Tips For Approaching Your Boss With The Telecommuting Question

Telecommuting is working remotely (work from home) by means of the Internet and/or phone. If you work a brick and mortar job and would like the opportunity to work at home, I suggest asking your employer if that would be an option. You may be pleasantly surprised at what your answer could be, as more and more employers are offering their workers this home based luxury.

There are many reasons why a person would want a home office setting. It could be a long commute to work, an illness that needs to be treated from the comforts of home, or a new baby. If you're currently working in Corporate America and want to work from home, it's worth a visit to your boss' office to discuss this option.

One thing you need to do before you make that trip is to do your homework. You don't want to waste your boss' time if you can't make it a reality. You're going to have to prove to your employer you can work at home and still reach deadlines and get your work done.

This can be a challenge so it's a good idea to make an agreement with them by perhaps suggesting a trial period. You also need to read through your employee manual to make sure there isn't a statement that says "telecommuting is not an option."

Before you talk to your boss it's a good idea to have everything written down on paper, or (preferably) professionally typed for him or her to see. You'll need to note how you plan to work while having distractions around you. These distractions may be your children, spouse, friends, or other acquaintances. A non-business telephone is often an issue with a home office. However, that's what answering machines or services are for.

You'll need to share with your boss your work hours and the best way they can get in touch with you if the need arises. Show them that open communication will always be available. You also need to suggest a way for your employer to actually see that you're doing the work you are assigned. A home visit would be ideal.

Telecommuting is a great way to have a guaranteed income while having the luxuries of being at home. Convincing your boss will undoubtedly be the hardest part of all when contemplating telecommuting, but it will be worth the research time if they say yes and you work hard to prove you can make it happen.

Article Written By: Tammy Embrich

Tammy has been successful in the work at home industry for many years now. She is an Internet marketer, article marketer, and ghostwriter. She offers free job leads for the job seeker, as well as other work at home resources, work at home articles, tips, and more at Work At Home Jobs.

You can also find Tammy at her Grandparenting Articles and Tips blog, offering grandmother's experiences, brags, recipes, tips, photos, and more.

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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:

o 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.

o 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:

a) Why you want to telecommute.

b) From what location you will be telecommuting.

c) Is the space and equipment sufficient?

d) How will they know you are working?

e) How many days a week you will work from a remote location.

(Usually only a day or two a week to start)

f) How often will you be "checking in?"

g) 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 t the perceived risk is reduced.

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An advocate of working virtually? It would be more precise to say that Phil Montero is an evangelist for distributed work. He's been the spearhead of the remote work movement for more than a decade: teaching how to work effectively from a home office, the road, or practically anywhere.

The consultant, writer, speaker, and coach is the founder of http://www.YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com - a site that assists organizations to leverage mobile work technology and create effective virtual teams.

His blog, http://www.TheAnywhereOffice.com, takes a big picture approach to the philosophies and strategies of navigating today's digital lifestyle while covering topics such as work life balance, virtual teams, mobile work technology, and internet marketing.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.