Dear Career Counselor Mary Ann,

I’ve been reading a lot about telecommuting and would like to  ask my manager if I can work from home a couple of days a week. What’s the best way to do this?

Signed, The Long Commuter

Dear Long Commuter,

This is tricky, but the best way to approach this is to put yourself in your manager’s shoes. How will he/she benefit from this new change, how will the organization benefit and can my co-workers get along with me not being on site? Telecommuting isn’t a new concept and quite frankly, this author believes in telecommuting as a viable option but many don’t. While it is true that for some employees, telecommuting can increase work productivity while allowing the person to focus only on the up times…I believe there is some downtime (reading through email, daydreaming, getting some water) that is only natural for people. Here’s the key…you need to reassure your manager that you can be productive, highlight all of the benefits of allowing you to work from home and remind your boss of all your past achievements and then figure out a way to account for the hours you worked and always…always ask when he/she is in a good mood.

Good Luck!