WHAT IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS AND EMPLOYEES ?

Change Corporate Culture

Moms aren’t the only ones asking for more flexibility in the workplace these days. Men, Gen Y, and Baby Boomers are making the same demand. But what works for one doesn’t work all and what works for the business matters, too. We need to redesign the way business works, and you’d think women would be at the forefront of such a movement. After all, who better understands the challenges of juggling work and life outside work?

From the business side, flexible employee schedules mean global customers can be better served across time zones; bad weather doesn’t close down the whole operation; and real estate, technology, healthcare, and environmental costs can be reduced. In other words, building a flexible workplace is a strategic business decision that is good for the business and good for the employee.

If we make flexibility a “woman’s” issue, businesses and employees will lose out, according to Cali Williams Yost, founder and CEO of  founder of the Flex+Strategy Group / Work+Life Fit, Inc. Note that her company isn’t “work+life balance.” Balance, she says, conjures up visions of a benefit, a cost to the company, of employees working less. And it implies one right answer. Flexibility isn’t a benefit, it’s a strategic business plan that can lead to a leaner, more productive workplace that responds to changes in markets, client needs, and external factors while reducing healthcare (less stress means better health) and some fixed costs (if not everyone works at the same time, fewer desks are needed.) In fact, the process of fitting work and life together starts with the needs of the business: What problems can flexible work schedules solve? To put flexibility in place, “Start with a clear vision of why the organization is being flexible,” Yost says.

The second step is a conversation, in each work unit and among units. Managers and employees brainstorm and negotiate solutions that meet business goals and “fit” with employee’s lives. The manager doesn’t come up with the solution nor does the company come up with a policy: Thou shalt telecommute two days per week. It’s a collaborative effort, the results of which will differ for each unit. For employees, it’s not balance that matters anyway; it’s fit. Some people may need reduced hours; others may thrive on 80-hour weeks. Some like telecommuting, some hate it. In the course of the conversation, people tend to re-evaluate the way jobs are done, streamline processes, and make better use of technology, Yost says. This is an ongoing conversation, revisited regularly, so everyone knows that if an idea isn’t working out, it can and will be changed.

A critical element of these conversations is setting clear goals with measurable outcomes. Training is the third element of work/life fit. Employees need training to come up with workable plans that are good for the business and for them. Managers need training in managing remote teams, articulating goals, and monitoring performance.

With increased globalization; the entry of Gen Ys into the workplace; new technology; and the reluctance of Baby Boomers to go gently into that good night, the momentum for change is growing, Yost says. In fact, we may be reaching critical mass, when business as usual just isn’t good business.

Source: Forbes