If you follow the analysts, the politicians, the Wall Street greed monsters, the United States will see an average gas price near or above the $5/gal. mark by Summer. So far, historically, right now gas has never been higher from this time of year. Some states are flirting with $5 right now. If you listen to the same analysts, all you hear is doom and gloom for the US economy. Analysts that go on CNN or Fox News that talk about rainbows and happy times are usually not asked back again, so take that with a grain of salt to begin with. Either way, if you drive an SUV, like me, $100 to fill up your tank hurts. A few days ago one tank was $72 at $3.54/gal. Ouch.
Will it be that bad?
For the shipping business, the transport of goods, and jobs the require physical mobility it could be crippling or priced will shoot upward to compensate. But for the 'desk jobs' will there be an impact? Could you infect increase productivity? I say yes.
I am a child of telecommuting. My entire career, minus the first 2 1/2, I have had the flexibility to work in a mobile/telecommuting mode. Over time as I learned how to work in an office environment and in a home office environment I molded my craft that I get more quality work done when I am at home. Why? Here's a detail of my day when I goto the office and when I work at home.
Office
I start the day about 6-6:30am. Get up and get ready. I get my son up and ready. I pack up all the things I need for the office, get the boy ready and leave. I drop the boy off at school between 7:15 and 7:30 and head downtown. I live about 20 or so miles from my downtown office. Depending on traffic, weather, and accidents I get tot he parking ramp about 8:30am. I get out and walk to the building, get through the front door security, upstairs, through more security, get to my desk, unpack my laptop, get settled it's 8:50am.
The position that I have I get cube visitors, walk-bys, in person meetings that go long to brain storm, etc... The social aspect of being in the office is very, very important. However, it's very restricting to getting any focus to do any work of the quality I demand.
At the end of the day I need to leave the office by 4pm at the latest if I want to be home by 5pm. If I leave later it's closer to 6pm by the time I get home. That means 1 to 1 1/2 hours of son time then he's off to bed.
It's a drag. I spend at least 2 hours a day on the road.
Home
I sleep a little longer, 7am. I get up and throw a pair of jeans on, sweatshirt and go get the boy up. We play a little bit and I drop him off at school at the same time. I come right home and make a cup of coffee. I watch a little bit of Sports Center as my coffee brews, have a bowl of cereal, and head over to my home office. I am online, reading emails and preparing for my day by 7:40am. Meetings are conference calls and I make sure I am off at the end time, most of the meetings are redundant and non-productive anyway. I don't have walk-bys. I can answer emails within minutes of receiving them, take all phone calls, and I can put 100% focus on anything I work on.
When I work at home I work 100% from about 7:30 or so right up to when my wife and son get home, which is about 5pm. I focus on them for the evening then I go back to work checking wrap up emails and planning for the next by for at least an hour each night from about 9:30 to 1030p.
That's the difference, for me anyway, from working at home vs. heading to my office. Some people can't work this way. It takes a large amount of self discipline and a demanding job to be able to to work wherever you need. As I see it as a manager, you have deliverables, I expect those deliverables on or before a date, and I expect a level of quality. You meet those requirements, I don't care where or how you do it.
Going back to the purpose of this post, gas prices can turn the business world and push it into the natural progression sooner rather than later. Complete, remote, global interconnection through technology. Businesses can take great advantage by this future wave. A recruiting advantage, come work for us and you can work anywhere, the other company requires your presence everyday regardless of performance. Today, if companies demand 9 to 5, they will get 9 to 5.... and nothing more. Take off the handcuffs, and you will get guys like me who will check emails, work on presentations, advance projects at all hours of the day.... even weekends.
To the companies out there, it's up to you how you run your business. Would you rather have 5 gophers, or 2 lions? Future trends is setting the stage to set you apart.
End of LIne.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Posted in: Internet,Technology
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