The Foreign Service Journal, September 2009

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 19 nection, they can advance their careers while accompanying their diplomatic families around the world. Success Stories Take, for example, Beth Ann Adler, a Foreign Service spouse whose hus- band, Jeff Adler, was in the 129th A-100 class. Beth Ann completed her Ph.D. biostatistics program in 2006 with high hopes and several offers for a future ca- reer. But when she interviewed with the RAND Corporation for a position as a statistician, she was nervous about breaking the news that her husband had just been accepted into the For- eign Service. Fortunately, RAND agreed to bring Beth Ann on as a full-time employee based in their Washington, D.C., office knowing she would be telecommuting from a home office in Merida, Mexico. Their only condition was that she return to the U.S. once every six weeks for “in- person” office time or conference at- tendance, travel supported by her project work. After two years and a new baby, Beth Ann has become a model employee who helps other telecom- muters learn tools and techniques to make their home offices work well. Beth Ann is not alone. Stephanie Van Bebber was a researcher with the University of California at San Fran- cisco before her husband entered the Foreign Service in 2007. Stephanie left her job to follow her husband first to Washington, D.C., for training and then to Moscow. One year later, as a new mother and new arrival to post in Moscow, she regretted her decision to leave the familiar challenge of her for- mer position. Opportunities in Russia were not as interesting or as flexible as she had hoped. After much thought, Stephanie call- ed her previous employer and made the case for returning to her former job, writing and processing data for the uni- versity. Her boss was thrilled at the op- portunity to rehire a proven worker and top talent, and took on a reluctant uni- versity administration to offer her a pro- motion and a flexible work schedule. Stephanie now works successfully from Yekaterinburg, Russia. We could cite many other success stories along these lines, and the num- bers are growing. It is true that each situation is different, and there are al- ways specific challenges to work out with employers in advance. Below are a few key suggestions that supervisors and employees can use to structure dis- cussions about virtual work arrange- ments — whether negotiating a tele- commuting relationship from an exist- ing position or entering a new one en- tirely — so as to ensure a successful working environment for the virtual employee, co-workers, supervisors and the company as a whole. Assess your technology. Whether you are a standalone consultant, alter- ing an existing work arrangement, or a new hire who functions fully or part- time as a virtual worker, it is important to assess your capacity to work virtually. Will you have adequate Internet and telephone connections to complete your work requirements? If technical issues arise, what local or company re- sources are available to remedy your technical problems? Be aware of the blessings and curses of increased autonomy. While virtual work offers you more autonomy to bal- ance your work and family, youmay fall victim to an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality vis-a-vis your U.S.-based col- leagues. To mitigate this, set up regu- lar times to connect with your team and supervisor via telephone or videocon- ference. Utilize instant message, chat programs or your company’s virtual “water cooler” whenever possible. Clarify your real-time availability, your turnaround time on projects and work product responsibilities. And discuss in advance how performance reviews and supervision need to be adapted to re- flect your virtual arrangement. Communicate clearly and often. Understand and follow the communi- cations norms for your company. Uti- lize instant message and chat functions, Twitter, e-mail, shared workspace or other means to help your co-workers know you are available for consultation and collaboration. Use and interpret information carefully and, when in doubt, pick up the phone or use video conferencing to hash out difficult issues or to help interpret silence. It is critical to be clear and consistent about your real-time availability and office disrup- tions due to local circumstances in order to head off problems. Create a formal workspace. While virtual work allows you to operate any- where and anytime, not all locations are optimal. Just as your employer needs to ensure adequate work space if you were physically working together, you should assess your home office space. Set a routine that creates an appropri- ate separation between work and home life and establishes boundaries with your family to reduce distractions. Anticipate problems and design so- lutions. In order for this new arrange- ment to be successful, your employer will need to make some adjustments, as well. These may include evaluating the capacity and readiness to support your home office set-up. Your supervisor should set clear expectations with you and your team about real-time avail- ability, communication structures and work product, creating and fostering opportunities for team-building and F S K N O W - H O W