Teleworking is great for a lot of people in almost all sectors. On the other hand, however, it can also be disastrous for your career. Despite all the advantages and the latest technology, the major disadvantage of teleworking in this context is the lack of personal contact. You simply can't lead from home. That is the opinion of Jack Welch.
Welch, a long-serving CEO of General Electric (1981-2001), is an expert on leadership development, and in 2010 he founded his own business school, the Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University in Virginia. He regularly publishes his reflections on LinkedIn. This time, he focused on teleworking in the context of leadership.
Attending meetings is not enough
"People have to see how calm you stay in a PR crisis, how decent you are to new employees who don’t have the hang of things, how much you sweat during a tough deal, and how hard you work on a deadline without bitching and moaning," explains Jack Welch. Your presence at the workplace shows others that they can trust you.
If you are not visible at work, you'll hardly get promoted to a leadership role. If you go to the office, you show that work is your priority - that you care about the company and want to lead. Working from home, on the contrary, sends the signal that you prefer flexibility over career. That is how it works. It is up to each individual to choose their path.
What do you think?
-kk-