ABSTRACT
Most initiatives were begun internally without external assistance, and the champions were usually workhorses and advocates. All had been working virtually for at least one year, most much longer. Most organizations had failed to give adequate consideration to the cultural impact of distributed work. It slowed their ability to quickly adapt to a virtual environment. As one flexwork expert admitted, Organizations continue to believe that culture will come along once they roll out policy. With hindsight, organizations realized they were not piloting virtual work. Executives underestimate the importance of getting departments that support the organization and employees on board with virtual work. Organizations often provided inadequate support and training to the virtual workers. Smart organizations learned to provide sample team agreements, templates, and communication protocols applied consistently across all teams.
