December 1997
Commentary by David Fleming
1997 Reflections
In the
Beginning
Is it possible 1997 is coming to a close? It seems only yesterday we started
this page. With this in mind, I have invited myself to write this month's
commentary in order to reflect and express my gratitude for your participation,
interest and encouragement all through 1997.
The Fleming LTD Web site was instigated by my friend and golfing pal,
Dave Burger, Professor and Chair of the Environmental Horticulture Department
at the University of California, Davis. Without his gentle nudging to offer
this site as a public service, I seriously doubt you would be reading it
now. Moreover, his technical expertise has saved me on more occasions than
I venture to count.
Then came Tom Durkin, Fleming LTD's webmaster. I admit it: I was
not particularly interested in acquiring the skills essential to creating
a Web site. But Tom was ready, willing and excited about taking on the
challenge of learning how to build and run a Web site. Furthermore, he
avidly shares my interest in helping telework/telecommuting move solidly
into the 21st Century. With Tom's escalating standards of excellence, each
update is better than the last. As a professional journalist and editor,
Tom has added the much-needed touches, making reading and viewing the page
a pleasurable and informative experience.
Also, as a journalist and editor, Tom has distinguished himself this
year with two provocative articles for Gil Gordon's Telecommuting
Review, been featured as a "Voice from the Industry" in Anne Hart's
new journalism textbook
Cyberscribes
1: The New Journalists, and has just been named editor of
Robot
Science & Technology magazine.
Our Guest Commentators
I am eternally grateful for our guest commentators who were major contributors
to the success of this Web site. Our commentators have approached the telework
subjects from widely diverse perspectives. Since seriously embarking on
the telework subject in 1984, I have said that telework cuts across more
disciplines and skills than one could possibly imagine. Our guest commentators
have proved the point.
Beginning in February with Gloria Allen's "Training
the Teleworkforce" through November with Cindy Froggatt's provocative
treatise on The Bare Naked Truth About Telework,
our topics have been as diverse as the disciplines. (By the way, I unashamedly
claim coinage rights for creation of the new word "teleworkforce" - but
not without first checking with guru leaders in the field.)
Between Gloria's and Cindy's commentaries, we have heard from other
real teleworkers:
 |
Conrad Berube, an entomologist, graphically explained
Why
I Put Bugs in My Laptop Computer (3/97). |
|
Al Jacobus, a friend and pioneer teleworker, wrote
A
Day in the Life of a Teleworker, wherein he demonstrated to a reluctant
group of telecommunication engineers the wisdom behind the technology they
purported to engineer for the good of society (5/97). |
|
Karen Topp Goodwyn offered us a truly inspirational success story about
teleworking from an iron lung in
The
Ultimate Reasonable Accommodation (6-7/97). |
|
Julie Sisson gave us a vivid understanding of how employers can be so
near-sighted, missing golden opportunities to employ probably some of the
most talented and skilled workers available (4/97). |
|
Juan J. Videgain reported
Spain
Adopts the Advantages of Teleworking (8/97). |
|
Kris Kirkpatrick wrote about lessons learned about how to - and how
not to - market telecenters in her provocative polemic
The Unmarketing of Telecommuting (9/97). |
|
Rick Tobin - in
When
Does Telecommuting Become Telecommunity?
- simultaneously extolled
the benefits of telework to society and lambasted the fear-based resistance
to change exhibited by all too many employers and their managers (10/97). |
Judging from the responses we've received to our guest commentators,
telework is something that is here to stay. The motivations are clearly
present, and the means to the end are many. From my perspective, I have
come to better appreciate the many facets of telework and am even more
convinced than ever that it has a place in our present and future. We give
thanks to our guest commentators and to those who have constructively responded
to our guests.
1997 Highlights
Telework travels were among the highest points of interest for me during
1997. It was a thrill and honor to be invited by
Jack
Nilles to speak in Lisbon in April at Portugal's first national telework
conference. The side trip to visit with friends Bill and Marcia Spacy temporarily
residing on the coast of the Gulf of Cadez provided me with a rare and
exciting adventure: driving alone in two countries without appropriate
skills in either Portuguese or Spanish languages. The natives were most
kind to me, though.
Working with the Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University
of South Florida resulted in telework-related education trips to Tallahassee,
and Norfolk, Virginia. It appeared that the momentum for telework in those
regions is increasing in direct proportion to mounting traffic problems,
air pollution and the desire for quality of life improvements.
The same held true for a visit to Boulder, Colorado, where environmental
interests for clean air and quality of life are high on the citizens' agenda.
Working with telework program directors in the states of Arizona,
Oregon and Washington brought a short-lived acronym to the telecommunity:
ACOW (Arizona, California Oregon and Washington). Later, ACOW was changed
to the Telework Collaborative. The collaborative produced an educational
kit with a video and guidebook specifically for managers, focusing on what
makes telework work for managers. The reviews have been gratifying. I will
never forget the creative and productive fellowship of the collaborative.
A recent visit from Peter Arnfalk of the International Institute
for Industrial Environmental Economics at
Lund University reminded
me of how my telework interest was first piqued in 1983. Sweden, too, is
looking to telework to mitigate adverse environmental impacts. Although
internationally we have a way to go to truly use telework as a mitigation
measure, the level of awareness is taking hold globally - and what we perceive
we can achieve!
Personal Highlights of a Non-Telework Nature
In September, I attended a reunion with 70 "ole" buddies who had been
campers and counselors at a Boy Scout summer camp from the late 1940s to
1963 at our beloved Camp Kia Kima, near Hardy, Arkansas (USA). Among our
reasons for the reunion was activating the newly organized non-profit Old
Kia Kima Preservation Association, Inc. Old Kia Kima is that special place
where the land and the river inspired us in our youth to become something
more. Our vision is to preserve the legacy of our past and help shape the
lives of future generations. The OKKPA mission is to provide an environment
where elders may pass on knowledge and experience to enrich and shape the
lives of young people today. We are well on our way toward that vision.
Lis, my partner and wife, continued her second year as a volunteer at
the California Raptor Center and as an English tutor. She continues teaching
me the finer art of bird identification and appreciation while enjoying
our mountain and coastal hikes here in California. The strenuous weekend
hikes along the Pacific Crest Trail and coastal areas are taken with my
long-time hiking partner and friend, Carl Schmid; the hiking pace Carl
sets gives me little time to smell the roses.
With a new set of golf clubs made by my friend Dave Burger
(the Web site instigator), my fondness for the game has been renewed. Since
our daughter Tova's arrival in 1975, only occasional golfing fit the schedule.
Now that Tova has left the nest, this once-addictive sport has returned
for my enjoyment.
Back to the Future
In the months to come, we will continue offering fresh commentaries
about the evolution of telework and the teleworkforce. Your continuing
interest and ideas on the subject or on how we might better deliver this
service to you are most welcomed. In the meantime, Tom and I trust the
information we provide will enrich your lives. Telework is here to stay
in the 21st Century.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season.
Copyright © 1997 - David Fleming
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