Essential tools include:

= A mobile/cellular phone. Which must be answerable at all times.

= Instant Messaging. This aids in visibility as on-line and available at all times.

= Remote Meeting Software, and a high quality phone so that you are involved in all meetings

= On-line training facility

= Status reports. They may not be needed for your job, but they assist visibility.

= A professional email signature and corporate email account if you are a contractor.

Phone availability is essential having the mobile with you at all times is essential, staff must be available during normal business hours. The tele-worker needs to be more visible than their office counterpart. Many office workers are expected to be available at all times these days, hence the popularity of the dreaded Blackberry.

Tele-workers should be given a corporate email account along with Instant Messaging capabilities. We want to ensure that they are a part of the corporate entity, and directories should include them.  They should accessing applications on the corporate network (through VPNs and firewalls). Depending on the role that they are required to perform granting access to corporate applications should be through virtual systems; what they have access to may need to be more limited than if they were doing the same job at the corporate office.

Instant messaging and remote meeting solutions are a part of the employee’s visibility in the role that they are performing. Many offices have found that use of IM within the office environment improves the flow of communications within the office in a non-destructive way. I have though seen it used to save one company money as one of the warehouse employees spotted an exceptionally large order for a customer – tried to call, engaged; turned to IM – success, there was a typo on the order which was corrected saving the company both money and reputation.

On-line training is very important in the new environment as the tele-worker can miss out on trainign about new procedures. Products like Camtasia are inexpensive and make the setup of an on-line training capability easy. Now the company is able to provide a suite of training materials for all of its employees.

In IT remote meeting software, like GoTo Meeting have been very widely used, they are rapidly becoming a must have tool in training. When two people can share a computer screen, the need ability to “show me” presents itself and knowledge and communication can flow freely. This can also facilitate conference calling even where no computerised element is required for the discussion.

Video conferencing software and webcams are certainly something to consider in making the tele-worker and effective part of the corporate entity.

When it come to providing status reports the majority of people groan then say “Must I?”. For the tele-worker, this is a key component of the work, their trumpet. A tele-worker must turn this into an art-form, but always be brief. The manager will always appreciate the 25 words that states concicely what has been acheived. and perhaps another 25 words about the challenges ahead. Where problems exist suggest solutions.

A challenging time ahead? I certainly think so.

I am grateful to Ray Mannion for his “Must Have Tools for Working Remotely” in preparing this item.