While researching ideas on managing perceptions in the virtual workplace, I happened across What College Forgot, a charming (yet certainly, valuable) website offering advice and helpful information to young professionals on topics like money management, investing, careers, buying a first home and more.
Coincidentally, the site isn’t just for kids. Even old dogs can learn new tricks from What College Forgot. In an article entitled Perception at Work Matters, writer Gale Bowman discusses unwritten workplace rules that may help you manage your manager’s and co-workers’ perception of you. Among them? The importance of face time.
Gale writes, “In a perfect world, you would be judged primarily by the substance of the work you produce. Unfortunately [however], politics play a role in how others perceive you.” She helps readers assess the culture of an organization with a few quick check points:
- If leaders measure your productivity by time, rather than results . . .
- If the company won’t flex work schedules . . .
- If the company frowns on telecommuting . . .
- If employees are rewarded for putting in long hours . . .
When these cultural clues are prevalent, you may need to exploit face time in order to be recognized. In fact, Gale cautions readers to “get in the habit of staying late [at least] a couple days a week”.
Whoa! If co-located employees have to start earlier or stay later to manage perceptions in a traditional office, how much more important is face time for virtual teams and work at home professionals? Here, its distance that influences how others perceive you.
Sure, more companies are recognizing the value of remote work programs. But, the jury is still out. The prevailing perception remains that work at home may not involve as much W-O-R-K as work executed in a traditional office. As a remote worker, you must manage the perception of how effectively you leverage your time.
So, how do virtual work teams and work at home professionals define face time? And what are the benefits of using face time to help you stay visible when you’re virtual?
Simply put, face time is intentional communication. It may refer to face to face meetings, but more often, represents electronic, telephone or video communication.
The good news is that your company may already have measures in place to facilitate face time. You may be asked to log in to an instant messaging tool during work hours, have and use a webcam, maintain a shared calendar or participate in regular 1 on 1’s. If you are self-employed or aren’t required to practice these simple habits, maybe it’s time to start.
