Five Steps to Flexibility

We have created hundreds of flexible work arrangements for professionals at Fortune 500 companies for the past 20 years, so we did a “five steps to flexibility” formula for employees.

We’ve heard all the objections to flexible work arrangements over the past two decades. But we have the case studies, the research, and the testimonials to prove that flexible work arrangements improve productivity and help to create a workforce of people who like their jobs. They are also, we believe, the most effective way to permanently improve productivity and stop the endless cycle of over-employment and massive layoffs.

Here’s a good way to begin:

1. Request a Pay Cut - This attention grabber will get your manager to focus quickly on how a flexible schedule can have an immediate impact on the bottom line. If you want a four-day week, for example, agree to reduce your compensation by 20%.  If a paycut is unthinkable considering negotiating for flexibility in lieu of your next raise.

2. Think Outside the Box — If you want to maintain your full-time status but work flexible hours, or work from home at least some of the time, demonstrate how this will improve your productivity.   Working outside the 9-to-5 box, for example, enables you to better deal with overseas clients, a challenge today for even the smallest companies.  The focus here is to work the hours that make the most sense for business. You may, for example, start your day at 7 a.m. for overseas conference calls, or be available for late-night emailing or doing reports from home on your laptop, but the mid-afternoon may be downtime for you.  This way the hours you put in are all productive hours, leaving you the flexibility you crave for work-life balance.

3.  Make a ‘Work from Home’ proposal: Document how and when deadlines will be met; plan for regular conference calls and in-office meetings; Create a detailed step-by-step proposal that shows how every project will be completed on time; also document how telecommuting will allow you to give more time and focus to the job by eliminating daily commutes, endless, unproductive meetings, the frequent office interruptions and distractions of office politics and gossip. What do we do in the office?  We communicate; we write, review, and revise proposals, documents, presentations, and budgets; we schedule meetings and events - all of which can be done remotely.  Why not take full advantage of what technology can do for us, and work virtually?

4. Don’t make it a ‘mom’ issue. In our 20 years in business, the biggest objection to flexible work arrangements is always been: “If I give them to you, then everyone will want them.” No problem! Take the approach that flexible work arrangements are good for the company instead of a special favor reserved for one specific group.

Flexible work arrangements create more motivated, productive, focused employees and help attract and retain top talent.  When flexible work arrangements are a narrowly defined benefit only for moms they create resentment and smack of discrimination.  So while your mom responsibilities may be your main impetus for requesting flexibility, focus instead on how the company will benefit by making you more productive.

5. Take it Out for a Test Drive - If your manager is open to the idea but seems reluctant to give it the go-ahead, ask for a 30-day trial period, and then make it work. Make sure all commitments are clearly spelled out and deadlines are met. Certainly there are those who would try to sabotage your efforts.  But in the end it will be hard to argue with the bottom-line results - your new flexible hours will demonstrate your enhanced ability to meet clients’ needs, you will be available when needed, your deadlines will be met, and your output will increase.

Your motto should be: Measure results, not face-time.