Working Virtually: Challenges of Virtual Teams
Editor: Robert Jones et al.
As I read this book, I became aware of the need for the federal government (I work for the U.S. Department of State) to get behind the ideas espoused here. The federal government, with its 2.7 million employees worldwide, could achieve cost savings in the billions of dollars by adopting and implementing the virtual work concepts described in Working Virtually. It is time that the feds. came to realize what many corporate entities
already know: that with a phone, fax and computer, many thousands of federal employees are able to do their job anywhere. Calamities such as 9/11 and natural and health disasters such as Katrina and avian flu and the rapidly growing cost of gasoline make being able to work virtually a critical issue. And as baby-boomers retire, it will be essential for federal agencies to offer working virtually as a recruitment tool or risk losing the best candidates to the private sector.
I read with special interest Chapter XIV about where an organization lies on the virtual team continuum. The problem in most federal agencies is that the managers are not comfortable with the concept of working virtually or are concerned that employees who work at home may be less productive. But if management is to address its other considerations: productive and satisfied workers, environmental issues such as reduced traffic congestion and improved air quality, and quality of life considerations such as accommodating the short- or long-term health needs of employees, it is essential that virtual work programs be made available to the majority of government workers.
Currently, there is a federal mandate requiring several of the largest fed agencies to demonstrate a greater commitment to expanding telecommuting options for their workers or risk losing a percentage of their operating budget. Working Virtually should be used as a primer for all government officials looking for ways to reduce their organization's operating costs. There have been many studies done that show the benefits of working virtually, including happier and more productive employees, reduced traffic, environmental savings and business continuity-related benefits. The government should be leading the way when it comes to working virtually, since there would be a payoff to all of us in the form of reduced operating budget costs of running the government.