Shelley K Redinger

Nix the commute for teachers today in Spotsylvania, VA. At last, telework has spread from federal workers to the public school sector! Victory!

The Spotsylvania Education Association has been lobbying for quite some time to allow teachers the option of working from home on days that are scheduled workdays for teachers but not students. It only makes sense. Most teachers do and enormous amount of work outside of the regular school day. Course research and preparation account for only a portion of work done off the clock. Reviewing student work and extensive record keeping are time intensive, too. There is little allowance, if any, for that kind of work during the day when students are present. When students aren’t in the classroom, much of this work can be accomplished from home, saving the teachers—and the school district and community—both time and money.

If teachers telework on days when students are not in school, they have direct savings through transportation costs. So what are some other savings for telecommuting teachers?

• Cost-effective access to meals
• Access to healthier snacks
• Increased productivity
• Time saved through not traveling to and from work
• Opportunity to collaborate with co-workers, if desired
• Opportunity to work in a low-stress atmosphere

But will teleworking save anything for the district and community? If all teachers were teleworking on non-student days, there would be savings from:

• Closed buildings = reduced utility costs
• No custodial support required to staff buildings during that time
• Happier teachers = happier students = improved attendance on scheduled school days

Telecommuting is different that the four-day work week that some school districts are trying. Allowing teachers the option to work from home on a scheduled teacher workday is something that can’t happen when students need to be in attendance, but it can happen on non-student days when teachers are contracted to work.

Kudos to The Spotsylvania Education Association and Superintendent Shelley K. Redinger for implementing telework for the public school!

Now Executive Chairman of Google Eric Schmidt says, “High speed internet access must be more widely available. Broadband is a major driver of new jobs and businesses, yet we rank only 15^th in the world for access. More government support for broadband remains critical.”

Close on Google’s heels is Comcast, the Philadelphia-based cable company. According to Ookla, source of all statistics broadband, “Comcast…delivered average download speeds of 17.19 Megabits per second…Verizon Communications fared better than its telco peers with an average download speed of 12.94 Mbps, thanks to FiOS Internet, its fiber-to-the-home service that provides up to 150 Mbps downstream…”

Since Comcast, Verizon and a few other providers are already providing services in the home, they are actually at the head of the pack. When Google makes the connection to homes in the Kansas City area, Kansas Citians will have access to 1-gigabit-per-second Internet. How quickly will that be available? How fast will the others work to keep up? Only time will tell.

And with the Midwest opening up opportunities for lightning fast internet connections, the opportunities to employ historically hard-working, reliable workers via telework will be on the rise.

I’ll bet she hasn’t gone as fer as she can go yet!

images: Mal_irl, edebell, Google

Even national news broadcasters carried the story from LiveScience and TeamViewer about the lengths people would be willing to go to just to have the privilege to work from home. Some of the extremes included:

• 30% who would give up texting
• 29% who would give up chocolate
• 25% who would give up smartphones
• 20% who would give up shopping
• 15% who would give up half their vacation days
• 12% who would give up daily showers
• 5% who would be willing to divorce their spouse (What?!?)

With the availability of high speed internet connections spreading, and the increased use of smartphones and tablets, it’s become easier to telecommute. 53% of people surveyed agreed.

If you’d like to telecommute, here are some things you won’t be missing out on:

