Page 197 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

176 � mAnAgIng the moBIle workForCe

happen is a local market needs either a few . . . resources or a
great number of resources. . . . While an individual adjuster would
report to [his or her] front-line manager, all of a sudden, we want
to send the right number of people to the right place, and many
times . . . smaller groups get broken up. Immediately they could
be assigned to a location where there is no one else from the
team—maybe it is a zip code or a small area of a city—the agent
represents the company as a lone representative. Maybe now you
are working with people from other groups [whom] you’ve never
met before, but you’ve got to service the customer and account
for the work that is being assigned. You’ve got to do that in a very
short period of time. Of course, it is hard to work in a vacuum. It is
much easier to work when you’ve got resources you can rely on.
There are folks you’ve never met before, but they are handling the
same type of damage in the same city.

This mobile workforce leader and his company consis-
tently train from the classroom, in the field, and with one
another when engaged in an urgent project. This training
ecosystem depends on the social component that each per-
son provides, regardless whether she or he is an employee
or contractor. Knowing how to access knowledge and then
how to use it is the key to solving urgent issues.
Training a mobile workforce to handle a catastrophic situ-
ation can minimize the risk for the company and save lives.
Agents and managers have to use technology daily to de-
ploy and communicate with teams. They have to develop
training policy and procedures so their agents and manag-
ers know how to perform their jobs effectively even in dire
circumstances. The expectations must be set clearly, as
workers often have to work independently at many points
during disaster recovery. In such a situation, as in the ex-
ample that this manager gives, what’s essential for these
mobile workers is not just the book learning, it’s knowing