Is Telecommuting Right for You?

Personality can affect your opinion of, and suitability for, telecommuting. There are many sources of information describing all the benefits and potential downsides of telecommuting, but few that offer insight into the role personality and lifestyles play in making it work well.

Personality, in this context, means more than just your tendency to be the life of the party or being a shy person. It also involves where you are in your personal and professional lifecycle, your goals and objectives, and your longer-term career aspirations.

Spend some quality time with yourself so you can learn how your overall personality might react to telecommuting. Ask yourself some thoughtful questions about working from home.

• How do you feel about your workplace? Do you enjoy interacting with co-workers? Or is it more annoyance because of interruptions, gossip, etc.?
  
  
• How well do you work without direct supervision? Do you enjoy it? Are you good at it? Or are you more comfortable being assigned a task and getting supervisor/co-worker feedback?
  
  
• Do you enjoy your commute to work? Or might you be happier if you leave your car in the driveway?

These are but a few "personality" questions to ask and answer. Your honest responses to yourself will help indicate if telecommuting fits your lifestyle and personality.

Pros and Cons of Telecommuting
You won't be surprised to learn that telecommuting, like everything else, is not a perfect solution. Understanding the good, the bad and the ugly of telecommuting helps you determine if you should explore the expanding opportunities in this area. Here are some thoughts to consider, as they are real world potential pros and cons of telecommuting.

Pros:

• More control over your workplace environment and conditions. Set up your office the way you want for comfort and efficiency. You won't be subject to co-worker gossip or interruptions. If you must, you can still work in your bathrobe.
  
  
• Commuting time reduced to zero. You can help the environment by reducing your carbon footprint and but also, if your typical commute tends to be stressful, you will have eliminated this condition and may be fresher and more focused to perform well. You'll also save some travel expense costs.
  
  
• Improved ability to concentrate on your job. Without the constant noise and distractions of a traditional work environment, you may focus on the job at hand more efficiently. Your communication requirements will be less intrusive on your concentration.

Cons:

• Workplace interruptions may be replaced by other home-related distractions. At times, the initial belief that you can better control your work area evolves from a pro to a con. If you have children at home while you work, or if renovations or maintenance are going on inside or outside of your home, these may be distracting to your work day.
  
  
• Risk of becoming a workaholic. There is little separation of home and workplace. Your office is never more than a room or two away on a 24/7/365 basis. If you are strongly internally motivated, you may find yourself working instead of sleeping at midnight.
  
  
• May find it difficult to get fast answers to questions or access to needed workplace "tools." Your need for an efficient PC, a multi-function printer/scanner/copier/fax, and high-speed Internet connection are basic. But are there other tools or features you formerly accessed at your office? Do your co-workers, whether at the workplace or fellow telecommuters, respond quickly when you have questions?

Telecommuting can be wonderful, but may also be lonely and inefficient for you. Answer some personal questions, consider the potential pros and cons (none apply to everyone), and make a decision that fits your personality and lifestyle.

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