Thursday, 21st August 2008

A poll on a mobile working blog that I write for (www.moof.mobi) reveals that the worst aspects of mobile working seem to be more about people rather than process.
Missing the office banter and fear of the boss thinking you’re skiving are the two mains concerns. It’s hardly a scientific survey but it does suggest an interesting point, that what’s holding us back from becoming a more mobile workforce might not be technology or working practices but could actually be ourselves.

A far more scientific study conducted by Microsoft Windows Mobile last year showed that 78% of workers would demand some form of mobile working when they next looked for a job. And research done this year to support the 2008 People Moving Business Awards revealed that – while the total number of mobile workers in the UK had dropped 10% on 2007 – attitudes from senior managers towards offering more mobility to employees were generally very positive.

Perhaps it really is the British psyche? We’re used to our 40+ hour weeks and the 9-to 5-culture which, if we’re being fair, has played a role in Britain establishing itself as a major economic power post war. But times are changing. Despite French MPs recently overturning their policy on a maximum working week of 35 hours, there is a growing realisation that forcing everybody into the office at the same time each day regardless of what they have on their working plate is quite frankly, daft.

You see, the French will soon find out that it’s not how many hours you work, it’s the way you spend that time. For instance, it’s facile to suggest that you’ll never need to put a 15 hour working day in ever again, but equally if you accept that you need to burn the midnight oil every once in a while, surely there should be the flexibility to decide where to do that work from?

For example, many knowledge workers are in virtual teams and regularly interact with colleagues across multiple time zones. Giving them the flexibility to manage their time to suit their workload is surely a smart management decision, and part of that flexibility is the decision to work from the location best suited to that task.

But sadly, there are still examples of ‘old skool’ management practices. A business partner told me the other day about an interviewee who expressed shock when she was told what her prospective working hours would be.

“Oh, at my current employer they send an email round if I’m not in for eight and it’s frowned upon to leave much before half past six.”

When asked why this was the case she just said it was “expected.” And this brings us back in part to the problem being people. That sort of practice needs to be questioned because it’s certainly leading to low morale and higher employee churn. And yet, all the research Microsoft has seen supports the theory that mobile working can aid productivity and increase efficiency.

Mobile working is not a panacea for a company on the slide or a disgruntled work force, but it is a working practice that can have positive benefits to both employer and employee while putting both parties more in tune with the working landscape of the future.

So, if you worry about missing the office banter, make sure you spend time with colleagues when you are in the office rather than simply stuck at your desk. And if you worry about what the boss thinks, ask them! You might be surprised to learn that they’re much more enlightened than you think.