There’s a new class of worker out there: Nearly Autonomous, Not in the Office, doing Business in their Own Time Staff.
Or nanobots, for short.
Empowered by their mobile devices and remote access to the corporate network, nanobots put in long hours, sometimes seven days a week—just not at their desks. Different from mobile workers, who usually stay in close contact with managers, nanobots thrive on their driven natures and on the personal freedom with which they are entrusted. Found at many levels of an organization, from sales managers to senior executives, they are self-starting high achievers who produce strong results with a minimum of supervision. Allowed to find their own equilibrium between work and private lives, they tend to put work first.
Illustrations by Gary Hovland
Managed correctly, nanobots can be a huge asset to their company. Point them in the right direction and they will do their best to hit the target without further input. They let senior management focus more on reaching goals than on how those goals are reached. As outside-the-office workers, they also can reduce some of a company’s usual overhead costs: Taken to the extreme, a business that uses only nanobots has no need for office space, or the kinds of human-resources infrastructure that companies provide for conventional employees.
The challenge, and it’s a big one, is finding the right balance between the nanobots’ autonomy and the needs of the organization. This is new territory for a lot of companies. Indeed, most managers aren’t used to dealing with full-time employees whom they rarely see, and who, because of their free-floating status, may not belong to a clear-cut department or region. Issues involving trust and communication can quickly arise.
Out There
- New Position: Mobile technology and a growing willingness to let employees find their own equilibrium between work and personal lives combine in a new kind of employee—one who works almost entirely outside the office.
- Is That a Good Thing? They can be huge assets to their companies, as they need little supervision, which allows management to focus on larger goals.
- What Are the Downsides? Managers must learn to recognize who can be trusted with so much autonomy. It’s also a challenge for both parties to find the right balance between the worker’s freedom and the needs of the company.
There’s also the problem of recognizing who is
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You are right Dr. Pauleen, For senior managers, it can sometimes be a challenge to trust an off-site employee, there are most of managers are using to building trust in face-to-face relationships over time and in pressure situations.