Without doubt, the pandemic has led to an old order, crashing into chaos, and now morphing into a new ‘hybrid model’. Lord Tennyson wrote: “The old order changeth yielding place to new and God fulfills himself in many ways, lest one good custom should corrupt the world.” Like the figure ‘8’, there is a continuous swing between order and disorder. Both are two sides of the same coin and when one gains more force the other comes to manage it. Not unlike the ten avatars of Vishnu when forces of evil overtake good, and a God is sent to correct the imbalance.
Employees (especially knowledge workers) are now demanding the freedom to work from anywhere and the flexibility to adapt work to suit their lifestyle, rather than the other way around. History of humanity and business survival has lessons for us: that stability of enterprises needs vision, flexibility, empowerment for its stakeholders, challenges to bring out human ingenuity, engagement with relevant rewards & recognition, and respect for all.
Debate around how much of physical presence at formal workplace must be examined from the above lens. Right now, too many companies are focused on places and spaces alone. That is a narrow focus, we argue. In the digital era we live in, we need to factor in workplace ideology with digital as foundation.
How does one prove that WFA is productive, and in context of competitive enterprises? Indeed, with the right roles and with the right people, flex does offer tremendous productivity improvement: allowing employees time to process properly, allowing for learning & unlearning space, enabling thought leadership, creativity, and innovation.
There is a need first for a shift in mindsets. For instance, at the root is the notion of allowing employees to work remotely is a core business strategy today and not just telecommuting, one of many forms of work-life flexibility. A shift from not being seen at work, to a focus on the work itself. That is the big leap in mind shift that needs getting used to.
Employees are best engaged when they have the freedom to work where they want, safe in the knowledge that they have the drive and expertise to perform excellently, whether they are at their desk or in their kitchen. Today employees want to have fun working. Especially the younger demographics want to blend their work experiences, with life memories. They want the ability to learn multiple newer things. In short have deeper experiences. At the same time, they are open to having a life in their day, which is about themselves. Digital nomads have better choices, in engaging with friends and family. If we could be somewhere, experiencing the world in a beautiful setting while working, challenging ourselves, growing professionally, enjoying a community of like-minded people, and connecting locally, what’s the harm with that? For the generation older than them, it might almost sound like a selfish aspect of the younger generation. Yet, the world is hurtling towards the digital, the virtual and we need to embrace new habits accordingly.
WFA allows employees to have a better quality of life rather than crammed ghetto like flats in large commercial areas or to avoid unnecessary long travel to work. This is enabled in India now with the help of low-priced high-speed Internet data access. WFA would ease the load on the public transportation system as well, road traffic, noise pollution, and better quality of air. For many employees Working from Anywhere, and without distraction they find their work getting completed faster, and consequently even taking up more responsibility. They can jump right into work when they are ready and leave when done. There’s zero friction between working and not. The ambience at home stimulated a better environment for some. Some can build a nap in the afternoon as well and adjust their work schedules that suit them best.
Employers are urged to take a more conscious view on Hybrid Workplaces, rather than join the clamour to have employees return to the workplace. These can resolve issues such as counter the silent resignation or great resignation. The option to work from home when needed, or to try a different lifestyle without having to change jobs, is a win for everyone. The argument of return to the workplace is routine and order yet the routine can be flexible. The trick is finding that balance.
As a new model, WFA just like programming, designing, or writing takes time and commitment to develop that skill. The benefit would result in a shift in the mindset from employee to entrepreneur. Working long hours as a digital nomad on the road is no different than being a freelancer or entrepreneur in your hometown. One must put your heart and soul into it because you’re building a customised career from scratch.
Digital technologies are fast reducing the gap between geographically scattered workplace, clients, and other stakeholders. However, as of now, remote distribution of work is not allowing for employees to develop strong social relationships in the workplace. Enabling a digitally connected work-location, that cannot just connect people, but allow for inclusivity and innovation is needed.
Future of workplace is talent-centricity, and not physical-space-definition. Importantly for the industry leaders, the challenge is to measure impact of each employee’s work performance, and not just measure simply their time logged in to remote servers. The future is now. Embrace it, or it would shun you.
(Steve Correa is an executive coach and HR consultant. Srinath Srinivasan is a corporate advisor)
