The when and where of work has rapidly changed over the past year.
New ways of working have fast approached us and doing our jobs in different ways, locations and times has become the new norm.
With mixed reviews on hybrid working, it is unlikely that people will want to completely return to ‘old’ ways of working. And why should they?
Hybrid working - some time working from home and some time in the office - can give people opportunities to work from home or virtually and work in the office. Providing and promoting this flexibility can provide more responsive and inclusive ways of working. Disabled workers, for example, have longed for flexible working and agile and flexible practises can benefit them in many ways [1].
Now is an ideal, and arguably vital, time for organisations to rethink and reframe their approaches to the future of work. Determining how, when and where their colleagues will do their job, and balance this in a way that benefits not just the company but also put people at the forefront of their decisions. At this time, positive leadership is essential to create a happy and healthy workplace.
Many organisations recognise the benefits of personalising their people experiences and approach to engagement.
Whilst it may be commonplace to offer, for example, flexible and personalised benefits, now is the time to explore offering more personalised and tailored working experiences.
Why not personalise how, when and where we work and make it better suited for us as individuals? Surely we will then become more engaged?
But, how do we go about the when and where of work and what type of questions should we be asking?
The When
Many, but certainly not all, jobs give people some flexibility in relation to when certain tasks or activities are done. Our mental sharpness and motivational levels don’t remain static - they fluctuate during the day. The rhythm and times at which our abilities peak and trough vary from person to person.
Some questions to explore when it comes to the timing of work are:
When during the day / week do you have the most energy at work?
When during the day / week do you have the least energy at work?
When do you feel most refreshed during the week?
When do you get your best ideas?
If you could create your dream working hours what would they be and why?
Are there certain times during the week that would be easier and better to work virtually or in an office?
The Where
Covid-19 has meant that many people have found themselves working from home. If this is you we have some tips to help you manage working from home in a positive way.
It’s important to recognise that working from home under lockdown does not give a true reflection of what working from home or virtually might look and feel like in a future where it’s an active choice rather than an obligation.
Some questions to explore when it comes to the location of work:
Where do you do your best thinking?
Where do you feel most energised?
Where do you do your most focused work?
Where do you have your best conversations and ideas with colleagues?
What different locations could you work from?
What tools do you use to connect with colleagues in ways that are not person to person?
If you needed to work with full concentration and no distraction what would your dream location and work environment be? Who else would you have around?
Are there certain tasks or meetings that would benefit from being physically with your collaborators or that require you to have quiet focus time?
The power and purpose of these questions is to enable and encourage people to think deeply, deliberately and potentially differently about their work.
Allowing people to craft and customise their work in this way, is referred to as job crafting. To explore more about job crafting, its benefits and how to bring this to life in practice then you can explore our resources here.
References
https://www.ft.com/content/15953159-c5db-48b3-ba1d-a98191e80674
