Telecommuting usually benefits everyone involved, but some people just aren't able to recognize the advantages that working from home gives. When your boss is one of these people, it can cause problems.
Most of us have spent our entire working lives going into an office or workplace of some type. For some people, especially older managers, the idea that an employee could stay at home and do their work productively is simply foriegn to them.
Not to worry, though, because if you approach the situation correctly, there's no reason why your boss shouldn't be convince that teleworking is by far the best option for you. Here are some tips on how to approach your boss regarding a potential telecommute:
Write Everything Out
Before you approach your boss, write up several pages of notes. One one page, write down every potential benefit to teleworking that you can think of. On another, draw up a smaple schedule that you would follow on your days at home. Make another list of all the equipment you have at home, and how it compares to that in the office. Write down everything you have, down to your desk and chair. Your boss will want to be assure that you won't have any distractions or discomforts to prevent you from doing your job correctly.
Find Corroborating Evidence
Search the internet, and find information to show your boss. Find information that could it more clear to him or her that your business can benefit by allowing teleworking. If your testimony isn't enough to convince your boss, perhaps articles from national trade publications would help. The more testimony you have, the easier it will be to win over your supervisor!
Print out this article, and show it to your boss. It could help to convince him/her.
Be Flexible
It's possible that your boss will still be reluctant. You may want to offer up a compromise. You could agree to telework on a trial basis, just one day a week, or once every two weeks. You could even offer to work extra hours from home, to show your boss how much you'll be able to accomplish.
The most important thing is to get your foot in the door, so your boss can see the benfits of teleworking for himself. Once you've gotten the initial approval, it's much easier to move up from there.
Telecommuting is a new and frightening thing for some supervisors. If you work with them, and really make an effort to win them over, you'll fare much better in reaching your goal of telecommuting.
