New national research suggests lack of strategy and training is to blame, not the flexibility Flexibility in where, when and how you work – including remote work – leads to innovation, as well as communication, creativity, productivity and engagement, according to new national research from the Flex+Strategy Group (FSG). This is among the key findings […]
Every time I read a headline like “IBM Ends Remote Work” I do two things. First, I dig deeper to find out what’s really happening. Usually, it’s not that “remote work” is ending. It’s that a specific formal policy has been discontinued or scaled back. In the case of IBM, it was a full-time work-from-home policy. The second thing […]
You are a leader. It’s the Friday before Labor Day. You walk into the office and see only a handful of employees physically at their desks. No big deal or a problem? Last month, on the Friday before the July 4th holiday, one of my clients arrived to find only a skeletal staff on site. Her first thought was, […]
It’s every remote worker’s nightmare scenario. A prestigious global media outlet interviews you live from your home office in another country. You prepare your talking points in your area of expertise (check). You make sure your WIFI connection and video camera work (check). Your backdrop looks professional (check). You put on a suit and tie […]
I’ve noticed a change recently. Five years ago, when an organization wanted to make their workplace more flexible, nine times out of ten the presenting problem was attracting and retaining women, specifically mothers. Today, it’s all about the millennials, and providing the “work/life balance” and flexibility this group expects from an employer. As was the […]
Typically, when we discuss the need for and benefits of work flexibility, it’s in the context of fitting work and personal life together. While important, it’s only one application. What if people were able to leverage flexibility in how, when and where work is done to optimize their natural personality traits, such as introversion, or manage their […]
“What if no one is around to do the work? And how do we maintain all of the good aspects of our culture that happen when we work together in the same place at the same time?” These are the two main questions leaders ask about building a high-performance flexible work culture. What they’re really […]
If you’ve ever set the daunting goal of work-life “balance,” you know it doesn’t exist. It’s not achievable, so working toward it feels exhausting. I realized that the “B” word wasn’t helpful almost 20 years ago, when I was talking to a senior leader in a large bank. I was trying to convince him he […]
Yesterday, I appeared on WNYC with host Manoush Zomorodi, New America’s Anne-Marie Slaughter, and writer Kashana Cauley to discuss work, life and flexibility from multiple perspectives. The segment is part of a series that I highly recommend called “Taking the Lead” which is currently airing on Zomorodi’s regular WNYC podcast, Note to Self. The series follows […]
Despite employers investing millions of dollars to promote employee health, almost half of the U.S. workplace does not budge. The problem is that many organizations separate wellness, work life flexibility and other employee strategies into separate initiatives rather than linking them together to benefit both business and employee performance. It’s time to break down the […]
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