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Exercise #5
Communication

This exercise will help you determine what your communication patterns are with your telecommuter, and how you will communicate when your telecommuter is working at the Telecenter. For more information on how to communicate with your telecommuter, read the "Communication" section of the Telemanager Manual.

Directions for completing this exercise:

  1. Determine what tools you used last week to communicate with your telecommuter.
  2. Fill in how many times last week you used a tool to communicate with your telecommuter.
  3. Last, identify whether the communication was critical or day-to-day.

Directions for analyzing your communication patterns:

  1. If most of your communication occurs over the telephone or electronically, you should not have difficulty communicating with the telecommuter.
  2. If most of your communication occurs in meetings, or face-to-face, you may need to make some adjustments in how you communicate with your telecommuter.
  3. Be particularly cautious of your critical communication. If most of your critical communication occurs during face-to-face conversations or in meetings, determine if that communication can be conducted during times that the telecommuter is in the office. Perhaps it is possible to shift some of those conversations to the telephone.
  4. If most of your communication is day-to-day, be sure you know how to reach the telecommuter at the Telecenter.

Communication Analysis Chart


Use this chart to analyze your communication patterns.
Communication Tool: How many times last week I used this tool to communicate with the telecommuter: This communication is critical (C) or day-to-day (D)
Telephone

Beeper

Voicemail

E-mail

Fax

Meeting

Face-to-Face

Correspondence

The Communication Restructuring Worksheet can be used to assist you in restructuring your communication patterns.

Directions for completing the chart:

  1. Determine what communication tools you currently use to communicate with the telecommuter in the traditional office that can be used to communicate with the telecommuter at the Telecenter. Take, for example, the telephone. If you conduct a lot of communication with the telecommuter via the telephone, does it make a difference whether the telecommuter is talking on the phone in his/her conventional office or at the Telecenter?
  2. Begin planning for how your current communication patterns will change when the telecommuter begins working at the Telecenter.
  3. Use the following chart to assist you in determining what the appropriate communication tools will be when the telecommuter works at the Telecenter. Check the appropriate box regarding what tool you use now to communicate with the telecommuter and what tool you will use when the telecommuter is at the Telecenter.

Communication Restructuring Worksheet


Communication tool I use now to contact the telecommuter in the office: Communication tool I'll use to contact the telecommuter at the Telecenter:
Telephone Telephone
Beeper Beeper
Voicemail Voicemail
E-mail E-mail
Fax Fax
Meeting Meeting
Face-to-Face Face-to-Face
Correspondence Correspondence
The following instructions explain how to complete this exercise alone, with your telecommuter, or with your telecommuter in a training class:

If you are a telemanager reviewing this as a self-guided manual.

  1. Read the "Communication" section in this manual. If you can attend a training class, do so.
  2. Complete the exercises above to determine what your current communication patterns are and how they will change when the telecommuter begins working at the Telecenter.
  3. Discuss communication with the telecommuter and determine how you will communicate while he/she is telecommuting.
  4. Keep an open mind when the telecommuter begins telecommuting and be creative with alternate methods of communication.

If you and your telecommuter are reviewing the self-guided manuals

  1. Read the "Communication" section in the Telecommuter and Telemanager manuals. If you can attend a training class, do so.
  2. Complete the exercises above as a team to determine what your current communication patterns are and how they will change when the telecommuter begins working at the Telecenter.
  3. As a team, discuss how your communication will change when the telecommuter begins working at the Telecenter.
  4. Keep an open mind when the telecommuter begins telecommuting and be creative with alternate methods of communication.

If you are a telemanager attending a training class

  1. Fill out the worksheet according to the instructor's directions. When you return to your office, read the "Communications" section in the Telecommuter manual.
  2. Share your exercises with your telecommuter.
  3. As a team, discuss how your communication will change when the telecommuter begins working at the Telecenter.
  4. Keep an open mind when the telecommuter begins telecommuting and be creative with alternate methods of communication.

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