Reflections

A while ago, I was asked what the workplace of the future would look like. How would the way we work change? How would we use new tools to increase efficiency, and potentially mobility.

One major area of change - and we are just starting to see how some of these technological advances are changing the way we work - is the increase in mobility workers are currently experiencing. The preponderance of internet and e-mail access from our phones, and from our laptops that are connected at home, at hotspots, and increasingly anywhere, is allowing information workers who were once tethered to their desks to roam free and work from a multitude of locations.

How workers are reacting
This increased mobility is being received in the workplace in very different ways by different types of workers.

Work belongs at work - The work belongs at worker feels that work and home lives should be separated, and the wall that keeps work out of the home should only be breached under the most extenuating circumstances. These are the ones who yell at you when you give them a call with a question after they have left work for the day. God forbid you call them on weekends.

Now I can work from everywhere, and at all times! - You’ve seen the work from everywhere at all times worker, they are the one taking that work call at the table next to you at the restaurant as their spouse stares at them in dismay. They are the ones tapping at their blackberry while they are having a serious conversation with something they say matters in their life. The excuse you’ll get for these improprieties? “It’s work.” At some point these workers might have a nervous breakdown and flush their blackberry’s, but that’s only if their spouses don’t do that first.

I’m free to roam about - These workers feel like they have finally been freed from the office, and can work whenever, and from wherever, they have a laptop and can ideally get connected to the internet. They do not want to be micromanaged, but plan to get their work done, and in record time and with increased creativity as their freedom contributes to their contributions. But, because this worker is also used to working from their couch or the coffee shop, whenever and wherever the need or desire hits them, they are also at risk of spending a bit too much time on personal business at work, surfing the web, chatting with friends, or whatever takes their fancy. Even though in total they will likely work more hours, and get more done, than they would have if they were just working while at “work”, their coworkers can get the impression that they aren’t really working much of the time.

Supervisor Perceptions
In changing where and when people work, this increased mobility is also changing the interaction between employees and their supervisors.

You need to answer my e-mail at any hour! - We have all either seen or dealt with this type of boss, who thinks that, because they “agreed” to let you have a blackberry, they now own you 24/7. They send you e-mails about work on Saturday night, followed shortly thereafter by increasingly bitter e-mails pointing to your lack of immediate response. In the worst cases these e-mails will be followed by a phone call, and, in almost all cases, there will either be a back-handed or direct response when you show up in the office on Monday. Someone forgot to tell them that blackberry’s are for convenience, not to extend the reach of the corporate chain.

What do you mean you are working from home!? - This is the boss who things that, since you are working from home, you must not be working at all. It is entirely possible that they think this because when they “work from home” they don’t even approach working; they can therefore not imagine that someone can actually be productive while at home. They feel the need to micromanage, to follow your progress throughout the day by asking you how much progress you have made. It is generally beyond them that the act of asking you actually disrupts you and prevents your progress… it’s just somehow difficult to understand for them.

I guess freedom is a good thing -This is the boss who assumes that their own skepticism is just that, and they know, at least logically, that their employees must be trusted. While this one is not a proponent of the new-found freedoms, they occasionally work from somewhere outside of the office and aren’t totally reticent about others doing the same.

Just get your work done, and we’re fine -This is the manager who has learned to lead by objectives, and that they can trust their employees. This is what all bosses should aspire to become, though they are slow to change. Trusting their employees, this boss realizes that modern technological tools (instant messaging, blogging, team collaboration sites, etc.) are not the distractions that some insecure bosses think, rather they are tools that can lead to even more productive and creative employees. One of the focuses of future posts will be why becoming this type of boss can be to your advantage, and what to do to get there.

Check it out!
1. Survey of worker mobility in the April 14, 2008 issue of the Economist

Tags: Business and Technology, Management //