Manifesto for Smarter Working

Creator

Mark Grant, GTM Manager: Digital Workspace Productivity from Dimension Data

Purpose

“Many organisations are being held back from adopting smarter, more flexible ways of working due to their own cultural intransigence.”

“The benefits of flexible and remote ways of working have been well-documented, from increased productivity to improved staff morale. But there remains a tendency among some employers to view such smarter working practices with cynicism and suspicion. For many years it was believed technology was the most significant hurdle to overcome in opening up deskbound office staff to more flexible ways of working.”

Manifesto

Five points we believe employers and employees need to discuss and reach agreement on:

1 We agree the office is just one place we can work

Even the sleekest of offices only suit most of the people, most of the time. There will always be instances where the office isn’t the best environment to work.

2 We do not need excuses to work smarter

Many people feel the need to excuse remote working with reasons unrelated to work, such as waiting in for a plumber. But “I will get more work done, to a higher standard” should be the only reason anybody needs.

3 We know trust isn’t about turning up

Healthy relationships rely on trust earned through mutual respect and value. We shouldn’t have to be in an office for people to trust we’re working.

4 We believe great work can happen any time

When we do our best work is rarely dictated by what time it is. What matters most is delivering the best work possible, with consideration for others involved in the process.

5 We value working smarter over working longer

Being first in and last out doesn’t mean someone is working better or harder. We need to evolve the way we measure performance to focus on productivity, not hours and minutes.

Source

Article by Mark Grant on TheHRDirector.com – June 12, 2018

Comment

This is a great example of a simple five-point manifesto making a complex situation simple and manageable. By offering a handful of principles, a clear set of flexible and innovative actions could follow.

In particular, general rules of thumb are open to interpretation rather than being prescriptive. “We believe great work can happen any time.”

(Right now, I’m writing on a kitchen bench as I house-sit two dogs while I watch the football on a cold and wet Sunday afternoon. Great work? Maybe, may be not. You get the point!)

More

The 37 Signals Manifesto from the book Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansso

Haydn Shaughnessy – The New Work Manifesto

Tim Ferriss – The Four Hour Work Week

 

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