Virtual business doesn’t actually mean that you don’t get face to face – instead it is the realization that not everything needs face to face.  Pick the meetings that require face to face, the ones that a phone will work for and the times that email is fine or Instant Messaging works. Get the best results by picking the best medium.  The new water cooler is Instant Messaging!

  ·         I’m more productive because I’m no longer a slave to rush hour traffic – do you know anyone who enjoys the rush hour commute?   When I travel to the city I travel non rush, it’s better for the environment, for my stress levels and it saves time.

·         I get to see more of my kids, even brief encounters as they leave for school and when they get home are much better than leaving before they get up and coming home when they are about to go to bed.  I get to see more of my wife – and ‘yes’ that is an advantage.

·         I’m more productive because I can work at the times that best suit me.  Imagine 4 hours during the day for phone calls and meetings and 4 hours at night where I need peace and quiet to get something written.  Getting that quiet during the day is not always possible.  We like to say to our staff,  “24 hours in a day – use which ever ones you like”.

·         I’m more productive because I’m not subject to as much idle chat – people think about things before they call you.

·         I’m more productive because meeting tend to be on the phone and they go for 20 minutes not like meetings in a meeting room that seem to always go for an hour.

·         I’m more productive because I’m happier.

·         I setup my office the way I like it and surround myself with things I like.

Most studies show that people waste up to 2 hours a day actually in the office. This doesn’t count time travelling to the office or back home again.  A recent study suggested that in all of Europe/UK the English waste the most time on ‘average’ 2 hours a day.  I don’t think that anyone could possibly be that slack working virtually.  The opposite is probably more true in that our staff tend to work longer hours because they can and they are happier.

The basis for virtual company is ‘trust’ – that’s why most corporate leaders will find it impossible to implement – they don’t trust their staff and the staff know that.  I have to trust my staff and the reality is that I do trust them. They know that they are onto a good thing and I would suggest that they don’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.  Having said that we have changed the way we manage staff to outcomes based not attendance based.  Showing up at 8:30am and leaving at 5:30pm does not mean you have done a good job, but interestingly it’s the way most organizations measure people if they are honest about it.  We measure outcomes and remain highly task oriented. 

If I ring someone during the day and they are out getting there hair cut or shopping or picking up kids – I don’t worry one bit!