A challenge for today’s leaders is how to balance employees’ desire for flexibility while ensuring the team remains productive. The good news is that you don’t have to accept a tradeoff between the two if you think differently about when people work together, who works together, and how to share information.
First, consider when employees need to work synchronously. For project-based workflows, chart out tasks and timelines, and block out specific days for overlapping work during key phases (for example, at the kickoff, mid-point, and closeout). Schedule important meetings during these times, and make it clear that you expect your team to be available.
Next, rethink who exactly needs to work together. In other words, could you restructure your team into smaller groups that are empowered to coordinate with each other?
Finally, design your team’s information-sharing systems to make important data more readily available. Long waits for status updates or for questions to be answered can kill productivity. So figure out how to improve information accessibility and reduce needless back-and-forth.
These steps can help your team have the flexibility they want without sacrificing productivity.
4 Ways Managers Can Increase Flexibility Without Losing Productivity
Harvard Business Review
