Virtual Office Management Means Effective Communication

What do virtual employees like about this system? Sharyn Katz, accounting manager for Boston Software Systems Inc., in Sherborn, Mass., says, "I enjoy the independence and freedom of being able to set my own workflow based on the company's needs and priorities."

Certainly, she must be prepared to "deliver the goods" when her boss needs them, but she has a great deal of leeway when creating her own schedule. Others say they enjoy not having to report to an office on a regular basis. They can work from their own home or another space. In fact, they can be wherever they like -- a client's office, the library, the coffee shop, the beach -- wherever they feel content and most productive.

Other employees say they enjoy being almost totally responsible for themselves with no boss or supervisor hanging around their desk, looking over their shoulder or pressuring them for work results. Many employees who prefer the independence of working alone in a virtual environment say they're spared the bother, distraction and negative office politics found in the traditional office setting.

Deb Beck and Dave Linde, principals of Studio 18 Group in Wellesley, Mass., both say they've benefited from gaining strategic management clients from throughout the U.S. They've accomplished this not through face-to-face business development meetings, but rather by using electronic tools to increase their client base. Finally, virtual employees are spared the expense, frustrations and time loss commuting to a traditional office location.

Along with these positive features obviously come negative ones. The chief complaint most virtual employees mention is social isolation. There's no water cooler or "coffee klatch" for a casual exchange of comments, work-related or not. They can't simply walk down the corridor to chat with a colleague, even for a few minutes.