When it comes to telecommuting “All or Nothing” is a phrase to avoid. Assuming you are not limited geographically, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that just because you telecommute means you should never have to go into the office.

I have spoken to hard-core telecommuters who live an easy drive from work but don’t want to ever have to go in. And trust me when I say that I understand how much better working from home is - avoiding the commute, saving the gas money, not having to make myself presentable until late in the day when my family is due to come home. I believe the longer you telecommute the more addicting it can become - especially as you hone your skills and start becoming more and more effective at telecommuting successfully (and if you haven’t developed those skills yet, here’s my shameless plug for my book “How to Avoid Going to Work without Quitting your Job” which should be released summer 2008, where you can learn all the skills you will need).

But be aware of the times when coming into the office can be valuable. I recently had a day when I wasn’t planning on going in but my boss and I had an unexpected opportunity to meet with my boss’s boss and one of his right-hand men to discuss some challenges we’re having with a project. I had about 1 hour advance notice and my boss said I could just call in. But I knew all the other members of the meeting would be there face to face. I hopped into the shower, threw on some clothes, dove into my car and got myself into the office.

Sure I could have taken the call from home. But I had two reasons to go in:

1. The issues with the project were complex and intricate. We needed to have a very hard conversation about how to approach them and what my boss’s boss wanted to do. And I had a particular agenda to push. Missing the queues one gets from body language, eye contact (or lack thereof), etc would make the discussion harder.
2. Getting face-time with my boss’s boss is rare. Seeing me in person will increase the likelihood that he will remember me and remember more about my work.

My point here is, be flexible. Try to make it into the office now and then, especially when you see opportunities to have a few face-to-face meetings with a large number of your group or a few key people who can influence your career. Also, when you get caught up in the lull of always working from home day after day, going into the office now and then can actually be refreshing - giving you some extra social interactions and strenghthening your relationship with your peers. It doesn’t have to be frequent, but even an occasional visit is useful.

If you live too far from work to drive in at all, see if you can get your company to fly you in a couple times per year. And when you do come in, make sure you’ve got meetings and lunches lined up with your manager and coworkers so you can maximize your face time.

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