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In their book Nine Shift: Work, Life and Education in the 21st Century,
William Draves and Julie Coates note that by the year 2020 nine hours of our time each
day will be spent very differently than it is today due to a number of factors. Three
of the nine workplace changes they identified: people working from home, the Internet
replacing offices for many organizations, and networks of resources replacing the traditional
structure of the organizational pyramid.
The bottom line is that these new 21st century realities require that workplaces
be more flexible to meet the needs of both a new generation of workers who want autonomy
and baby boomers who have outside needs, may be nearing retirement or have additional
family responsibilities such as eldercare.
At a recent conference Linda Springer, director of Federal Office of Personnel Management
(OPM), addressed the enormous challenge facing the Federal government in light of the
coming retirement peak, which is expected to crest in 2008 - 2010. Ms. Springer advises
that the Federal government, as the largest employer in the US, must make its workplace “welcoming
for people who want non-traditional types of work. … One size does not fit all.” According
to Ms. Springer, the new workplace will require new managers to demonstrate new skills
and capabilities.
Often, the best employees try desperately to maintain their job, do their job well
and at the same time balance priorities in their personal lives. This goes well beyond
the needs of working parents with childcare issues. This speaks to the needs of all
employees and how we accomplish our work.
The aging workforce will force organizations both public and private to be more creative
in considering the workloads of individuals headed towards retirement. The present
generation is clear about what they want from their employer: They want meaningful
work and an acceptable work/life balance. And because it’s difficult to recruit
qualified workers, organizations will have to make accommodations in order to retain
valuable employees.
What Is Flexibility?
Flexibility is a way to define how and when work gets done and how functions are
organized. It is a critical ingredient to overall workplace effectiveness. Today organizations
also use it as a tool for improving recruitment and retention, for managing workloads,
and for responding to employee diversity. Research shows that flexibility also can
improve employee engagement, boost job satisfaction and reduce stress.
So what’s a manager to do if your employees want more flexibility but it’s
not yet the prevailing culture or the “approved” way of doing business?
What do you do if your workplace is reluctant to experiment or be creative? How can
you support the needs of your employees while still supporting the organization culture?
Based on Edizen’s work with organizations, here are a few tips for managers
facing the challenge to bring flexibility into their workplaces.
- Understand your role as a manager . Time off is generally addressed
through HR polices, but flexible work time is increasingly an area where managers
can exercise their discretion. It is up to you to determine different hours for certain
days and accommodate work/life balance issues for your employees.
- Identify what jobs within your department can accommodate flexibility. This
will make it easier when it comes time to consider employee requests. Some people
may be ingrained in a certain work shift or location, but they may feel left out
if others get concessions. Much has been written about the conflicts that can result
if one group of employees (i.e., those with child care needs) always seems to get
what is perceived to be preferential treatment. There is always a fear that if one
person gets flexibility then everyone will want it.
- When an employee makes a request for flexibility, be supportive. Just
telling your employee that you support his or her need for flexibility is a huge
move – even if you are unable to accommodate their request. For the employee,
making the request was a major event. Just think about when you might have decided
to make a change and the support of others determined how you felt about succeeding.
Be careful not to make a value judgment about the request but consider only if it
is doable given the workflow that needs to be accomplished. Whether or not you can
grant the request, it is important to demonstrate your support of your employee’s
mutual responsibilities and personal life.
- Think it through to come up with a plan together. If the employee
request can be accommodated, sit down together to develop a business plan with specifics
about how it will work. Recognize that each situation is unique and there is no one-size-fits-all
solution. Carefully consider how you will be able to manage and supervise the employee
and monitor their workflow. The plan needs to clearly define expectations and set
out how performance will be measured. Start small and set short-term objectives to
review how things are going in three months, six months, etc. in order to be sure
the flexible arrangement is working.
- Be open and honest with employees. Keep your employees in the
loop and let them know that you’re working to help them get the flexibility
they need. If you as a manager get a negative reaction from HR, let the employees
know what the objections were. Get them involved in coming up with solutions. In
bringing a specific employee request and plan to HR, it is important to understand
the organization culture, history and precedent with flex time. Talk informally to
other managers to find out what they have tried and what works.
- Be Disciplined. Once an employee’s request is granted,
make sure the parameters of the flexible work plan are well documented. This will
help to make sure your decision is fair and consistent. It also is very important
for managers to keep good records during the initial trial period and throughout
the flexible arrangement to evaluate performance against the measurements established
in the business plan. Doing so will protect the organization and you as the manager.
Also, it will serve as a guide in considering flexible work requests in the future.
The need to incorporate flexibility into how we work and where we work is a reality
that is here to stay. Managers need to accept and embrace this reality as a way to
retain valued workers and recruit new employees. In our work with organizations in
both the public and private sectors, Edizen helps managers to learn the skills and
develop the capabilities necessary to effectively introduce flexible work arrangements
into traditional workplaces.
EDIZEN Insights #20
© 2006 by Edizen Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
For feedback or comments:
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Feel free to call Edizen at 413-788-0077 / Toll Free 866-334-9362.
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