably the types of people working on the project.
> 
> Just my 2 cents :)
> 
> Leo

Mark Keating BA (Hons): Writer, Photographer, Cat-Herder
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