6. Keep the Telecommuter in the Loop

With all that focus on tasks, don't lose track of telecommuters' human needs — especially if they rarely have the opportunity to interact with the rest of the staff. That means taking the time to wish them a happy birthday (even if just by e-mail), expressing concern for problems they encounter and sharing in their joys. Do whatever you can, in small or large ways, to make telecommuters part of the team.

Lisa Curhan, an operations engineering manager at Sun Microsystems, telecommutes two or three times a month and manages other telecommuters. She recommends that managers require a telecommuter to get a reasonable amount of face-to-face contact with the manager and the rest of the team to afford the type of communication that can be missed by telephone. "For my staff, they — and without my prompting — make sure they are in person for the weekly staff meeting and some key engineering meetings," she says. "If the telecommuter is quite remote, this need would probably be met by a quarterly in-person session. Although some telecommuters only meet yearly in person with their managers, that wouldn't be my preference."

Curhan also advises managers to set up regular one-on-one phone meetings — not for the purpose of micromanaging, she says, but to ensure that concerns about the remote management are aired. Regular meetings, whether face to face or over the phone, give managers an opportunity to connect with their remote employees and provide mentoring, feedback or training.

The management challenge is not solely between the supervisor and the telecommuter. Co-workers can develop envy or mistrust in an employment environment where only a few are given the option to telecommute. Jealousy can impact team interaction and cooperation and lead to lowered morale. Therefore, if telecommuting is an option for one employee, it should be available to all.