In my Leadership class, a couple of my classmates presented on leadership in virtual work environments. They showed the video below and one excerpt caught my attention … watch the first minute to see what I mean.
This IBM employee works virtually from the Fire station where he is a regular volunteer. Genius!! As more and more companies and government agencies go completely virtual, this may open up a whole host of possibilities for volunteers. In fact, one concern I have heard of potential virtual workers is that they would prefer to have an office setting or be around other people when they work. What if a small nonprofit could supply the desk space in exchange for a regular commitment of volunteer time. This could be a very symbiotic relationship.
One example… an IBM employee that has great technical knowledge works from the offices of a small nonprofit in exchange for “on call” hours in which they make themselves available for technical assistance or training. As long as the employee is doing project based work that is very flexible, it should work out well.
What do you think? Could you envision scenarios in which a virtual worker could volunteer in a new way?
My Terrible Life Choice 