,Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1Introduction to the Virtual Work Environment
Chapter 2The Essentials of the Virtual Work Environment
Chapter 3Virtual Vic
Chapter 4Management Challenge
Chapter 5Trust
Chapter 6Isolation
Chapter 7Presence
Chapter 8Change–Self-Efficacy Loop Theory
Chapter 9Productivity
CHAPTER 1
Introduction to the Virtual
Work Environment
I live in a world, a virtual world. Facebook is my house, Linkedin is my office and Twitter is my
playground.
—Panchatapa Goswami
When I sat down to write this book, “The human side of virtual work: managing trust, isolation,
and presence,” which is about the virtual work environment (VWE), I was asking the question
which many of you might have asked: how can the VWE be anything other than a good thing?
Virtual work offers flexibility and cost savings not only for the individual but also for the
organization and the ultimate in work-life balance. Seems pretty good, almost too good to be true.
You know what they say about that.
As we take the journey together looking at the VWE in this book, we will look at how it might not
be all that it appears, no pun intended on the virtual aspect. As mentioned earlier, if it seems too
good to be true, maybe it is. I write this book not to bash all of the great things the VWE allows
but to explore the VWE from a different lens and perspective that might not have been revealed
,before. The perspective is the foundation of the book, looking from the lens of the human side of
things. This perspective comes from three main areas. First, I have led virtual workers for the past
15 years for both large and small, private and public companies. Second, my research was about
the VWE and change, which resulted in a theory that will be discussed in Chapter 8. Third, and
finally, through observations of friends and families all of whom have encountered a human side
of the VWE.
The human side of things is an interesting approach because much of what has been studied has
been about technology and lacked the focus on the human beings, more will be discussed about
this later in the chapter. For now, I want to mention that we must think about how humans are
impacted so we can look for ways to allow humans to flourish. After all, for an individual to truly
flourish, they must be able to navigate the obstacles. Don’t we always look at things from the
human side? Is it not a benefit to the humans who work virtually or have had their lives changed
by telecommuting? I will introduce a person called Virtual Vic in Chapter 3 which is an example
of how individuals can function without the engagement of other human beings. Back in the early
1970s, when telecommuting became a way of life for a few, many others longed for the day that
they too could try this new life style. What Niles coined as a phrase to depict a new way of working
would become a new life style for many some 40 years later. With change comes
challenges, Chapter 4 will discuss management challenges.
Many books and articles have been written about the changes the VWE has created in both
professional and personal situations. I submit to you today that many of these changes have focused
on the VWE’s structure. What I mean by that is the focus has been on the how and what of this
environment, not on the humans who actually work within this structure. Books and articles are
focused on the technology that enables this structure to take place. They focused on the shared
office space that can now be used by many instead of just one. They focused on organizational
savings and the investment in technology to enable the VWE. Their focus was not on the effect on
human beings behind this new way of working but behind all the benefits that could be realized
through the structure. They lacked a look at the feelings and the human touch behind this structure.
Unfortunately, for many, there was no focus on the impact on the human being that is carrying out
this new way of working.
I know that there will be many doubters who say, come on, everyone benefits. There can be no
negative outcome of this great concept. That might be true, but I simply ask that you walk this
journey with me with an open mind and we together explore some of the aspects that affect the
people within the VWE. We shall look for ways within this structure to allow humans to flourish
and be successful.
So let’s start to explore this world that has been created some by the desires of workers, some by
desire of organizations, some for the reason of being more competitive in a global world, and most
of all some because the world that we work in has evolved.
History and the State of VWE
A Brief View of the World That We Live In
, Have you ever been in a situation where you believe that you have seen the future and the future
is now? As the famous Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra once said “it’s like Deja-vu all over again”
and “the future ain’t what it used to be.” In order for it to be real, do you have to actually experience
it for real? Do you have to live or work there for it to be real? Can it be the future if we are actually
living it now? These are some of the thoughts I have had over the past few decades as I have not
only managed people who are virtual workers but I have also raised children in a world full of
technology that has allowed them to hit the big red button to start over without the understanding
of what that means and how to develop the long-term views of the world. Technology is bringing
us back to the old days by allowing many to be at home again. It allows for the blending of work
and life balance by eliminating a structured work day, and it might be zapping the minds of many
to only be able to think in the here and now. It is technology that enables the virtual world. It is
also the technology that has become to many the enabling mechanism rather than the tool it should
be to help humans function rather than escape from reality and pretend to see a different version
of reality.
