15 Cs of a flexible workplace (Part I)

Culture

The biggest barrier to flexibility is management fear and mistrust. If there isnt a strong commitment from the top down, any flexibility program will be merely window dressing, not reality. Therefore, the tone must be set at the top, cascading down to individual contributors. Flexible workplaces that work well are in the organizations DNA.

Constituencies

Contrary to popular belief, flexibility is not just an HR issue. In addition to the C-suite and HR, there are a multitude of constituencies to involve in the creation of a flexible workplace strategy and concomitant policies, including IT, legal and finance. Communications and marketing is critical for aligning both external and internal branding and messaging.

Choices

There are dozens of choices for flexible work, and its important to evaluate them all as you design your organizations strategy. Different options will be more or less appropriate for certain people, business units, and roles. Options include, but are not limited to, partial work from home, flexible days/compressed work weeks, ad hoc flexibility, flexible hours or shifts, part time work, job sharing, partial year or seasonal work, reduced hours, career on/off ramps, phased returns from leave, phased retirement, sabbaticals, extended leaves, vacation time borrowing, and project flexibility.

Criteria

As with any initiative, criteria for evaluating return on investment must be defined in advance. How (and how often) will you monitor and evaluate the impact of the flexibility program overall and per individual? Some suggestions include: productivity metrics, recruiting and retention statistics, employee engagement survey results, revenue growth, cost savings, or growth in new markets. A combination of metrics may be right for your organization and/or team.

Communication

Transparent, clear, precise, and ongoing communication about the flexibility program, eligibility requirements, expectations, etc. must emanate from top leadership to and throughout the organization. A consistent organization-wide, or at least team-based, communication policy is highly recommended to spell out protocols and response times.

Competence and character

It is obviously critical to assess whether a person has the competence i.e., the necessary skills, experience, talents, expertise, and track record of results to be successful in a flexible work situation. What are the criteria for eligibility and how will you evaluate existing employees who want to work flexibly?
tEven if someone seems competent on paper, not everyone is a fit for a flexible work arrangement. Its a question of character does the person have the work habits, integrity, and drive to work independently and the teamwork orientation to collaborate effectively?