Is the worker seated in your office at 9am until 5pm every day more productive just because they are in the office? Or is it possible they could be just as, or more productive working from another location or at a different time of the day?
I’ve worked flexibly and managed remote teams since 1999, back when dial-up modems were a thing! I’ve had the opportunity to work from some fabulous locations, be part of some fantastic projects and gotten to work with some tremendous talent across the globe.
Through trial and error, I’ve learnt that there is a downside to remote and flexible working, but there is far more upside for my clients, our team and me. People are different and want varied work arrangements.
The skills and workstyles provided by remote and flexible workers are hugely varied, and while some thrive on the structure of a 9 to 5 routine, they may not wish to do this in an open-plan office. I personally do some of my best work at 5am, then enjoy exercising or catching up with a friend, before coming back into my office or heading out to a shared space to continue working. This provides enormous advantages for clients who are working across multiple timezones and allows me to match my location and time to the work I need to get done.
Consider your workers, taking care of their families whether it be children, sick or elderly relatives, it is crucial to be able to do this concurrent with our chosen career, take time to consider this and you are way in front in terms of retaining talent within your organisation.
We’ve all heard the jokes and seen the Instagram photos where remote workers are in their PJs on the lounge or poolside in some resort while working, I’ve done both, that’s my toes in the pic working poolside. Does the location I choose mean the work is of less quality? Does it mean I can’t participate in client meetings? Does it mean I don’t enjoy attending the office for some face to face collaboration and water cooler conversation? Absolutely not, I do all of these things!
Clients engage me to deliver an outstanding outcome, the deliverables vary widely, some days I’m developing project reports and analysing data other days you will find me writing business proposals, managing contracts or coordinating corporate events. Whatever the work, Clients trust their deliverable will be on time and of a high standard, no matter the day or the location I’m choosing to work. There is a huge pool of talent wanting to work flexibly and there is a mountain of technology available to businesses today to collaborate and manage work, keep the lines of communication open and have some fun along the way.
Be open to exploring new ways of work with your team, your business might just enjoy some added benefits too!
If you work remotely or flexibly what benefits have you gained professionally and personally? How do you manage the downside?
If you are thinking about introducing a remote or flexible workforce or are just curious how it might work in your organisation, get in touch, I’m happy to pass on what I’ve learnt so far.?
I’ve worked flexibly and managed remote teams since 1999, back when dial-up modems were a thing! I’ve had the opportunity to work from some fabulous locations, be part of some fantastic projects and gotten to work with some tremendous talent across the globe.
Through trial and error, I’ve learnt that there is a downside to remote and flexible working, but there is far more upside for my clients, our team and me. People are different and want varied work arrangements.
The skills and workstyles provided by remote and flexible workers are hugely varied, and while some thrive on the structure of a 9 to 5 routine, they may not wish to do this in an open-plan office. I personally do some of my best work at 5am, then enjoy exercising or catching up with a friend, before coming back into my office or heading out to a shared space to continue working. This provides enormous advantages for clients who are working across multiple timezones and allows me to match my location and time to the work I need to get done.
Consider your workers, taking care of their families whether it be children, sick or elderly relatives, it is crucial to be able to do this concurrent with our chosen career, take time to consider this and you are way in front in terms of retaining talent within your organisation.
We’ve all heard the jokes and seen the Instagram photos where remote workers are in their PJs on the lounge or poolside in some resort while working, I’ve done both, that’s my toes in the pic working poolside. Does the location I choose mean the work is of less quality? Does it mean I can’t participate in client meetings? Does it mean I don’t enjoy attending the office for some face to face collaboration and water cooler conversation? Absolutely not, I do all of these things!
Clients engage me to deliver an outstanding outcome, the deliverables vary widely, some days I’m developing project reports and analysing data other days you will find me writing business proposals, managing contracts or coordinating corporate events. Whatever the work, Clients trust their deliverable will be on time and of a high standard, no matter the day or the location I’m choosing to work. There is a huge pool of talent wanting to work flexibly and there is a mountain of technology available to businesses today to collaborate and manage work, keep the lines of communication open and have some fun along the way.
Be open to exploring new ways of work with your team, your business might just enjoy some added benefits too!
If you work remotely or flexibly what benefits have you gained professionally and personally? How do you manage the downside?
If you are thinking about introducing a remote or flexible workforce or are just curious how it might work in your organisation, get in touch, I’m happy to pass on what I’ve learnt so far.
