Managing Telecommuters

Eight Rules For the Analog Thumb

Dr. Kent GlenzerAssociate Professor of

Organizational BehaviorMonterey Institute of International Studies

Feb 7, 2012

Kent’s Peregrinations

Eight Rules of Thumb

Not Rocket Science

Not High Theory

Relatively Under-Discussed

#1

Double the Amount of Time

You Spend in Formal

Performance Management Conversations

#2

Get Good At Chit-Chat and

Casual Communication

s

Hey, ch

eck o

ut this

clip o

f Fallo

n…

How’s your office

view???

Sharon just said

the funniest

thing….

#3

Actively Encourage Questions,

Comments, Ideas About the Larger

Business

What in the world is HR thinking?

I can’t believe the VP made that decision!

What’s happening in Kenya these days?

What kind of person is Sales looking for? I might know

somebody good.

H. Q.

#4

Make Reaching Out Part of the

Telecommuter’s Formal Work Plan

#5

Extensive and Intensive Initial,

Face-to-Face, Orientation;

Regular F2F Follow-up

#6

Vary Telcon Times Rotating

Through People’s Circadian “Sweet

Spots”

#7

Ask to be Copied on Outgoing

Email Correspondence, for the First Few

Weeks

Worse Email

Ever Award

#8

AVOID THIS

Frank just walked by me.

Hmm…he didn’t say hello.

He must be snubbing me.

Must be that promotion he got.

Never realized he was that petty.

Wow, this place is cutthroat! Two can play at this game….

Frank walks by, and I don’t say hello.

Ladder of Inference

From Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline, 1994.

Frank just walked by me.

Hmm…he didn’t say hello.

He must be snubbing me.

Must be that promotion he got.

Never realized he was that petty.

Geez this place is cutthroat.

Frank walks by, and I don’t say hello.

Cheers!

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