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Rural Answers
Dispersed Workforce
Most of my colleagues, like myself, have access to broadband, email and intranet services but some are less "techy" than others. The problem as I see it is that the more homeworkers we have and the less we speak to each other face to face the more the organisation loses quality contact and suffers from a lack of impact when it does get in touch. I do meet face to face with as many people as possible but have to travel large distances to do so. These meetings can be rushed and have a long journey either side of what tends to be a very long day. I am worried that over a period of time everyone will loose out because of all of the above.
Does anyone have any experience of the same that they would like to share, and perhaps even some suggestions as to how they manage communication
Regards
Douglas McNeil
Communicating at a Distance
20-Apr-2007 @ 11:29AM
Michael Smith
Hi Douglas,
Just thought you might be interested in some of our experiences in this area.
In UHI, we offer a number of degree courses across the Highlands & Islands region and as such we have had an on-going need to communicate effectively with students in dispersed locations.
Within the Sustainable Rural Development programme http://www.uhi.ac.uk/sshad we have used Skype: http://www.skype.com
The Skype software is free and has proved easy to install and caters for differing levels of technical know-how and provides instant access to your colleagues at a distance. Each person in your contacts group can see when you come online in the morning and you can see them and their status throughout the day.
They are just a click away. You can chat instantly with text in a window in each others computers. Some of the more advanced students (in techncial terms) use Skye's video or audio features to hold a conversation. This provides the added-value element to such instant communications.
This can all be easily managed from your desktop. You even have the flexibility to change your online status - i.e. to 'Do Not Disturb'...etc
It might be worth having a look at Skype, as it has certainly helped us communicate effectively at a distance.
Cheers - Michael.
UHI Programme Leader
Sustainable Rural Development