{"id":159192,"date":"2020-03-23T06:47:41","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T10:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=159192"},"modified":"2020-03-20T16:06:18","modified_gmt":"2020-03-20T20:06:18","slug":"professors-pandemic-creates-watershed-moment-telecommuting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2020\/03\/professors-pandemic-creates-watershed-moment-telecommuting\/","title":{"rendered":"Professors: Pandemic Creates \u2018Watershed Moment\u2019 for Telecommuting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Welcome to your new office! <\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re a CEO, a psychologist, or a TV meteorologist, the COVID-19 pandemic has likely forced you to make the abrupt switch from the familiar comfort of a traditional office to the rewards and challenges of working from home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Telecommuting\u2014once seen as the goofy cousin in the business world\u2014has grown up, become respectable, and is ready to save the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is a watershed moment for telework. It\u2019s changing how people think about working outside the office, and its changing mindsets,\u2019\u2019 said Timothy Golden, <\/b>a professor at <\/b>Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, who earned his Ph.D. in management from UConn in 2001. His expertise includes telecommuting, flexible work arrangements, and virtual leadership.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor businesses that were reluctant to let employees work outside the office, they are now forced to change their beliefs about how work is conducted,\u2019\u2019 Golden continued. \u201cThis crisis <\/span>will accelerate the use of telework on a more permanent basis, and allow these teleworkers the ability to still remain an integral part of the workplace.\u2019\u2019<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Leading a Virtual Team Is Very Different<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Leading a virtual team is vastly different from guiding a traditional one, said UConn Business Associate Dean Lucy Gilson, whose management research focuses on this topic.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe big advantage with virtual teams is that you can put the best people on a team regardless of their location,\u2019\u2019 Gilson said. \u201cBut we\u2019ve discovered they tend not to do as much planning as traditional teams. \u00a0Virtual teams tend to get straight to work, which is great for simple tasks; but as projects become more complex, this lack of planning can hurt the performance of virtual teams.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

That is likely due to challenges that arise when technology is the sole means of communication.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cComplex assignments create more questions, and when you can\u2019t walk down the hallway to bounce ideas off a co-worker, people hold onto their questions and they then become issues,\u2019\u2019 she said. \u201cVirtual teams need to pay extra attention to the importance of planning, brainstorming, and checking in. Leadership becomes even more important to make a virtual team thrive.\u2019\u2019 <\/span><\/p>\n

Another key to successful virtual work is to make sure that employees overcome the difficulty of distance and the limitations of technology, Golden said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cOne of the main challenges is avoiding isolation, both professionally and socially,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cEmployees and managers must mitigate that by taking time, for instance, to re-create the water cooler conversation via teleconferencing or, perhaps, by having a virtual lunch together. Ask your co-workers what\u2019s happening in their lives.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThose conversations help people feel connected and develop mutual trust and bonding. Those things are even more important when away from the office,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cMany people have their social needs met, in part, at work. When people feel isolated, a whole host of negative things happen. Isolation has the potential to hurt relationships, decrease morale, and hurt productivity, so telecommuters need to be on the lookout for warning signs that isolation may be setting in.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Millennials May Have the Best Career Advantage<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

In times of crisis, there are always opportunities, and management professor John Mathieu, who has worked with NASA on team resilience, believes that millennials will excel during the pandemic. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a different world today than it was last week. We\u2019re in uncharted territory,\u2019\u2019 Mathieu said. \u201cThis is an interesting time for millennials to shine. They\u2019re less impacted by the disease, and have interacted virtually since they came of age. It\u2019s an opportunity for them to mentor other generations.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Professor Travis Grosser, the academic director of the master\u2019s degree program in Human Resources Management, <\/b>also believes that technology has earned a better place at the grown-ups table. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think the coronavirus is going to cause certain people to become more proficient in technology-enabled collaboration applications. This is the case for me personally. I’m now learning about some powerful collaboration apps that I have previously ignored,\u2019\u2019 Grosser said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cMany workers are going to end up having a broader and deeper knowledge of these technologies. This will no doubt impact how organizations operate today and for years to come,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Children Make Working From Home Difficult<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Research suggests that telecommuting, under normal circumstances, generally has positive outcomes for employees, including increased job satisfaction and a greater sense of autonomy, Grosser said.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

But these results are largely based on studies of people who have voluntarily opted to telecommute. Today, working adults are also contending with children who are home due to school closures, and the adults have to balance work and childcare.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTelecommuting already runs the risk of blurring the boundaries between work and personal time. This will surely be the case for those having to care for dependents,\u2019\u2019 Grosser said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Routine, Flexibility Garner Best Results<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Although their workspace may now be relegated to a corner of the kitchen table, employees who keep a similar work routine will probably fare best, Gilson said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe know people need routines. If you normally work out and your gym is closed, go for a walk instead,\u2019\u2019 she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

Equally important is being able to disconnect from work when your laptop taunts you from across the room. When your work is finished, turn it off, Gilson advises.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople need to be kind to themselves on this new frontier,\u2019\u2019 she said. \u201cSome things are deadline specific, but our work hours can be flexible with many assignments.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Kindness, Exercise May Emerge As Business Cornerstones <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

All four professors agreed that business will likely change in profound ways after this crisis. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI’m sure this is going to change the workplace in some way. For example, many people are now getting introduced to things like food and grocery delivery services and telemedicine,\u2019\u2019 Grosser said. \u201cAn increased use of these services is likely to continue into the future because people will have gotten comfortable with them and recognize how convenient they can be.\u2019\u2019 <\/span><\/p>\n

Gilson suggests that working adults may get outside more and exhibit more kindness as a result of the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I do hope is that this changes our culture so that people will go outside more. We\u2019ve become very sedentary as a society. On the rail-trail close to where I live, this crisis has already led to more people biking and hiking, and that\u2019s a good thing,\u2019\u2019 she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cPeople are helping each other and I hope that compassion will continue,\u2019\u2019 she said. \u201cIn tough times, people step up and that will be a positive that comes out of this too.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Mathieu agrees, and said consumers will take note of the companies and professionals who go the extra mile.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve seen some encouraging business responses, including \u00a0free internet and restaurants serving hungry school children. Businesses are doing things they didn\u2019t have to,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s heartwarming to see people and organizations stepping up with services and financial support to help others through the crisis,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cHealthcare professionals are doing incredible work and making a difference on the local and state level. People should long remember those who excelled in these moments.\u2019\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tips to Make Telecommuting Successful:<\/span><\/u><\/b><\/p>\n