How to Make Flexible Working a Reality in your Business

The term ‘location independent working’ has become more popular in recent years as working becomes less about place and more about activity. Here I will look at the concept of flexible working and what businesses need to consider if they wish to implement it themselves.

Agility and flexibility requires businesses to trust their employees to do their job. Often many projects are now task and output based rather than the old fashioned time and motion attitude, with agile project management proving to be the new thing.

The concept of flexible working for the internet generation is nothing new and many young people prefer to work in that way. For some older workers, it can prove a challenge and implementation is all about making it work for everyone.

I recently worked with a team on a change management programme where they were entirely output driven within a timeframe and they each managed their time and space to suit themselves very successfully.

They were not dependent on a location or on set working hours. Hot desks were available with the client and in our own HQ and home working was an option for them too. The team were only required to attend weekly meetings with me and provide regular updates and highlight reports and of course regular stakeholder engagement within their own projects and work streams.

The younger workers were very happy to work flexibly from home but the older workers were happier hot desking in an office. It was important for us to give a range of different solutions that suited everybody and that is a key consideration for successful implementation of this style of working.

To make flexible working a realistic option requires strong, motivational leadership and a conscientious work force. With the right culture and work ethics in place, agile working can produce amazing results.

As well as strong leadership, good processes are key to setting the guidelines for work without restrictive boundaries. When working more flexibly within a process driven organisation you empower your people to work at their optimum and to innovate.

Often when working from home, a team is more focused on output to prove they were working hard. They themselves feel more focused with less distractions and I often suggest home working for the team to complete reports and spreadsheets.

So — consider different options for different styles of working and think carefully about processes and your office culture before you commit to flexible working If you are able to I say embrace agile working and be as flexible as you can with time and space — it can work fantastically well if introduced in the right way. And if you think that Generation Y like agile working, just wait until the Millennials are in charge.

By Leona Barr Jones, Managing Director of Barr Jones Associate