1. showers (there is plenty of time for these)
2. chocolate (and really…who would even think about giving this up?)
3. my spouse (telework might even make you easier to get along with!)
4. vacations (working vacations or completely non-working vacations)
5. shopping (I can spend money saved teleworking while shopping close to home)
6. texting and smartphones (I use these more as a teleworker)
7. kissing my kids in the morning
8. eating breakfast
9. my employer’s trust
10. my dog keeping my feet warm
11. stream of thought – staying focused on the task at hand
12. independence and freedom
13. daily personal contact with coworkers by using phone, email, videoconference, etc.
14. my home (I like it. I don’t want to move)
15. regular training and job improvement
16. time and money spent on commuting
17. good office equipment and adequate lighting to perform tasks (check out the OSHA guidelines)
18. computer tech support (make sure I can still access the pros remotely)
19. preferred working hours (establish working hours with my employer)
20. time (saved by eliminating the commute)
21. job satisfaction
22. a cat on the keyboard
23. improved work-family balance
24. high performance ratings
25. happiness
26. credit for work done well
27. lunch with coworkers (invite them to my place once in awhile!)
28. safety (reduced time on highways during rush hours)
29. exercise

What else don’t you have to give up when you telecommute?

images: Taxi for Gable, rpscott123

At long last, I can be happy! And as a daily reminder, I’ve turned Hamilton’s handiwork into a Happiness Equation Wallpaper!

Click image download: Happiness Equation Wallpaper 1440 x 900

I see them every day in the early morning.
They have faces without faces.
Weariness wrapped around their shoulders like tar blankets
I’m one of them

- DrCuervo

Commuter Zombies… those dedicated workers who trade their humanity for time in the cars, buses, trains, and planes. They’re gaining ranks too: up 95% in just twenty years. Steady commuting can lead to high blood pressure, absenteeism and tardiness, difficulty in concentration and problem solving, increased hostility and anger, musculoskeletal disorders and other symptoms—no wonder they’re feeling a little undead.

 ”Commuting is a stress that doesn’t pay off,” says Allois Stutzer.

Are you a commuter zombie? Here are three menu items for your next feeding frenzy:

1) Road Rage Reynaldo Brains

The annoying guy who, among other things, insists on

• honking excessively and flashing lights
• driving aggressively, with sudden braking, tailgating and speeding
• gesturing rudely
• shouting threats and yelling at other drivers and passengers
• hitting other vehicles or throwing things at other vehicles
• stopping his car in traffic to confront other drivers
• causing violent incidents resulting from uncontrolled stress

Suck all the energy you need from this character. Intermittent Explosive Disorder never tasted so good. It will make the roads safer, he’ll be off the road, and you’ll be energized for the long crawl ahead.

2) Buster’s Brains

Buster of MythBusters

Nothing against Buster of MythBusters… It’s just that he’s like the “come-back Kid.” He never, ever gives up. He takes everything. And if he is missing an arm, leg or brain after a day’s work, his coworkers make new ones for him. Besides, Buster doesn’t really seem to need a brain to do his work (although there have been a few tests involving gel “the consistency of brains”). Buster’s Brains will give you the stamina and endurance to get to the next town full of brains.

3) Garmin Grey Matter.

Or whatever your space-based satellite navigation system might be. Even without downloading every new housing development every time updates are offered, a smart GPS can figure out the way around traffic jams, detours, accidents and more. Digital brains are an acquired taste for Commuter Zombies, but if you can absorb the capability to communicate with satellites, it won’t be as easy to “zone out” and miss your exit.

Brain Appétit, Commuter Zombies! As for me, I’ll skip out riding shotgun and shooting shotguns – I plan to telework.

Are you living your undead life in the slow lane? Get yourself a spiffy telework job, my friend!

images: Arachnarchy, Johnathaneric, irisheyes, kwc

This is a guest post from Marcy Rye of WireMedia. Thanks, Marcy!

For the last ten years I’ve been running my business, and dealing with up to 10 staff members and numerous clients from home, from cafes, from hotels, from airplanes (Virgin has wifi!), from the beaches of Jamaica, or from wherever seems like a good idea at the time. Over the years I’ve established some practices that help make our 100% virtual office run smoothly.

