As I shared in my first e27 article, Hybrid and Remote: Myth vs Reality, the modern people-focused managers leading the teams of the future experience none of the challenges executives believe distributed work brings. 

These people-first managers reported increased productivity, high trust in their teams, and ease in managing them. These experiences sharply contrast with the executives at many of their companies. 

Brian Elliott, founder of the Future Forum, a think tank set up by Slack and others, hit the nail on its head in a presentation at the Running Remote conference. “We’re two generations of digital natives into our workforce, and older ones suffer from ‘executive nostalgia’”. 

After Musk’s “working remotely is morally wrong,” it was Martha Stewart saying that “America will ‘go down the drain’ if people don’t return to office” and “Google to crack down on office attendance.”

But Fortune editor Dr. Gleb Tsipursky wrote, “The forced return to the office is the definition of insanity,” and I couldn’t agree more.

“Despite the overwhelming evidence that flexible hybrid work is more productive than forced in-office work for the same roles, top executives are stubbornly herding employees back to the office like lost sheep, expecting productivity to improve miraculously. This, my friends, is the very definition of insanity,” writes Dr. Tsipursky.

And now, McKinsey released new data showing that those same executives will most likely want to work from home. In the research, people with higher incomes and seniority were far more likely to demand flexibility. 

Also Read: How Gen Z’s view on work-life balance can transform your business

“In a survey of 13,000 office workers in six countries published this month, McKinsey found the largest share of employees who strongly prefer to work from home were those who earn more than US$150,000.

That group said they were likely to quit their jobs if called back to the office every day and were willing to trade more than 20 per cent of their compensation to work their preferred number of days at home.”

Why the separation between execs and employees? It’s time to “grownupify” work, as ADP’s Amy Leschke-Kahle wrote in Fortune: “Employees are smart grownups who deserve to be treated as such. The onus is on employers, not employees, to break the cycle. Send a very clear message to your workforce: “We trust you to do great work.”

The power of flexibility for people and companies

As I wrote in my previous article, almost 75 per cent of employees prefer to retain a hybrid or remote working model. Asked to return to the office full-time, 15 per cent of employees would consider looking for a new job, and 59 per cent would return if needed.  

 

People love their flexibility and its benefits: improved work-life balance, productivity, diversity, and more.

Data from Brian Elliott’s Future Forum shows why organisations should care about this, too: hybrid and remote workers are much more likely to say that company culture has improved during the pandemic – citing flexible work policies as the reason why.

According to Deloitte research, people are more attracted to and likely to stay at an organisation that allows them more control and choice in how they use their skills in their work. 

Josh Bersin also emphasizes the importance of providing flexibility to remain competitive in the talent market. He cites Daniel Pink’s research on human motivation, highlighting the significance of autonomy, control, and mastery.

Work becomes more fulfilling when employees can make decisions about their work, take ownership, and excel in their roles. This is achieved by setting goals and objectives with autonomy and empowering workers to do what is best for the customer.

Understanding what’s behind the need for flexibility: Autonomy and Agency

To understand why people are so motivated by flexibility and why organisations should provide it, we need to understand two key concepts: Autonomy and Agency.

Also Read: 5 things to stop apologising for if you want work-life balance without feeling guilty

Autonomy refers to the level of independence in your work. If you have autonomy, you can make decisions, take risks, and exercise judgment without constant supervision. According to self-determination theory, autonomy is one of three basic psychological needs contributing to well-being.

Agency refers to our level of control over the work environment. This includes having a say in the company’s direction, the ability to collaborate with colleagues, and the opportunity to pursue personal and professional development.

Being able to make decisions and take ownership of our work leads to increased engagement, motivation, and job satisfaction.

Additionally, autonomy and agency improve performance because when people have more control over their work, they can tap into their creativity, innovation, and productivity by tailoring their tasks to their strengths and preferences.

This heightened sense of engagement and motivation also allows for better adaptation to changing circumstances and overcoming challenges, boosting self-efficacy and confidence.

Finally, when individuals have greater control over their work, they are more likely to seek out new challenges and opportunities for growth, which helps to maintain engagement and motivation over the long term.

Why and how we need to support our teams

The best-selling author on workplace happiness, Tracy Brower, reminds us in Forbes: “Adults are empowered to choose how they think about things, how they react, and how they shape their circumstances. But the structure is also critical—this is where leaders and organisations come in. Structure addresses the policies, practices, norms, and cultures which contribute to happiness—or don’t.”

Research shows that “high-autonomy employees report the highest levels of belonging, motivation, productivity, trust in the team, trust in leaders, work-life balance, and mental well-being. In some cases, these scores are more than 20 per cent higher than their low autonomy counterparts.”

Taking ownership, making decisions, and striving for development help our teams to stay motivated. By understanding their need for autonomy and agency, we can support people in getting more out of their jobs than a paycheck and, in return, earn their effort and loyalty. 

To offer autonomy and agency in the workplace, companies can take the following three practical steps:

• Implement flexible work policies that empower employees to choose how, where, and when they work based on their needs and preferences. Providing clear guidelines and support for remote work tools and communication platforms will enable employees to work autonomously while staying connected and collaborative.
• Foster a culture of trust and empowerment in which employees feel valued and respected for their contributions. Establishing psychological safety is the most impactful thing companies can do to transform truly. Creating opportunities for skill development, career growth and recognising achievements further empowers employees to take charge of their professional development.
• Embrace data-driven decision-making to promote autonomy and agency in the workplace. By using performance metrics, feedback surveys, and employee engagement data, organisations can identify areas where autonomy is most impactful and tailor strategies accordingly. This helps measure the success of their initiatives and make necessary adjustments to improve peoples’ work experience continuously.

Let’s embrace flexibility and usher in an era of choice and flexibility in the workplace.

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