The Commonwealth of Virginia: Running with Telework

As the Washington, DC metro area traffic scene creeps slowly towards the nation’s worst, Virginia state government has taken it upon themselves to further the cause of telework and remote working in order to lesson the strain on the area’s roadways and commuters. The new Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance is aimed at helping facilitate programs and plan to enhance remote working options throughout the state.

The establishment of this office should be a big step towards the proliferation of statewide teleworking plans – putting Virginia at the forefront of states pushing for better remote working acceptance. The recent telework endeavors have even netted Governor Tim Kaine an award from the Telework Coalition for his promotion of remote working.

Special applause to Gov. Kaine’s appointment of Karen Jackson as the director of the new initiative. She brings a wealth of experience as well as understanding of the issue to her new position, and we anticipate that, under her leadership, Virginia will be a role model throughout the region and country.

Is Virginia where they need to be as far as teleworking is concerned? No, not yet…but the state is “where they should be.” Virginia is moving along the right track, and the creation of the Office of Telework Promotion is a huge leap in the right direction. As long as Virginia government stays away from the “dashboard doggie” model, teleworking across the Commonwealth will continue to grow.

Rita Mace Walston, General Manager, The Telework Consortium

From Dashboard Doggie to the Driver’s Seat

In August, I shared my perspective on the “Dashboard Doggie” pheonomeon that exists when executives meet to discuss what Telework can do for them, agree on the benefits of a remote working plan by nodding continuously but yet…do nothing.

Congratulations to Loudoun County, Virginia, a county government leader that continues to surpass the “dashboard doggie” model and power the driver’s seat. Yesterday, we announced that the Telework Consortium has been selected by Loudoun County as their provider of choice for collaborative services and remote working implementation solutions. This is not only big news for the Telework Consortium, but it is huge news for anyone living in Loudoun County, especially those individuals involved in county government affiars.

The county is the fastest growing in Virginia, and with that rapid growth comes traffic congestion. Some of the main arteries though Loudoun are impassable at key times during the day, making commutes to the 92+ county government offices unberable. This gridlock greatly affects the work-life balance of a government worker who oftentimes would be far better served by staying in their homes, working remotely rather than losing hours of personal and work time each week to the constant grind of traffic.

I believe Loudoun County will serve as a catalyst to the other areas of Metropolitan Washington — and other municipalities throughout the country — and encourage other county execs to stop nodding their heads, get off the dashboard, and into the driver’s seat of their organization’s teleworking strategies.

Rita Mace Walston
General Manager, The Telework Consortium