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Strategy Refinement: Maximizing Your Flexible Workplace
Designing or Redesigning Your Flex Strategy
It is often the case that companies approach Flexible Work Arrangements as an item to be accomplished, an offering to be introduced, a box to be checked. We work with clients to integrate flexibility into organizations as a better way to manage and a superior way to get work done. We are committed to an iterative and collaborative approach to developing the most effective strategy with our clients or redesigning an initiative that is not delivering what it should. |
We have worked with a broad range of businesses trying to realize the full potential of a flexible workplace. We are capable of and committed to identifying alternative sets of goals and strategies to fit every client’s unique needs. There are many potential obstacles and challenges to a solid flexibility rollout, and we have regularly developed strategies to address them. Here are some typical challenges we have encountered and overcome. |
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Narrow goals Many firms have a narrow conception of what flexibility is, how it can serve the business and how it relates to general management and culture. They argue for quick program development and a modest rollout, enough, as some say, “to qualify for the Working Mother list.” We encourage a broader view, an approach to flexibility that delivers powerful staffing impacts, strong operational problem-solving, enhanced management skills and greater employee initiative and teamwork. |
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Executive indifference When the organization’s leadership is perceived as hostile or indifferent, there can be reluctance to engage them in this process. By framing flexibility as a business-beneficial opportunity, we reduce the perception that flexibility is a costly entitlement and a reduction in accountability. By offering to assist in executive presentations, we add our “walking benchmark” value and the ability to take some of the “heat” in such presentations. In strategy sessions we argue strongly, but politely, for executive engagement and conversion. |
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Manager resistance Some managers have had bad experience with “one-way flexibility.” Others are concerned about loss of control,
oversubscription, how to end dysfunctional arrangements, etc. We have used best practice based policy-and-procedure guidelines and live or online manager training to assure proper oversight
combined with fair access to flexibility. In the strategy phase, we urge use of our templates because they thoroughly anticipate and address
the common critical questions of managers. |
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Limited options As part of a hesitant approach by some companies to FWAs, there is a tendency to eliminate certain options – compressed work weeks, job sharing and
remote work – as unacceptable to or at odds with the culture. We think flexibility is a diversity issue and urge clients to offer the full
menu which can be used discretely. Our business impact-based proposal process assures that creative options can
be approved in the right circumstances - and that arrangements
that might cause negative business impact in one part of the
business do not have to be approved just because they may work
in another. |
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Training embargo Most companies have cut back substantially on their live manager training. We have developed a robust suite of online training tools for managers and employees to deal with this challenge. We also believe that there is value in bundling broader, high value manager training with flexibility training to strengthen both. In strategy work we would seek to clarify the broader manager development and culture change goals, and base the overall training strategy in these. |
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Pilot obsession Some organizations resist any initiative that lacks a pilot phase. We can incorporate this approach, but suggest that in our system each arrangement is in essence a pilot. We would maintain in a design session that since this system is working successfully in many, many companies, there is little to “test”. Double-checking this premise through focus groups can be a productive step toward a company-wide rollout. |
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Reason tyranny Many companies still hold the view that the reason someone wants a flexible
work arrangement matters primarily or a great deal in deciding who gets
them. Our approach tackles that issue by making impact on the business a more appropriate basis for decision-making. Principles, procedures, communication and training, if necessary can address this issue. |
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Off-limits groups Just as some options may be stricken from the menu, in the planning stages many companies have stricken large populations from eligibility for any flexibility. They argue that customer service requirements or assembly line-like conditions “make telecommuting impossible,” giving little thought to how appropriate flexibility can be designed and implemented in 24/7 environments. In a robust strategy process, we would want to identify overall organizational goals, determine which populations might benefit from flexibility and then design a sequenced and inclusive approach. |
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