A recent survey - Flexing, Floundering or ‘Just Fine Thanks’: Work/Life Issues in America - conducted by Life Meets Work and Ask Liz Ryan found that:

“Breaking down stereotypes and training managers to oversee flexible work teams are the biggest challenges to flexible workplaces.  ‘Managers struggle to see the value (in flexible work teams), seeing only the issues it would create internally,’ said Liz Ryan, president of Ask Liz Ryan.  ‘We need to let go of the leash of the 40-hour work week.‘“

Let’s tackle both issues.  First, breaking down stereotypes.  In a conversation I had recently with Kara Cavanaugh, foundress of Life Meets Work (and featured guest on my upcoming podcast series), I learned something shocking: Flexible workers carry a deep, internalized stigma about their work.  They feel that working flexibly somehow cheapens their value and/or the value of their work.  I call this “internalized flexophobia,” and it’s barrier number one to workers and organizations experiencing the benefits of a more flexible workplace. 

Now to the Pointy Headed Boss:

It’s not just employees who have an aversion to asking for flexible work.  Bosses have their own psychoses, as the Pointy Headed Boss makes clear.  After an employee musters the courage to ask for - and receive - a flexible work arrangement, they and their supervisor face the additional challenge of overcoming time and distance to determine if the employee is on track.  This is a tenuous dance.  The supervisor doesn’t want to come across as a micromanaging jerk, and needs to develop a new set of tools to check-in on progress, troubleshoot challenges, and maintain momentum and morale.  The employee also needs to be more proactive about communicating with their boss and teammates, if there will be fewer chance run-ins in the break room.

As a person who supervises two remote workers - and who works out of the office about 50% of the time - I see this challenge from both sides.  I’ve come to realize a few things:

1. Not all employees are cut-out for flexible work.  One of our clients puts it this way, “Some employees have to be hosed-off, and some employees need to have a fire lit under them.”  Generally, the first category will be your flexible work rock-stars.  The second category may still work well flexibly, and will require more hands-on coaching from their boss.
   
2. Trust is critical.  When the quality of work becomes erratic, or the flexible worker become difficult to reach, it’s time for a conversation.  Flexible work must work for BOTH parties - the employee and the employer.  When it doesn’t, you need to revisit the arrangement.  As Cavanaugh notes,  “We have a long tradition of viewing the needs of workers and the needs of companies in opposition.  Instead, we need to focus on unleashing the power of the untethered worker, in order to vastly improve the productivity and profitability of our enterprises.”
3. Good agreements on the front-end may save heartburn on the back-end.  Runzheimer International recommends that mobile workers - those who work away from the office as telecommuters, road warriors, and others - and their employers have a signed agreement outlining what employees can expect from their employers, and what their employer can expect in return.  Genius.
   

Gas prices, the economic downturn, and new employees who are asking for innovative ways to blend work and life are giving many employers cause to reflect on how:

• Remote employees reduce the need for expensive office space;
• Technology can be used to empower more workers to work remotely; and
  
• Giving employees greater flexibility in their work is often more prized than a raise or bonus.

Yes, I’m a fan of flexible work… when it works for both the employee and their employer.

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