????每年一次， Community Options的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人們會(huì)從35個(gè)分部所在地匯聚在一起，展開交流。這家非營(yíng)利機(jī)構(gòu)經(jīng)營(yíng)著各種創(chuàng)業(yè)企業(yè)，為殘疾人士創(chuàng)造就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)并提供住房。

????這個(gè)機(jī)構(gòu)的首席財(cái)務(wù)總監(jiān)在最近舉行的峰會(huì)上嘆息，由于客戶訂單給庫存管理帶來的難度，該機(jī)構(gòu)在新不倫瑞克省新澤西花店里的鮮花很多都白白浪費(fèi)了。

????Community Options的成員企業(yè)Daily Plan It的某個(gè)平面設(shè)計(jì)師將他的話聽在了耳里，心想他們可以用這些未售出的枯花來制造干花。Daily Plan It出租共享辦公空間，并提供文件粉碎之類的支持服務(wù)。因此，Community Options如今推出了一條干花生產(chǎn)線，由殘疾人士包裝和出售香花。

????“完全是因?yàn)槿藗兙墼谝黄鸩畔氤隽诉@個(gè)主意，”總部位于新澤西州普林斯頓的Community Options創(chuàng)始人和首席執(zhí)行官羅伯特?斯塔克說?！耙?yàn)槿藗兛梢员舜藛l(fā)。”

????當(dāng)今世界充滿了視頻會(huì)議、云計(jì)算和在線共享工作區(qū)，來自任何地方的人們都能夠彼此協(xié)作，就像坐在彼此相鄰的工作間里，這種圖景并不難想象。

????遠(yuǎn)程辦公的確減少了污染，提高了工作效率，也幫雇主削減了租用辦公室的成本，同時(shí)還提高了員工的留用率和忠誠(chéng)度。但無論遠(yuǎn)程技術(shù)有多么先進(jìn)，沒有了面對(duì)面的接觸，總會(huì)有某種缺憾。

????事實(shí)上，一份新的報(bào)告發(fā)現(xiàn)，遠(yuǎn)程辦公人員的數(shù)量在2010年出現(xiàn)了下降的趨勢(shì)，這是近十年前開始收集相關(guān)數(shù)據(jù)以來首次出現(xiàn)這種情況。無可否認(rèn)，遠(yuǎn)程辦公帶來了巨大的利益，但眾多機(jī)構(gòu)同時(shí)發(fā)現(xiàn)，虛擬協(xié)作也有其局限性。

????“我們已經(jīng)嘗試了云技術(shù)，感覺很不錯(cuò)。我們也嘗試了在線語音通話服務(wù)Skype，四五個(gè)人可以同時(shí)進(jìn)行視頻聊天。但它跟（面對(duì)面交流）并不是一碼事，”Community Options的斯塔克說。除了舉辦年度峰會(huì)以外，他每個(gè)季度還在每個(gè)地區(qū)舉辦1次見面活動(dòng)?！八枷氲膮f(xié)作和交互沒辦法通過相互發(fā)送電子郵件來實(shí)現(xiàn)?！?/p>

有時(shí)當(dāng)面交流比便利性更重要

????人力資源協(xié)會(huì)WorldatWork在今年早些時(shí)候發(fā)布的報(bào)告中發(fā)現(xiàn)，2010年每月在家辦公1天以上的人數(shù)已經(jīng)下降到了2,620萬，而在2008年，這個(gè)數(shù)字還高達(dá)3,370萬。然而，即便出現(xiàn)了下降趨勢(shì)，遠(yuǎn)程辦公人員還是占了成年勞動(dòng)人口的20%。

????Once a year, leaders of Community Options come together from its 35 locations for a retreat. The nonprofit organization runs a variety of entrepreneurial ventures that create job opportunities and provide housing for people with disabilities.

????At the most recent summit, the chief financial officer was bemoaning the wasted flowers at the organization's New Brunswick, N.J. floral store, due to the inevitable difficulty in managing inventory to meet customer orders.

????Listening in, a graphic designer from Community Options' Daily Plan It, which rents shared office space and provides support services such as document shredding, thought they could use the dead, unsold flowers to create potpourri. As a result, Community Options is now launching a line of potpourri, which will be packaged and sold by people with disabilities.

????"It's all because a group of people got together and came up with this idea," says Robert Stack, founder and chief executive of Princeton, N.J.-based Community Options. "People play off each other."

????In a world of video conferencing, cloud computing, and shared online workspaces, it's easy to imagine that people can work together from anywhere, just as if they were sitting in the cubicle next door.

????It's true that telework reduces pollution, improves productivity, and cuts real estate costs for employers while increasing retention and employee loyalty. But no matter how advanced the technology, something is lost when face-to-face contact disappears.

????Indeed, a new report found that the number of teleworkers declined in 2010 for the first time since data collection began nearly a decade ago. While there's no denying that telecommuting can provide tremendous benefits, organizations are finding that virtual collaboration has its limits.

????"We've tried the cloud stuff; it's good. We've tried the Skype where you have four or five people on the screen. It ain't the same thing," says Community Options' Stack, who holds quarterly in-person meetings for each region in addition to the annual summit. "Collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas doesn't happen by me sending you an email and you sending one back."

When face time trumps convenience

????WorldatWork, a human resources association, found that the number of people who telecommuted at least one day a month in 2010 dropped to 26.2 million, down from 33.7 million in 2008, in a report released earlier this year. Even with the drop, teleworkers represent 20% of the working adult population.