1. Be present. The biggest problem we had early on was not being aware of when anybody else was available You can’t see any of your coworkers at their desks the way you can in a real office. We solved this with Skype. We all got Skype accounts, and agreed that when we are at work, our Skype status must be set to “online.” If we step out for lunch or a meeting, we update our status. That way, everybody can “see” everybody else and knows if John is at his desk or not. Skype also offers the ability to essentially stop by somebody’s desk (as in the real world) and say “You got a sec?”
2. Learn to communicate well in writing. We often had problems because of (mis)interpretation of the tone of an email. When you cannot see the visual cues of body language and facial expressions, you have to be very slow to take offense at the perceived tone of an email. It’s helpful to always include a pleasant greeting, to say please and thank you, and to try to keep a light tone of voice in how you write. Terse emails that simply say something like “I need to see that design asap.” can accidentally cause offense because the person receiving it may perceive the tone as angry, for example, even if the intent is efficiency.
3. Use an online project management tool. We use Basecamp, a product put out by 37 Signals. Basecamp provides a way to track the day to day of each project, post messages , pictures, video, documents and other files, create milestones in a calendar, create to do lists, assign responsibility, track time, and more. Being online, it means that anybody assigned to the project can access it from anywhere, including the client.
4. Set up a dedicated work space. Working at home, many people find they end up watching tv, cleaning, or messing around on Facebook all day. If you tried to do these things at an office where a supervisor or your client could see you, you’d probably get fired. What works well is to set up a place in your house that you use only for work. While you are there, you may only do work.
5. Create signals to indicate to yourself that you are now “at work” or “going home.” If you have a separate room, just close the door for the night. If it’s a desk by the bed, cover it with a large cloth. The key is to make a mental separation between when you’re “at work,” and when you’re “at home.” Some people like to get dressed, go out for a coffee, and then their return home is the signal that they are now at work. I like to go to the gym at the end of the day to signal that I’m done working. What works is different for everybody, so figure out what works for you.
6. Meet face to face whenever possible. Go out of your way to meet your coworkers and clients face to face. Nothing tops an in person meeting to really get to know someone. Traveling to visit your clients is tax deductible, so do it often! If you can’t meet in person, try Skype video (or other video chat) for the next best thing.
7. Don’t be a recluse. Working at home you’re pretty much all alone all day except for the random delivery person. Working at home also often means you have more flexibility in your schedule. Take advantage of that to join interesting groups in your area. Make sure you get out of the house (and out of your jammies) on a regular basis.
8. Train your family / roommates. People you live with will often not understand that you are working at a real job when they see you sitting in your sweats and t-shirt, music blaring, banging away on your keyboard. You must train them. Establish some clear rules. Let them know your work schedule and show them your   work station. Make it clear that when you’re at the work station, it’s the same as if you were at an office.
9. Be reliable. People may tend to perceive you as somewhat of a slacker. Combat this by being ruthlessly reliable. Be on time, every time. Call into that conference call precisely at eleven a.m. sharp. If you promised to deliver by COB, make sure that by 5 or 6 pm you are hitting send on the email.
10. Set a schedule. Working at home does give you flexibility in your schedule, but that doesn’t mean you should have no schedule. It’s even more important to set a specific schedule and stick to it. This makes it much easier for both clients and co-workers to know when it’s ok to contact you, and to be able to reach you right away. It also helps you inform your family or roommates when they need to leave you alone. Your schedule doesn’t have to be 9-5 or even 8 hours in a row. But you should have one that is consistent.

Like anything, working from home has advantages and disadvantages. For me the positives outweigh the negatives, especially once I learned to handle situations like workoholism, being alone for too long, communication problems, and so on. I love that I can work anywhere there’s an internet connection: on the beach, in a fancy hotel lobby, at a hopping café, or at my dedicated home office work space. It’s allowed me to travel more than I otherwise might, and to spend more time with friends and family who are far away.

Make sure you manage the situation well, maintain a professional online presence, and get in some face time with real people now and then, and you’ll do just fine.

