Wide Teams

In this edition: the US House approves a bill mandating more telework in government agencies; how to hire a remote worker; tools for distributed software teams; making the most of your coworking space, and more!

• Work Shifting – Lessons Learned From Workshifting

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• Hiring Remote Workers: 5 Red Flags To Never Ignore | oDesk.com – Annotated

  tags: hiring remote wideteams

  • People are usually on their best behavior when trying to land a job, so what you observe in the interview phase of the relationship with your freelancer is probably as good as it gets. If a candidate seems difficult to reach, it’s probably because she is.

   

• Use Your Web Advantage to Survive Busy Periods – Annotated

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  • Giving colleagues access to your electronic calendar can also reduce the number of meeting invitations and task requests you need to decline or reschedule in a busy week — and the amount of time you spend managing those requests. Similarly, creating a publicly available task list can allow team members to see what’s on your plate, and allow your team leaders to re-prioritize work as they see fit. This can reduce confusion and delays, as well as allowing you to stay focused on whatever you’re doing at the moment.

   

• 10 Tools for Distributed Developer Teams – Annotated

  tags: wideteams tools collaboration distributed teams

  • there’s a whole subsection of development tools created and tailored just for distributed teams, whether that distribution means a far-flung group around the globe or a few local devs who occasionally work from home.

   

• Telecommuters with flextime stay balanced up to 19 hours longer – Annotated

  A study finds that remote workers are able to wor more productive hours before feeling their work/life balance is reduced.

  tags: wideteams telework telecommuting

  • Researchers from Brigham Young University analyzed data from 24,436 IBM employees in 75 countries, identifying the point at which 25 percent of employees reported that work interfered with personal and family life.

    For office workers on a regular schedule, the breaking point was 38 hours per week. Given a flexible schedule and the option to telecommute, employees were able to clock 57 hours per week before experiencing such conflict.

   

• House passes telework bill – Nextgov – Annotated

  For US government agencies, remote work will soon be more than an option – it will be a mandate.

  tags: telework wideteams

  • “The staggering costs of lost productivity from federal workers during last winter’s snowstorms — estimated by the government at $71 million a day — would pay for the five-year cost of the bill in one day,” Lister said in a statement.

   

  • “There is a fiscal and social dimension as well. Telework saves federal, state and local taxpayers energy and infrastructure costs, improves air quality, reduces congestion and stress on roads and bridges, and enhances the quality of family life.”

   

• Survey Shows Telework Improvements – Wired Workplace – Annotated

  Some thighlights from a survey of US federal employees.

  tags: telework wideteams

  • The 2010 survey shows that 64 percent of federal workers could work remotely if provided the option.

   

• 7 Tips for Making the Most of Your Coworking Space – Annotated

  tags: wideteams coworking

  • Personally, I like spaces with a very diverse membership as it seems to spark my creativity — mixing with people from other industries gives me new perspectives.

   

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

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About the Author: Avdi Grimm

Avdi has been leading and participating in dispersed software development teams since 2007. He works from home in Southern Pennsylvania, and loves the fact that working remotely enables him to spend more time with his wife and five (soon to be six) children.