The Evolution of Work
July 12, 2006
I learned the value of work from watching my father. In his generation, work meant rising with the sun, grabbing a lunch pail, then after spending eight hours in a brick and mortar building, coming home to his family at the end of a long day. This example taught me that to do a job well, I would go to a physical location. In those days, work was WHERE you went.
And now, in my mid-60s, I find myself in the telework business, repeating a new mantra: work is what you do, not where you go. As CEO of the Telework Consortium, I find myself in the midst of an ongoing, important debate about a fast-growing business practice that is quite literally changing the way we live and work. My younger colleagues have re-taught me how to work in the 21st century, alleviating any guilt I have about attending staff meetings via web conference from Panera’s WiFi hot spot, persuading me that the method is more efficient. They’ve also convinced me that for teleworkers of all generations, the ultimate endorsement of our work is right here in the blogosphere. There are some excellent blogs in here. Fully Mobile, HR and Homeshoring and George’s Employment Blawg are just a few which provide forums for useful discussions with the true “stars” of the telework industry – the people who actually practice teleworking.
It’s said that the blogosphere is the electronic equivalent of a water cooler discussion. That visual inspired my Telework Consortium colleagues and me to dedicate a blog to just that – informal yet insightful discussions about relevant issues among the people directly affected by those issues. Today’s entry officially launches “Quench –Telework’s Virtual Water Cooler”. Why now? Read the headlines. Gas prices, mounting pandemic concerns, natural disasters for every season, increased discussion about business continuity, and the government’s role in it all…. today’s hot topics all impact in some way the work/life practice of telework. These issues and more will converge here in the form of an ongoing discussion. Several of my colleagues will be sharing their thoughts on Quench. My right hand, General Manager Rita Mace Walston and technical expert Tom Hayden, Network Engineer will prompt a discussion on the issues and technology that shape distributed work. All of us here at the Consortium have different roles, experiences, perspectives and comments – hopefully enough to keep you coming back to read, learn and engage in discussion with us here.
A recent cnn.com article, “Rising Gas Prices Fire up Bloggers”, cited Howard Kaushansky, the president of blog research firm Umbria Communications, on the growing number of bloggers: there are now nearly 40 million of us. So while Quench isn’t exactly a pioneer in the sphere, we intend to capture a lively debate on a topic of great importance to the more than 28 million employed Americans, or one fifth of the workforce, who participate in some form of telework.
We hope you agree. We welcome your comments and look forward to meeting you here in the blogosphere.
William Mularie, Ph.D.
CEO, The Telework Consortium