Marcy Rye, WireMedia

Marcy is the founder, president, and chief strategist with WireMedia Communications, Inc., an award winning communications strategy firm founded in 2002 in New York City. She holds an MFA in design & technology from Parsons School of Design and a BA in political science from U of Wisconsin-Madison. She taught web design and coding for over 7 years at Parsons, has a 2^nd degree black belt in taekwondo, and paints in oil in her free time. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and can often be found Skyping from high in the sky on Virgin airlines, heading back to the east coast for a visit.

images: noddleholz, WireMedia

This is a guest post from San Sharma of WorkSnug. Thanks, San!

Working from home is great. I’ve been doing it, on and off, for about five years. There are times, however, when the allure of the television, the cookie jar or the unmade bed are too much even for me. It’s those times when I pack up my MacBook in an old kit bag and look for somewhere else to work. But where?

Here are some ideas for places to work when you don’t want to work from home:

Where do you work when you don’t fancy working from home? Let us know in the comments.

San Sharma (@WorkSnugSan) is community manager at WorkSnug.
image: visual panic

coworking in Ao Nang

Coworking in Reading, Pennsylvania

Holly Landau

Holly Landau works part-time in New York City. She utilizes a coworking space there. Holly also works in various places around the country, including Spring Township, PA, the location of her management-consulting firm, Landau Leadership. She was asked by the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Berks County, Pennsylvania, to serve on a task force for the Chamber’s new initiative, Catalyst on Commerce (pdf).

Top 10 US coworking spaces (PC Magazine)

Catalyst on Commerce is a coworking space, a new effort in this relatively small city. It has already proven successful in other areas around the country. PC Magazine says there are nearly 400 coworking spaces nationwide, and the number is growing rapidly. Here is a list of their top ten spaces:

1. Chicago: The Coop  Features: 14 workspaces, T1 Wireless, copier/printer/fax, kitchen, bathroom, AC, office dog, local artist showcase. Offers a daily rate ($20) with no long-term commitment.
2. Los Angeles: Kleverdog Coworking Features: 20 desks, Wi-Fi, copier/printer, free coffee, lockers, presentation equipment, conference room. Offers a daily rate ($20) with no long-term commitment.
3. Atlanta: Strongbox West  Features: free Wi-Fi, free coffee, printer/copier, shredder, kitchen, Sirius satellite radio, lounge with TV and gaming. Daily charge ($10, cash only).
4. Miami: Miami Shared  Features: Basic includes Wi-Fi, free coffee (and bagels on Monday) locker, parking. Custom add-ons include placement for company logo on office entrance, receptionist service and building mailing address. Daily rates begin at $35.
5. Boston: TSP Digital Lounge   Features: Wi-Fi and use of Mac laptops, as well as Mac repair services as needed. Other amenities are nearby (post office, office supplies, coffee shops, restaurants.) Daily rate is $5.
6. San Diego: Hive Haus – Hive 770 and Hive 241  Features: Wi-Fi, mail services, fax, reception, secretarial services, presentation equipment, printer/copier, kitchen, AC. With two locations, you select the one that fits you best—shared workstations at Hive 770, or group space/private office space at Hive 241. Daily rate is $35.
7. Seattle: The Branch Coworking Office  Features: 18 desks, Wi-Fi, laser printer, flat-screen monitors, conference room, presentation equipment, free coffee and tea, kitchen, bike storage, and it’s dog friendly. Daily rate is $20.
8. Philadelphia: Independents Hall  Features: 35 desks, Ethernet, wi-fi, conference room, AV presentation equipment, printer/scanner/copier, free coffee, lounge with La-Z-Boy, Xbox 360, library of magazines and books. Daily charge: $25.
9. San Francisco: Next Space  Features: Wi-Fi, phone, mail services, locker, conference room, presentation equipment, free coffee.  Daily charge is $20.
10. New York City: WIX Lounge  Features: Free; includes Wi-Fi and power, meeting space, event space; Other services: pro-to-peer consultation on website design and marketing. No daily charge; available on first-come, first-serve basis. Calendar of events is posted.

