Harvard Business Review’s Post

I have worked remote since 2004 and remote work is work not a where. The one thing worse than someone micromanaging your how is trying to do the same for your where. Trust is key; however discipline, rhythm, routine, and realities develop over time so investing needs to also occur because you can trust someone to get it done or muck it up…

Sarah, the HR director at TechFlex Inc., was puzzled. Despite implementing a new flexible work policy, employee satisfaction hadn't improved. The rigid rules seemed to be causing more stress than relief. Inspired by PwC's approach, Sarah proposed a radical shift: "everyday flexibility." Instead of mandated rules, they would foster a culture of trust and individualization. Initially, there was skepticism. But Sarah persevered, emphasizing that flexibility meant different things to different people. Months later, the transformation was evident. Emma, a single parent, adjusted her hours for school pickups. Alex, caring for an elderly parent, worked remotely when needed. And Jordan found time for midday gym sessions, boosting his productivity. The key was clear communication: flexibility was for everyone, not just parents or caregivers. A year later, as TechFlex celebrated record-high employee satisfaction scores, Sarah reflected on their journey. "True flexibility," she realized, "isn't about rules. It's about trust and understanding each employee's unique needs."

🙌 Building trust is the first step towards practicing flexibility in the workplace. Too often we put unnecessary emphasis on rigid policies like working hours and being in the office for maximum productivity. Flexible schedules not only provide employees with job satisfaction, better health, increased work-life balance, and less stress, but also benefit employers through higher productivity levels, decreased turnover, and reduced absenteeism.

I can’t believe we even have to discuss this in 2024. Focus on outputs vs inputs if you want a high performing culture. Simple?

A much needed change made possible in the las years. Thank you for sharing these insights.

Many systemic managers feel the need of their underlings being visibly present. They may well reward for attendance. While more forward looking managers look at the output, and not where it is created. This is old news, about which books were written 15 years ago. Still, in our Aristotelean branding culture we seem stuck in a timeloop, and read the same stuff over and over again but not moving forward.

Great article. Results have proven increase in productivity and greater job satisfaction with flexible schedules. It is no longer presence = performance. Priorities changed when most worked from home. This changed the “normal”business day from 8 to 5 to varying start and end times. Employees realized the importance of being there for a home cooked meal, waiting at a bus stop or even lunch at school.

Flexible working hours significantly enhance employee productivity. The surge in remote work, fueled by technological progress and evolving societal values, has enabled individuals to pursue new opportunities and venture into uncharted territories, both in a literal and figurative sense. This shift not only allows for a better work-life balance but also fosters innovation and adaptability among employees, ultimately benefiting organizations.

Great article. What I like most is the clear statement for allowing variance and creativity instead of setting rules and policies first. As an HR person, I continuously observe the effect of providing flexibility to responsible-minded people: At the end of the day, allowing freedom results in enhanced trust and a deeper sense of belonging 👍

While I completely agree that you need to trust your employees and working from anywhere is definitely possible, a lot of work actually does get done MUCH faster when people are in offices. They also are able to collaborate better, brainstorm and come up with greater ideas, have actual relationships with people at work and get things done faster. WFH does work really well for digital only jobs. A lot of other industries do need people to work from offices. The flexibility is what is crucial