TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Re: Cold calling/off-site work (was Re: DISCUSS: Shortage of techwriters?) (fwd)
Subject:Re: Cold calling/off-site work (was Re: DISCUSS: Shortage of techwriters?) (fwd) From:Betsy Perry <betsyp -at- VNET -dot- NET> Date:Wed, 14 Jan 1998 10:24:38 -0500
Michael Lewis wrote,
------- start of forwarded message -------
But Jean's whole point was that, for teleworkers, location is
immaterial!
------
I wish it were immaterial, but it's not.
I've been working as a telecommuter for nearly three years. I'm in
Charlotte, North Carolina; my clients/employers have been in Texas and
California.
In my experience, to be an effective teleworker, I do need to make
occasional site visits. This is for three main reasons:
o Many people don't think of somebody they know only through phone
calls/E-mail as a real person, or can't communicate informally over
the phone or mail. Some people *won't* answer phone calls or
E-mail, and have to be nagged face-to-face.
o Remote presence technology just isn't good enough to convey the
sense of real presence yet. Whiteboard meetings aren't the same
unless you can grab the pen and have at it, and many people prefer
real whiteboards to shared-whiteboard programs. Furthermore, complete
telepresence (i.e. two-way video) still costs money, although far less
than it used to, and is still more awkward than face-to-face meetings.
o During the week before ship, I want to be on-site, so that I can
respond rapidly to last-minute changes, and so that I can pull page
proofs on the printers used for CRC.
As I understand it, the Xerox Parc research on teleworking tends to
back me up: it is extremely difficult to make pure telepresence
work.
I still think that telecommuting is a Good Thing:
1. It makes a far richer employment pool available. If you can draw
on a nationwide or worldwide pool, you reach many good candidates who
aren't otherwise available.
2. It allows the teleworker to spend more of the working day focused,
undistracted by office noise.
3. It gets employees off the highways.
I like telepresence, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to its pitfalls.
For me, week-long monthly visits seem to be enough to support working
remotely the rest of the time.
Betsy Hanes Perry
--
Elizabeth Hanes Perry betsyp -at- vnet -dot- net
