Manage Flexible Working With Ease

There is no denying it – the future of work is adaptable, flexible and requires considered use of technology.

If your digital workplace is underdeveloped it’s likely to offer a fragmented employee experience. Your people may feel disconnected and unsupported.

In a recent survey 54% of employees said they would consider leaving their job if they are not afforded some form of flexibility in where and when they work. This partly explains the "great resignation" as workers began leaving their jobs at historic rates.

Flexible working doesn't
need to feel stretching

Here Are 3 Ways I Can Help You Offer a Flexible Employee Experience

1. Deploy/Optimise Task Management Tools

If you are working flexibly then you’ll need a way to see what’s happening. With the right tools and working practices you’ll know everyone’s progress without sending a single message. Track outcomes and allow people to work where and when it suits.

Benefits & Features:

Live workflow visuals
24 hour task tracking
Clear communication of priorities
Productivity metrics
Automatic flagging of late tasks
Organise communication by project or task
Integration with email and other apps

Breaking down and visualising work has also helped my clients offer more part time roles.

Tools range in sophistication, but even simple apps such as Trello (above) can show impeded work activities, priorities and assignees.

2. Develop Asynchronous Working Practices

Using technology to communicate from different places is now commonplace. Your next step might be to creatively use collaborative technology to communicate across time.

An example;
In my workshops I often use a digital whiteboard. After the meeting I leave the board open for people to answer question and write comments. Even if people miss the meeting, they can still read the thoughts of others and contribute. It’s no longer necessary for people to contribute only during the workshop's duration, people can contribute at any time over several days – from anywhere.

A second example:

Working closely with a team of six people we outlined the work schedule for the next 2 weeks. The tasks were inputted into MS-Planner. A few days later a team member allocated an unassigned task to themselves and completed it during the night. Logging in to the system the next morning this was immediately visible. They later said “I just felt focussed and wanted something to do”.

With the right tools and processes it’s possible for people to undertake work without meetings or conversations.

If you are looking to offer a truly flexible work environment, you’ll want to introduce more asynchronous working practices. I can show you how to apply technology creatively to achieve your flexible working needs. I’ll work closely with teams to develop a customised experience.

3. Supporting Inclusion and Flexibility

For an estimated 11 million people with care responsibilities or long-term health conditions, flexible working is not a highly desired job perk, it’s an essential requirement. Hence, a fundamental pillar of any inclusive organisation is the ability to offer flexible and remote work opportunities.

Utilising the right tools it’s easy to track team performance and provide oversight even when working across differences in time and geography.

In a previous role I have worked extensively with people who have long-term health conditions or disabilities. I creatively optimised the digital workspace (Office 365) to raise inclusion, productivity and financial performance.

Recommendation

"I had the great pleasure of working with Michael on the Reach4Project at Buckinghamshire Disability Service Charity. As project leader Michael had an excellent understanding and grasp of Agile Project Management and virtual working. His implementation of these techniques combined with the imaginative and knowledgeable use of Microsoft Teams software and supplementary apps made for a very successful project outcome. Michael’s emotional intelligence working with people with disabilities was outstanding and led to the moulding of a very successful team.

Michael is an innovator, subject matter expert and leader in the field of using Agile Project Management techniques. By using collaborative software and apps (such as Microsoft Teams and allied Microsoft family apps) Michael has been able to create a flexible and highly organised environment. His approach removed the barriers which often prevent people with disabilities from succeeding in the workplace, (a pool of talent that is numerous and untapped). His deep understanding of this resource and being able to lead within it, makes Michael a unique and highly valuable asset."

- David Bennett -