When implementing a telework program it is important to look at it from all angles. Nina Sochon explains it's more than just about HR and IT working together.
As experienced players will tell you, the problem with starting a flexible or remote work program is often that surprises can pop up along the way.
An overstressed worker, a technology glitch – nothing ever goes quite as planned and Murphy's law is never far away. One of the reasons for this could be that our thinking is too narrow.
I hear organisations talk about the 'hard' and 'soft' issues. Bringing together Human Resources and IT teams to create effective flexible and remote work programs is important but not quite enough.
A two-pronged approach is like choosing a bike instead of a car. The more sophisticated option will take you much further and be a more enjoyable ride.
So what is the sophisticated option when it comes to flexible work and remote work implementation?
Seeing effective flexible work as a work system. A work system has many moving parts, all of which come together to create an output that your organisation is looking for.
The work system approach is a much better description of what happens in organisations that implement flexible work effectively: they take care of implementation from the top down and the bottom up, seeing it as a leadership, management and employee issue. Flexibility is seen as an organisational capability.
You need to look at processes and activities, people, flow of information, technologies, and their environment and infrastructure and consider how flexible work will interact with these. Human Resources and IT teams play a starring role – and it is important that they work together if you're going to get great outcomes – but neither is tasked with the lead.
Don't limit your thinking to the marriage of HR and IT. Recognise that flexibility capability is sustained by many aspects of your organisation.
Want to know more?
Join Nina Sochon and Dr Wendy Elford on Monday 4 May from 9:30am to find out about the key challenges for managing flexible work, understand how and why to measure the impact of results and learn how best to handle the risks and realise the opportunities of flexible work.
For more information, CLICK HERE.
About Nina Sochon
Nina Sochon is the CEO of Transformed Teams - a training, coaching and consulting firm creating incredibly successful professional teams. Receive your free Team Health Check for Conventional and Virtual Teams.