Small urban coworking vs big city coworking

Hub Vilnius coworking, Poland

Coworking is a bold, new initiative for this small urban area. But does it stack up with PC Magazine’s top 10 choices? Take a look: Wi-Fi, lounge area (with artwork), conference rooms with AV equipment, conference call capability, bathrooms, kitchen with refrigerator/microwave/coffee, lockers, mailing address and mail slots, networked copier/printer, free parking, paper shredder, soda and water available, cubicles with locked drawers, private offices, keyed entrances, shared workspace tables and lounges. Monthly rates begin at $125 [that works out to less than $4.25 per day, but there is no daily rate offered]. Lack of a daily rate schedule seems to be the main difference.

“Starbucks doesn’t cut it.”

Can coworking facilities in a smaller city be appealing to businesses and entrepreneurs? I wasn’t able to find many spaces for smaller urban areas, so I couldn’t easily compare offerings, usage or rates. A coworking facility could be the engine of economic growth in a small urban area, allowing members to learn from members, collaborate in starting new ventures, grow existing businesses, expand business networks and allow for telework opportunities.

Holly Landau has found it appealing. “My team is throughout the U.S.,” says Landau. She was asked to join the Catalyst on Commerce task force because she is already coworking in a space in New York City. “When we meet to build curriculum…Starbucks doesn’t cut it. It’s too noisy, you can’t spread out your paperwork.” A shared workspace provides just what she needs.

Location, location, location

Catalyst on Commerce coworking center

Looking at Catalyst on Commerce, think about the easy drive—less than 30 minutes across town during rush hour. It’s about 1 hour and 20 minutes from downtown Philadelphia and the Philadelphia International Airport, too. It’s just over 2 hours to New York City and no more than 3 hours to DC (if you hit their traffic right). Think about the opportunities for collaborative ventures and professional growth. Coworking spaces are designed to allow participants to network and contribute ideas and creativity. Placed strategically, other small urban communities could offer many of the same advantages.

Do you know of other successful coworking facilities in small urban areas? Please share them in the comments below!

Holly Landau: @LeadershipMuse, Linkedin

images: cyberhill, mdanys, sicnarf, Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce

Over 330,000 commuters parked their cars during the Georgia Telework Week. In just one week, telework eliminated 6,000 tons of pollution. It also didn’t hurt participants to save a combined total of $5.6 million that week! I’ve invited Brittney Watson, of the Clean Air Campaign to share some more info with you. This is her guest post below.

Less than two weeks ago, The Clean Air Campaign and US Governor Sonny Perdue announced the second annual Georgia Telework Week. During the week, commuters and employers were encouraged to show their support for the week by taking advantage of the benefits that telework has to offer.

Telework equals one less day to deal with traffic and increased work productivity, in addition to less stress and more financial savings. Most importantly, telework reduces pollution and traffic congestion making breathing easier for Georgians – a life changing effect.

“Metro Atlanta possesses a competitive advantage for telework over other major cities due to our position as one of the most wired regions in the nation,” said Mike Williams, director of employer services at The Clean Air Campaign. “A recent survey of metro Atlanta commuters shows the number of teleworkers and the frequency with which they telework has grown since 2007. We expect that trend to continue.”

Most used clean commute: telework

With support from hundreds of employers and commuters combined, in just one week, and more employees in metro Atlanta working to make their case for telework, Georgia Telework Week proved that sometimes, “the best commute is the one employees don’t have to make.” Detailed information recapping Georgia Telework Week can be found in a blog post by Mike Williams, employer services director of The Clean Air Campaign.

Are you new to the wonderful world of telework? Dive into the basics of remote working. Or, if the results of the Georgia Telework week have you pumped up to start, sign up on Telesaur for free and find a telework job today!

images: Clean Air Campaign

Wear a mock turtleneck, forever.

