Is now the time for Agile Working?
With the ‘Beast from the East’ thoroughly upon us, how many of your workforce are struggling to get to work or realistically simply unable to make it due to transport or location restrictions….and how much effort do you expect them to make to get to work…….? It’s at times like this that we re-evaluate what work means – is it something we do or is it a place we go? Is it now time to seriously think about agile working and whether it should have a place in our organisations today.
Is it even an option?
The flexible working landscape changes year on year but even now 47% of workers are not offered this as an option. With almost half of commuters spending over an hour travelling to and from work every day its not surprising that 67% of employees wish they were offered flexible working, and many would take this over a pay rise if the option was one or the other.
It’s true to say that many organisations are already very mobile, and others are becoming increasingly so, but there are still many that are not, requiring workers to get to the office to do a normal days work whatever the weather because that’s where their PC is. With the extent of technology now available, in many cases work should be something we do rather than a place we go.
Is it worth it?
There are obvious cost implications but the overwhelming feedback proves that work/life balance is significantly improved for all of those who are provided with the flexibility to work remotely. Feedback indicates that this equates to a very happy, more motivated and more productive workforce.
The introduction of agile working not only requires a technology change but it is a significant culture shift too. Different roles require different approaches and before you start you must decide what ‘Agile’ really means for your organisation as something that works for another similar organisation, may not automatically be the right approach for you.
What are your first considerations?
You will need to decide if you are applying this to your entire organisation i.e. all roles, all levels, all circumstances, or are there roles that just do not (yet) fit into the agile criteria you have set for your business. This can be a difficult message to deliver so careful communication is required to ensure you remain inclusive, and address all concerns by explaining your approach, rationale and your forward plan. Often a communication supported by Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) is a useful method of answering those questions you know everyone will ask, particularly those who feel they are not included in your first Agile pass.
It is important to identify the different roles within your organisation, as each may need varying degrees of support and it’s also likely a specific technology ‘bundle’ to ensure they can work effectively and seamlessly both in, and away from the office base. You need to make it easy for someone to work wherever they choose on a given day at a moments’ notice.
What will your approach be?
Sometimes it’s difficult to launch into such a significant culture change all at once. You therefore may want to consider leading into the introduction of Agile Working by running a paper reduction exercise (see my earlier article on ‘Paper Reduction – Getting Started’) to encourage your workers to get used to working online rather than relying on paper and to think differently about how they work. Many firms are still wedded to paper and this is a boundary to enabling your workforce to be more mobile.
Your international offices will also require a tailored approach depending on location, as ‘agile’ means something very different depending on where in the world you are.
A continuous learning curve
This is not a one off exercise, just like paper reduction, it is something that needs ongoing care and attention to evolve your working practices, support mechanisms and technology as your workforce learn what works best. A continuous feedback loop, or method of encouraging suggestions no matter how small will allow you to refine your agile working practices and instil an environment of continuous improvement.
For more information, assistance and/or support with your Agile Working initiative, please feel free to contact Adrienne Mansfield at Jepmond Associates Ltd