August 1, 2001—Cynthia C. Froggatts book, Work Naked: Eight Essential Principles for Peak Performance in the Virtual Workplace, describes the critical ingredients that help business leaders, managers and employees shed their old ideas about work and make effective remote work strategies. They include: taking initiative, trusting employees, encouraging joy in the workplace, celebrating individuality, emphasizing equality (to remove communication barriers), engaging in dialogue that is honest, optimizing connectivity (to strengthen relationships), and supporting a wide range of workplace options. If these principles can be applied to the appropriate part of an organization, it is likely that this group will function more effectively than before.
Each principle is explained clearly in its own chapter. Froggatt also discusses the nuances that can lead an organization that does not readily embrace the principle to becoming a beneficiary of its advantages. In so doing, she quickly dispels the myths that cause many organizations to stagnate with a seeming inability to ever change the in-the-office-or-else philosophy.
The chapter on Workplace Options has a large portion focused on alternate office locations for those who work remotely and how these can be furnished (by employees and companies). These include home offices, remote teleworking centers and many other settings. Implications for companies facilities groups are described, including what the virtual workplace does to the traditional corporate office concept. The book does not delve into the potential liability aspects of providing employees with offices for which they are responsible.
Work Naked employs hundreds of examples and interviews of leaders in different companies to show the diversities of possible approaches to teleworking—Froggatt describes approaches that have worked, and some that havent as well. No matter the type of organization in which readers are employed, they will find many “hit-homes” that they can relate to, and then get clues on how the virtual workplace may work for them. Organizations depicted cover the gamut, large and small, with and without bureaucracies, technical and cerebral, and many more—in other words, there is plenty there with which the reader can identify.
Work Naked is an excellent, well-researched, easy-to-read, comprehensive analysis of the factors involved in developing a successful remote workplace strategy, providing food for thought to help one analyze ones own organization and find ways to make it work. It becomes clear that most companies have not yet done what they can to maximize the effectiveness of their workforce. This book goes a long way toward making that happen.
Does the virtual workplace work for every organization? Work Naked certainly implies that it is more likely to work than not work, as long as it is implemented properly—by picking the right people to be teleworking candidates, the appropriate parts of the organization, and providing the proper education of both the company and its employees.
If I have any kind of wish list of what I would have liked to have seen more of in this book, it would include a methodology to evaluate how well a mobile work program is working and which aspects may need to be modified. It also would have been useful to show a bit more on how the people who work remotely can/should work with those who dont work that way (or even with fellow remote workers), especially for different types of companies. But this topic could be worthy of another book in itself. Perhaps, there will be a sequel, something like, “Working Naked—The Sequel (Or How To Get Dressed When You Have To)”?
Work Naked is invaluable to any organization that is considering teleworking. It should be required reading not only for management of these companies, but for their human resources groups and all employees who telework. It gives them the insight needed to make this new way of working successful. Highly recommended!
Froggatt is a principal of Froggatt Consulting Services based in New York City. The firm advises companies on aligning workplace strategies with their business plans. She works from her home office in Manhattans Upper West Side. Froggatt has studied environmental psychology and organizational behavior, earning degrees from Penn State and Cornell University.
Work Naked has spawned a Web site (www.worknakedbook.com), and was published by Jossey-Bass, a Wiley Company, in June 2001. It is available at local bookstores, on the Internet and through Wiley (800/225-5945 in the U.S. or 800/567-4797 in Canada). US$24.95, 266 pages, Cloth.
Review written by Peter S. Kimmel, AIA, IFMA Fellow and Publisher of FMLink