Steve Jobs' unchanging wardrobe

It’s hard to imagine Steve Jobs without a black mock turtleneck and blue jeans. 2001 was a dark year for him and he wore black, rather than white, sneakers. And something in 2009 made him want to wear a belt for a while. But Steve has created an image and he’s stuck with it.

There are some great early photos of Steve Jobs in a business suit and tie, but when we close our eyes and picture him today, all we see is a guy in a black mock turtleneck, blue jeans, and white sneakers.

Think about Apple’s recent naming conventions. You’ve got to admit that “iPad” is a ridiculous name. It was the brunt of many jokes, but the naming process was probably a fill in the blank exercise: i_____. Name it what you want, just make sure there’s an “i” in front. The innovation was not in naming, but in consistency.

Create a consistent image and people will remember you. Create a persistent, consistent image and you will appear consistent. That kind of image is hard to replace.

Sell dreams.

Walk into any graphic design school in the world, and you’ll see glowing fruit. If the students aren’t working on Macs, just skim their browser history. They wish they were. Why? Because they were sold a dream of creativity.

Every time I’ve been in an Apple Store, I see elderly people buying Macbooks, and now, iPads. Why? They were sold a dream of connecting with loved ones. And their kids were sold a dream of maintenance-free computing.

And everyone is sold the dream of not feeling dumb. Nobody wants a machine to make them feel like an idiot. That’s a nightmare. But feeling smart, creative, closer to people? How could you replace those things?

What dreams are you selling?

Emphasize action.

If you want to do something, there’s an app for that. Steve Jobs dismisses the talk about sufficient CPU and RAM, and jumps straight into the doing. It’s like Henry Ford’s desk buttons – he didn’t have to go through a tedious thought process to answer tough questions. Ford had buttons for that. He’d just push and someone would come and answer his questions.

Apps are the same thing: buttons. And they make everything about what you want to do.

When was the last time you tried to dazzle someone with your resume? Resumes are spec sheets. It’s CPU and RAM and motherboard and hard drive RPM. That talk won’t make you seem irreplaceable.

Turn yourself into an “app” by skipping credentials and replacing them with a record of your actions. Saying, “I have 10 years of sales experience,” is just specs. But saying, “I sold 5 million cogs in one month,” is a big red button that employers can push. Doing seems irreplaceable.

Say no.

Just Say No!

The geek in me is always a bit frustrated by Apple’s products because they feel crippled. I think about the price/power ratio, and it doesn’t compute. I think about multitasking and tethering and the exclusivity of their App Store. I think about how hardware performance is throttled by software.

But then I think of why, and it goes right back to doing things. If there’s nothing to tweak or fidget with, I’m left with my tasks and I do them.

Steve Jobs says, “I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.” He made it a habit to say no, and saying no leads to simplicity. On the iPod’s simplicity, he says, “Plug it in. Whirrrrrr. Done.” There are lots of creative people working for Apple, but most of the new ideas get turned down immediately. Steve Jobs says no.

What can saying no do for you? Well, for starters, if you do it the wrong way, people will just think you’re a jerk. You need to transparent with your goals. Steve Jobs wanted simple and was willing to sacrifice new features for it. So before you start rejecting everyone in your path, be sure to clarify your goals. Then when you say no, you can also explain why: “Sorry, but I won’t be able to take on that project. My goal is to sell 6 million cogs this month, and I have limited my schedule to the following tasks so I can accomplish that… blah, blah, blah…”

It’s easiest to say no when your goals are clear. If you align your goals with other people’s goals, then it’s even easier. Saying no is a rare skill.

Steve Jobs consistently keeps his goals and presentation in line with each other, and he blocks out anything that would misalign the two. It results in seeming irreplaceable. And remember, he chose when to step down.

There are plenty of brilliant minds out there – be the irreplaceable one.

images: Gizmodo, troyjmorris, Wikipedia