The questions and concerns we address most when talking to folks about working at home are remote concerns. Questions like:

1. Isn’t face time important?
2. Can remote workers be as productive as in-office employees?
3. How will I access what I need from the central office?

The next few posts are dedicated to answering these three, extremely valid concerns. We believe the answers are simple. We believe in a revolutionary wahve of work-at-home employees, remotely accessed, who are productive and passionate in their work!

Question 1: Isn’t face time important

Facebook, FaceTime and Selfies – does your face matter to your employer, clients, coworkers or employees? Absolutely. And not really.

The increase in social media and remote workers is a new phenomena sweeping the world right now. You may remember when an office consisted of typewriters, one facsimile machine, one-on-one phone calls and personal office stop-ins. You may remember a time when most of your professional conversations happened in-person.

The Internet (email, wireless, individual use of technology) changed everything! And in some ways, we are still catching up with that wave of glorious capability and powerful productivity.

In our rush to stay relevant, some have gone to extremes. There are those who use technology to hide behind, a screen keeping them busy with online interactions standing as friendships, while others shy away from its potential uses – afraid of change and unable to comprehend the new way of life. But somewhere in those extremes lies a wonderfully balanced flow of face time and screen time.

So here’s the reality, your face does matter! There will always be people, employers, clients, coworkers or employees who feel more confident hearing a voice and seeing expressions. Context can sometimes get lost in texts and emails. But as 21st century communicators, it’s our job to stay fluid in how we relate to one another and our world.

If the world is changing, and it is, it’s important to keep turning with the tide. That doesn’t mean rushing to extremes, it means finding a workable balance that ties us to the old way and the new way.

Face time is important, but not in the way we were taught thirty or forty years ago. Face time happens on iPhones, computers, Skype, Video Conference and so on. There are tons of ways to show our interest, personality and face without the unnecessary, costly and time-crushing obligations of in-person meetings or in-office, watercooler interruptions.

In the next few blogs, we will discuss in more detail why and how this is possible!

We at WAHVE are committed to the work-at-home model and believe the changing tides are indicative of endless possibilities and potential. We’re riding the wave with you! Stay tuned for Part 2, The Productivity of Remote Workers.