Running a virtual company, I’ve reflected on how I’ve evolved on the flex, communication, and technology fronts.

January, 2003:  Dip toe into flex work. Daughter #1 turns six months and it is clear.  No more five-day-in-an-office work weeks for me.  Solution - find a boss who is never in one place.  I do.  She/I live in the same state, she has multiple offices (NJ, Boston), she travels no less than 50% of the time. I have all of her phone numbers (Boston office, NJ office, home office, her mother’s in Florida, work cell, personal cell, home fax, office fax) and her office & home emails.  Become very chummy with her two administrative assistants who happen to job share.  I add their home, office and cell phone numbers to the list as well as keep their work schedules top of mind.

April, 2005:  Personal realities surface. Pregnant with my daughter #2, dealing with caretaking issues, my division is about to downsize. Solution - work at home most days, avoid commuting, and exit corporate life.  Started my own business with a great partner with a similar mindset.  We alternate driving to each other’s home offices.

September, 2005:  Perplexed with flex and related dynamics. Have to book my own appts…share calendars on outlook; online meetings? Way too much Starbucks!….and I’m going stir crazy.

April, 2006:  Officially a flexer. FlexPaths heads into year two. There are now four partners in four locales - NJ, Westchester, CA, Martha’s Vineyard.  We work through time zone, work style, and generational differences.  We add consultants and advisors to the mix.  I connect via email, virtual meetings, quarterly face to face meetings.  I have a paper list of contact information for everyone – their cell phone, home phone, fax and email addresses.  Hundreds of emails flying around, faxes, snail mail, routing issues.  I’m feeling borderline stressed but OK.

October, 2007:  Officially a stressed flexer. Now we have systems that I can’t use -– webinar technology to show our products, multiple toll free numbers to host conference calls, an online go to place to store documents and share documents.  I decompose one day ‘cause I can’t call Sandy, my CA partner, at her alternate office number because I can’t read one of the phone digits from my frayed contact list.  Robin sends an official email saying we need to migrate our culture. I am out of time – I must walk the talk.

May, 2008:  FlexPaths is on the map and I am not on the ball. I have too many phones ringing simultaneously (office, home, cell).  I can’t fit my bulging Rolodex into my work bag.  My email style is deemed “archaic” – I am told that I send too many, they are too long, I am not responding quickly enough.  I need to IM.  I need to blog.  What’s a blog?

November, 2008:  I’ve crossed the break-even on virtual flex. I see light at the end of the tunnel.  Working flexibly and championing it isn’t enough. My blackberry has the right contacts; I post and pull documents from multiple sources; I can run a collaboration meeting, attend webinars, choose podcasts over white papers.  I get it – I can do more, and connect effectively.

February, 2009:  Control and results. I have control over where and how I get my work done. Logistics are streamlined, costs are contained and collaboration is at an all-time high, both internally and with clients, partners and advisors.  People actually apologize for requesting an in-person meeting.  Check out this link on youtube… I’m not the only one.  Plus, now I can help others as they start on their flex journey….it’s a learning curve that’s well worth it.