There was always concern in the back of my mind. Jack Nilles, a Los Angeles-based consultant who coined the word telecommuting in 1973, said Johnston is not alone in dealing with what is an increasing predicament for middle managers. The simple answer is you don't. Nilles, whose clients have included Arizona state government, said the key to being an effective manager in these cases is communication and creating clear guidelines. He advises that the supervisor and the proposed telecommuter sit down to discuss in detail the goals and expectations of the employee and how the work product will be measured.
Rules covering how often they check-in is suggested.
A contract between the worker and the supervisor should be signed. There's some hand holding on the front end, but that goes away and the trust kicks in. Making sure any technology is up and running inside a person's home office before they are expected to begin work also is key to making telecommuting work. The same goes for the launch of a new project when getting everyone together in the same room can be a better way to go. In addition, certain individuals may not be suited to telecommuting, such as those who need constant supervision or miss work deadlines.