MIT Sloan Management Review just published this story about employees who work well outside of the office and used the term “nanobots” to describe them:
There’s a new class of worker out there: Nearly Autonomous, Not in the Office, doing Business in their Own Time Staff. Or nanobots, for short. Empowered by their mobile devices and remote access to the corporate network, nanobots put in long hours, sometimes seven days a week—just not at their desks. Different from mobile workers, who usually stay in close contact with managers, nanobots thrive on their driven natures and on the personal freedom with which they are entrusted. Found at many levels of an organization, from sales managers to senior executives, they are self-starting high achievers who produce strong results with a minimum of supervision. Allowed to find their own equilibrium between work and private lives, they tend to put work first.
The story isn’t about freelancers but it could be. Although we’re independently employed, most of us fit the descriptions I highlighted.
The article raises a few interesting points:
As more enlightened companies come to appreciate the type of characteristics nanobots exhibit – self discipline, internal drive, etc. – they’ll look for the same in the contractors they use – so freelancers should play these traits up when negotiating with editors or corporate clients.
When looking for new clients, freelancers should be on the lookout for companies that appreciate nanobots – if you have to pick between working with editor A or editor B or corporate client A or corporate client B, besides thinking about assignments, fees, etc., consider whether they “get” this.
Finally, the nanobot’s natural traits and type A work habits and tendency toward perfectionism could also explain why there are so many frustrating editor-freelancer experiences like the ones I read on the writers’ message boards I hang out on. IMHO, it’s a management thing, with editors being asked to manage a group of independent-minded workers and some, especially junior level associates, not having the right experience, temperament or training to do it.
Freelancers, editors, your thoughts?