Part 2: Issues and Solutions of the new workplace
by Anna Staritsina
Last month, we discussed ways in which rapid progress in communication technology affects organizational effectiveness. Beyond communication, we are seeing a larger shift in how employee productivity and motivation is impacted by the new, flexible, workplace.
As Fast Company recently highlighted, there have been many recent changes to the ways in which most companies operate. Let’s take a closer look at the new set of issues organizations and employees now face and outline possible solutions.
1. Lack of defined work hours.
Flexible work arrangements often lead to an implied obligation for the employees to be on call and available any time of the day, seven days a week. As reported by Gallup, approximately half of full-time employees in the US are now working more than 40 hours per week with the overall average workweek nearing 50 hours. The majority of workers also check their mobile devices and keep in contact with their teams during personal and vacation time.
Many recent studies, including those highlighted by The Economist, indicate longer hours put upon employees adversely affect productivity. Lack of clear work boundaries are wearing employees down and reduce effectiveness at the organizational level. Furthermore, from the social impact perspective, ethical challenges come into light as 91% of survey responders in the Harris Interactive study agree that those with good work/life balance are most likely to behave ethically.
The good news is that a lot of companies are beginning to introduce some exciting and innovative ways to address this issue. Here are some tactics to consider:
Last month, we discussed ways in which rapid progress in communication technology affects organizational effectiveness. Beyond communication, we are seeing a larger shift in how employee productivity and motivation is impacted by the new, flexible, workplace.
As Fast Company recently highlighted, there have been many recent changes to the ways in which most companies operate. Let’s take a closer look at the new set of issues organizations and employees now face and outline possible solutions.
1. Lack of defined work hours.
Flexible work arrangements often lead to an implied obligation for the employees to be on call and available any time of the day, seven days a week. As reported by Gallup, approximately half of full-time employees in the US are now working more than 40 hours per week with the overall average workweek nearing 50 hours. The majority of workers also check their mobile devices and keep in contact with their teams during personal and vacation time.
Many recent studies, including those highlighted by The Economist, indicate longer hours put upon employees adversely affect productivity. Lack of clear work boundaries are wearing employees down and reduce effectiveness at the organizational level. Furthermore, from the social impact perspective, ethical challenges come into light as 91% of survey responders in the Harris Interactive study agree that those with good work/life balance are most likely to behave ethically.
The good news is that a lot of companies are beginning to introduce some exciting and innovative ways to address this issue. Here are some tactics to consider:
- Explicitly agree on a specific work schedule, even if it is not the traditional ‘nine to five’, with your leadership team and colleagues. What may work for an international firm working across time zones, may not work for a remote team of writers working independently. Pick an arrangement that fits your firm’s priorities as well as employee’s personal commitments. Discuss and document these arrangements in detail so that there is full transparency of expectations and timelines.
- Commit to the agreed arrangements and work as a team to maintain the guidelines. Heldergroen - a design studio in Amsterdam - went as far as introducing retractable desks that disappear at the end of each work day reminding employees it is time to head home.
- Evaluate productivity with colleagues and leadership on a regular basis to ensure that the arrangements are working well and are still most fitting for all involved.
2. Meetings overload.
Over-scheduling or scheduling inefficiently is a key concern within the new 24/7 workplace. This issue is multifaceted and firms are beginning to address it from two distinct angels:
Properly-motivated employees whose personal values are aligned with the mission of their employers are most likely to channel workplace flexibility in realizing this mission. Proper motivation is crucial in a flexible, trust-based way of working:
The benefits and the need of flexibility in the new workplace are absolutely essential. As more and more companies adopt innovative ways of working, it is important to keep motivation, efficiency and commitment in focus. While it may be impossible to anticipate all potential concerns that come from this change, frequent reassessments, transparency and inclusion of employees, and continued feedback will allow organizations to succeed in this new era.
- Frequently reevaluate meetings’ purpose and attendance. Following Steve Jobs’ legacy, employees of all levels should ensure that the meetings are meaningful, short and only include those truly needed in attendance. Leadership should consider just how much a two-hour staff meeting may set the company back in opportunity costs.
- Reserve time to focus and set boundaries. Align your workday in such a way that blocks of uninterrupted time are possible to get work done efficiently. Midday mornings tend to be most productive times for individual work. Products such as Offtime can be helpful in planning out both: time to focus on work without interruptions and to be intentional about prioritizing life outside the office.
3. Need for alignment between a personal sense of purpose and company vision.
Properly-motivated employees whose personal values are aligned with the mission of their employers are most likely to channel workplace flexibility in realizing this mission. Proper motivation is crucial in a flexible, trust-based way of working:
- Beyond allocating time to independent volunteering outside the work hours, employees are now arranging their work schedules in ways that allow them to make an impact in the society through their work product.
- When working toward a social impact goal that one is passionate about, an employee is most committed to deliver their best work and do so on the timeline most fitting for the employer. A recent ADP research study highlights that the new generation of workers is most "guided by a search for meaning or doing important work rather than by simply earning a paycheck".
The benefits and the need of flexibility in the new workplace are absolutely essential. As more and more companies adopt innovative ways of working, it is important to keep motivation, efficiency and commitment in focus. While it may be impossible to anticipate all potential concerns that come from this change, frequent reassessments, transparency and inclusion of employees, and continued feedback will allow organizations to succeed in this new era.