The management team are interested in driving down operational cost while maintaining or improving the service. Very often smart working initiatives or projects only have vague savings targets or little understanding of how they will be delivered. Don’t forget if a management team cannot see how savings will be achieved their backing will be difficult to maintain. So do your home work, understand what operational costs will be reduced, what clear targets will be set and a realistic plan to deliver them. If you have already completed other smarter working projects then use the information to underpin project savings. If not look to similar organisations where clear parallels can be drawn and any targets justified.
Make sure the management team are kept up to date on progress and as soon as savings are being achieved they are told.
A team leader is a pivotal role to get on board. Their concerns will be around team productivity and retention of skills. If you can address these fears and show how their teams will really benefit from smarter working then they in turn will address the concerns of their team members.
I need an office – Do not underestimate the impact of a manager losing an office, as firstly it is a status symbol and needs to be replaced with other benefits. Start by asking how often they use the office, most team managers are actually at their desk only for short periods, although most will say ‘all the time’ when asked. So ask about attending meetings, talking to other teams or managers, holiday.. etc. and you will find that most managers are in their office for less then 50% of the time. So now start to look for the benefits, ask; is you office space right for you, would a more project focused space be a good idea?. So the team leader starts to see how space can be used more effectively for the whole team. Another factor that must be catered for is when quiet or private space is needed. Again show this has been considered by having a designated office area that can be booked by a number of managers or team leaders.
Trusting staff to work smarter – because staff will no longer be tied to the restrictions of travelling to an office everyday, management style will need to change. Often you will hear people say ‘I am the kind of manager who needs to see my staff everyday’. But in reality what are they managing? Praising those who rush around and are always staying late? No, it is a different way of working and managing teams. So again give the manager time to see the advantages, becoming task focused and not time focused. This approach consistently results in encouraging a more dynamic and rewarding team structure.
Managing projects – Many team leaders have to deliver projects and this is where significant benefits can be found from running a smart team. Traditional team structures are very silo in nature, for example ‘accounts’ ‘customer services’, but now the team can work ‘smarter’ pulling in skills from staff no matter what the location or job title, what skills are needed to deliver the project or service at the right time and on budget. So now the team leader has a bigger pool of resources to use in a flexible way.
Change – No one likes change and team leaders will be seeing smart working as another change being imposed on them and so will try and avoid this happening by putting off the implementation. Make sure that after they have seen the benefits as you support them in the change. This means giving the team manager time to make it work through training, support and encouragement. Don’t expect the team to continue delivering the service and embrace the change to smarter team working, without additional resources or time. Have a plan that will deliver the above benefits early and build upon success. Make sure the management team support and back the movement from the top, otherwise the message is being given is this is not really important.
Most teams and therefore team members are dedicated to the service they provide and the customers they help.
Just another management bright idea – This is where the change has been poorly communicated and left staff unsure of what is happening and more importantly why. Or it could be that the benefits and commitment have not been sold down the management structure, so the team leader just says ‘I don’t really know why but I am being told we have to do this?’. The way round this is to communicate and get those fears out on the table! Make sure Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) around adoption of smarter working are used to measure results and ensure staff see team work as a core skill.
On their own – People worry that ‘working from home’ will mean being left out of the loop, never seeing anyone from work and becoming isolated. In fact this should never happen, because most organisations do provide office space, but use it smartly i.e smart desk share. And working from home is just one of the options a team member has to complete a task. Make sure that team meetings are held regularly and give time for team member who do not see each other everyday to catch up and feel part of the team.
Losing team identity – Make sure you communicate as a team everyday, via internet services, phone or sub-team meetings. Work hard to keep identity and allow this to strengthen the team spirit around flexible smarter service delivery.
Working hours – The fear that smarter working will mean more hours, working evenings in the home or answering e-mails at ridiculous hours of the night. This needs to be clearly controlled as enthusiastic team members can make a living hell for others by working late, because ‘I am not travelling to the office today!’ Make sure team members decide how they want to work and talk about what is best for the service being provided.
Office space - I am losing my desk! It is not about losing a desk it is about better use of facilities, as previously stated a one-to-one desk is very wasteful and not efficient. Emphasise the benefits of a better team space, a closer working relationship with others teams and flexibility around better service delivery with good work life balance.
Additional information: The following sources of information and help are available:
The savings calculator – Visiting the free to use toolkit will help you understand the key benefits of smarter working. You can request your own report to show how savings would be achieved for you.
http://www.savings.teamr-cal.co.uk/matisse/
E-Hampshire resources – CAL are knowledge partners with Hampshire County Council economic development office. The e-Hampshire website has a number of resources and events that you may find useful.
http://www.ehampshire.org/
About CAL
CAL is a specialist provider of services in area of smarter working Teams. Providing innovative and effective solutions for clients wishing to adopt or improve smarter working teams, through our services.
• Team health checks
• Interactive workshop programmes
• Team development
• Support and mentoring
We always welcome any questions or feedback on our papers, so please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to discuss any specific needs you may have.