This version control of reality is what the virtual world creates. By working virtually, are you in
the same reality as those away from you? If you are working in your pajamas from your home
office, is that the same reality from the office that you once worked? Reality is a difficult topic,
and I will discuss a concept often associated with reality later in Chapter 7; that topic is presence.
Looking at version control of reality has been a struggle for people not just because of the virtual
world but prior to the invention of virtuality. People often want to find a reality that fits for them
even when the facts bare something different. Have you ever been with other people and witnessed
the same event yet the descriptions of what just happened are very different? Let’s take an example
to highlight this aspect of version control of reality.
Let’s look at a business meeting where there are two people on the same team yet they have
opposing views to a solution. When a third person presents a position that favors one person’s
approach to the solution, there most likely will be two versions of reality. At the end of the
presentation, we might very well have one person supporting the presentation and discussing the
positive attributes, while the other person only heard the negative aspects and found all of the
problems with the presentation. Same presentation, same solution yet two different versions of
reality. Why does this happen? There are many reasons, but part of the problem stems from the
lens that each team member is looking through while they listen and absorb the facts. We try and
fit the fact pattern into what we have preconceived. This is the way the mind works. This is also
affected by self-efficacy as we all focus on what we are good at doing. Self-efficacy plays an
important role in the theory discussed in Chapter 8.
Let’s look at one more example of version control of reality. When people witness an accident and
they are asked what happened, often times, the stories are close but not the same. Sometimes it
was a blue car that hit the red one when in reality it was a red car hitting the blue car. Sometimes
it is that a car was turning when in fact the car was going straight. The reality and the facts are
what they are yet the witnesses see something different. I don’t want to spend a lot of time on all
the reasons this might happen but rather want to point out that this does occur. When it does, the
story told by each will become theirs and over time their belief will grow stronger. At times, so
strong that they will defend it as the truth, keep this concept in mind, as we later talk about the
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1Introduction to the Virtual Work Environment
Chapter 2The Essentials of the Virtual Work Environment
Chapter 3Virtual Vic
Chapter 4Management Challenge
Chapter 5Trust
Chapter 6Isolation
Chapter 7Presence
Chapter 8Change–Self-Efficacy Loop Theory
Chapter 9Productivity
CHAPTER 1
Introduction to the Virtual
Work Environment
I live in a world, a virtual world. Facebook is my house, Linkedin is my office and Twitter is my
playground.
—Panchatapa Goswami
When I sat down to write this book, “The human side of virtual work: managing trust, isolation,
and presence,” which is about the virtual work environment (VWE), I was asking the question
which many of you might have asked: how can the VWE be anything other than a good thing?
Virtual work offers flexibility and cost savings not only for the individual but also for the
organization and the ultimate in work-life balance. Seems pretty good, almost too good to be true.
You know what they say about that.
As we take the journey together looking at the VWE in this book, we will look at how it might not
be all that it appears, no pun intended on the virtual aspect. As mentioned earlier, if it seems too
good to be true, maybe it is. I write this book not to bash all of the great things the VWE allows
but to explore the VWE from a different lens and perspective that might not have been revealed
,before. The perspective is the foundation of the book, looking from the lens of the human side of
things. This perspective comes from three main areas. First, I have led virtual workers for the past
15 years for both large and small, private and public companies. Second, my research was about
the VWE and change, which resulted in a theory that will be discussed in Chapter 8. Third, and
finally, through observations of friends and families all of whom have encountered a human side
of the VWE.
The human side of things is an interesting approach because much of what has been studied has
been about technology and lacked the focus on the human beings, more will be discussed about
this later in the chapter. For now, I want to mention that we must think about how humans are
impacted so we can look for ways to allow humans to flourish. After all, for an individual to truly
flourish, they must be able to navigate the obstacles. Don’t we always look at things from the
human side? Is it not a benefit to the humans who work virtually or have had their lives changed
by telecommuting? I will introduce a person called Virtual Vic in Chapter 3 which is an example
of how individuals can function without the engagement of other human beings. Back in the early
1970s, when telecommuting became a way of life for a few, many others longed for the day that
they too could try this new life style. What Niles coined as a phrase to depict a new way of working
would become a new life style for many some 40 years later. With change comes
challenges, Chapter 4 will discuss management challenges.
