Agile working: work when and where you want!

A national newspaper was stating the other day: The UK wants To work from home! A few days later, in another newspaper: the majority prefer working in the office rather than at home. And so exchange the results of research about working from home repeatedly. Black anf white outcomes that probably to a large extent are due to the way the questions were formulated. Whether people want to work only at home or not, is a totally irrelevant question. 

It is precisely the ability itself with agile working and the choices it brings about where the work is most convenient and functional. That is sometimes in the office and sometimes somewhere else. And and, instead of: or or. With the new way of working, the diary where it is most efficient. In the Office or at home, or any combination thereof. And ‘home’ is no longer only literally at home. Today it is a container concept with which we mean: any other place outside the regular Office. This can be at home, but also a trendy café on the canal, a neighborhood office or a small business centre in a central location. In other words: the third workplace.

Working at home, away from home

Professionals are more and more looking for a place where they can work as efficiently as possible, a place that fits the work to be done and a place that is appropriate for the other people with whom they are dealing. Ideally also the own wishes and needs. A third work area can then be preferred above the working from home:

Social function

For many people work has a social function.  No technological tour de force can beat  the gain people experience of the social contacts with other people. To plan workplace and time to work independently, without having to miss the people-to-people contacts is one of the key benefits of agile working and this includes the workplaces outside the office and the home.

Private work balance

Home workers are loyal professionals who often just run that little bit faster and will report less sick than their always in the office sitting colleagues. The danger that lurks behind this, is that the private work balance – which should be better balanced with working at home – is tipping to work. By filling in the homework moments elsewhere, the time that is spent at home is then a bit more truly at home instead of the office.

Incentive

Employees work harder and more efficiently than mainly outside the office walls, lack of motivation and distracting activities in and around the house can also pose a danger for them. A work area between other working people reduces the risk of doing non-work-related activities.

Boss about time and place

For choosing a workpace employees thes days can use the iOt Space Agole workong app. Key to agile workong is primarily that they have control over where and when they get on with it. For the account manager it may mean that his informal business meeting in the Cafe around the corner os the ideal place for him and client. For the young mother agile workong is that they can leave the office an hour earlier, so they can pick up their child from child care and then in the evening, goes though their last mailss.

Woth agile working it is all abour making your own choices, being flexible when that’s desirable, without loosing sight of the employers and goals. That is the new way of working!