🎒 Microlesson

🪞 Reflect

Think about your team’s current approach to flexible work. Are expectations clear? Do your employees have the tools and training they need to succeed in a flexible work environment? What challenges have you noticed in maintaining productivity and engagement?

💡 Concept

Implementing flexible work requires a well-structured approach that aligns your organization's vision with the necessary resources and training. By following a step-by-step action plan, you can create a work environment that fosters productivity and collaboration while increasing flexibility. Here's how to do it:

ℹ️ Get buy-in. 

Highlight the benefits of flexible work—such as increased employee satisfaction and access to a wider talent pool—to gain support from the leadership team. Ensuring their commitment is critical for the success of any initiatives.

📜 Define your vision and write your policy. 

Clearly define your organization’s vision for flexible work, then write a policy that sets clear expectations for remote and flexible working arrangements. Make sure that all stakeholders are aligned on the resources that will be needed to make this transition—such as training, personnel, and consulting services. Use the frameworks in Goplaceless to get started. 

📚 Provide training. 

Offer comprehensive training to ensure everyone is equipped to thrive in a flexible work environment:

• Async communication: Train employees and leaders on asynchronous communication using tools like Async at Work. 

• Remote work skills: Offer individual contributors training on remote work skills through Workplaceless. 

• Managing flexible teams: Provide leaders with management training tailored for flexible teams via Leadplaceless.

📑 Create resources and agreements. 

Equip teams with essential resources and agreements to support flexible work:

• Perform a calendar audit to ensure flexibility in scheduling.

• Define a Culture Canvas and Communication Charter to guide team dynamics and interactions.

• Establish Boundaries Agreements and Performance Rubrics to maintain clear expectations.

• Set up a Single Source of Truth for consistent, accessible information.

🛠️ Put flexible work into practice. 

Implement your flexible work plan with these steps:

• Conduct behavior audits to assess and improve remote work practices.

• Implement tiny actions to enhance virtual work, such as designating meeting-free days.

• Try bold experiments like meeting-free weeks to promote deep work.

• Establish virtual connection rituals to maintain team cohesion.

• Make decisions asynchronously, and run effective synchronous or blended meetings.

• Incorporate flexible work training into your onboarding processes for new hires.

🎬 Take Action

Try the following steps to kickstart flexible work in your organization:

• Present a business case for flexible work and secure buy-in from leadership.

• Define your company’s vision for flexible work and develop a policy.

• Provide training on asynchronous communication, remote work skills, and flexible team management.

• Establish key resources like a Communication Charter and a Boundaries Agreement.

• Experiment with flexible work practices, such as meeting-free weeks and behavior audits.

Download the full Flexible Work Enablement Action Plan here.

🧠 Keep Learning

Learn more about how to enable flexible work in your organization with Goplaceless. 

✅ Check In

🎁Learn with your team!

Refer our weekly microlessons to your team members to learn as a group! Just follow the instructions in the section below to get started.