Many books and articles have been written about the changes the VWE has created in both
professional and personal situations. I submit to you today that many of these changes have focused
on the VWE’s structure. What I mean by that is the focus has been on the how and what of this
environment, not on the humans who actually work within this structure. Books and articles are
focused on the technology that enables this structure to take place. They focused on the shared
office space that can now be used by many instead of just one. They focused on organizational
savings and the investment in technology to enable the VWE. Their focus was not on the effect on
human beings behind this new way of working but behind all the benefits that could be realized
through the structure. They lacked a look at the feelings and the human touch behind this structure.
Unfortunately, for many, there was no focus on the impact on the human being that is carrying out
this new way of working.
I know that there will be many doubters who say, come on, everyone benefits. There can be no
negative outcome of this great concept. That might be true, but I simply ask that you walk this
journey with me with an open mind and we together explore some of the aspects that affect the
people within the VWE. We shall look for ways within this structure to allow humans to flourish
and be successful.
So let’s start to explore this world that has been created some by the desires of workers, some by
desire of organizations, some for the reason of being more competitive in a global world, and most
of all some because the world that we work in has evolved.
History and the State of VWE
A Brief View of the World That We Live In
, Have you ever been in a situation where you believe that you have seen the future and the future
is now? As the famous Lawrence Peter “Yogi” Berra once said “it’s like Deja-vu all over again”
and “the future ain’t what it used to be.” In order for it to be real, do you have to actually experience
it for real? Do you have to live or work there for it to be real? Can it be the future if we are actually
living it now? These are some of the thoughts I have had over the past few decades as I have not
only managed people who are virtual workers but I have also raised children in a world full of
technology that has allowed them to hit the big red button to start over without the understanding
of what that means and how to develop the long-term views of the world. Technology is bringing
us back to the old days by allowing many to be at home again. It allows for the blending of work
and life balance by eliminating a structured work day, and it might be zapping the minds of many
to only be able to think in the here and now. It is technology that enables the virtual world. It is
also the technology that has become to many the enabling mechanism rather than the tool it should
be to help humans function rather than escape from reality and pretend to see a different version
of reality.
This version control of reality is what the virtual world creates. By working virtually, are you in
the same reality as those away from you? If you are working in your pajamas from your home
office, is that the same reality from the office that you once worked? Reality is a difficult topic,
and I will discuss a concept often associated with reality later in Chapter 7; that topic is presence.
Looking at version control of reality has been a struggle for people not just because of the virtual
world but prior to the invention of virtuality. People often want to find a reality that fits for them
even when the facts bare something different. Have you ever been with other people and witnessed
the same event yet the descriptions of what just happened are very different? Let’s take an example
to highlight this aspect of version control of reality.
Let’s look at a business meeting where there are two people on the same team yet they have
opposing views to a solution. When a third person presents a position that favors one person’s
approach to the solution, there most likely will be two versions of reality. At the end of the
presentation, we might very well have one person supporting the presentation and discussing the
positive attributes, while the other person only heard the negative aspects and found all of the
problems with the presentation. Same presentation, same solution yet two different versions of
reality. Why does this happen? There are many reasons, but part of the problem stems from the
lens that each team member is looking through while they listen and absorb the facts. We try and
fit the fact pattern into what we have preconceived. This is the way the mind works. This is also
affected by self-efficacy as we all focus on what we are good at doing. Self-efficacy plays an
important role in the theory discussed in Chapter 8.
Let’s look at one more example of version control of reality. When people witness an accident and
they are asked what happened, often times, the stories are close but not the same. Sometimes it
was a blue car that hit the red one when in reality it was a red car hitting the blue car. Sometimes
it is that a car was turning when in fact the car was going straight. The reality and the facts are
what they are yet the witnesses see something different. I don’t want to spend a lot of time on all
the reasons this might happen but rather want to point out that this does occur. When it does, the
story told by each will become theirs and over time their belief will grow stronger. At times, so
strong that they will defend it as the truth, keep this concept in mind, as we later talk about the
