It's High Time flexible working was more available at senior levels (the High Time campaign)
A guide to taking action
"Don't say no, say how?"
Monica Burch, Partner at Addleshaw Goddard and flexible worker
If you've arrived at this page from the sustainableworking website, you'll have read about our campaign to change the way senior level jobs are worked. It not, you'll find more background information there.
In a nutshell: we believe it's High Time to challenge the myths around senior level flexible working.
On this page you'll find resources if you want to take action to change your working life (and your organisation). If that feels like too big a project to take on alone, you'll find information on how we can help and support you here.
If you're convinced it's High Time your organisation changed, we recommend you take three steps:
- Evaluate the current culture, and cultural readiness for greater work-life balance;
- Decide where to begin your change intervention by identifying existing good practice and current needs; and
- Plan for the re-structuring of senior level jobs.
1. Evaluate the current culture and cultural readiness for greater work-life balance.
In their book "Reframing the Business Case for Work-Life Initiatives" Ellen Galinsky and Arlene A Johnson proposed a five stage model of the journey organisations take towards fully embracing the notion of work-life balance. Pressure for change from employees with work-life challenges is stage 1; and this is followed by an HR response at stage 2. We've called this latter the "HR and compliance" stage, since by this point the organisation is likely to have a comprehensive suite of policies to support work-life balance. Effort is being focused on ensuring employees and managers comply with the policies.
As the journey continues, the organisation reaches stage 3 where hearts and minds have been won. The workplace culture is now one which fully embraces the notion of work-life balance for everyone, and works creatively to achieve this. Until your organisation reaches this point, flexible working arrangements will be seen as piecemeal concessions to support specific employees. Once the equity of ensuring work-life balance for everyone (and the sound business case which underpins this) has been fully embraced, flexible working can be moved to the organisation's strategic agenda. It's also the point at which the possibility of flexible working for senior managers and directors begins to become a reality.
How do you know where your organisation is on this journey? Based on work-life balance accreditation measures and our own experience, we've developed a model which can help. Download this document and evaluate where you are.
Recognising the culturally ready organisation
Then begin planning where you want to be.
2. Identify existing good practice and current needs
Wherever we've worked, we've always found that organisations have (often hidden) pockets of good practice where senior managers are successfully working a personally suitable flexible arrangement. Identifying what currently works is a good starting place for encouraging more of it.
Even among senior managers, never assume that everyone want's the same thing. The challenges faced by senior people can be vastly different from those of their subordinates and will vary from person to person. The smart thing to do is to start a dialogue with senior people about their needs and how they see these being achieved. There are various ways of doing this - for example through small focus groups, large meetings, individual coaching or a survey. If the latter approach appeals to you, here's an example of a survey we developed for clients which you can use to shape your thinking. Senior Manager survey
3. Plan for the re-structuring of senior level jobs
We firmly believe senior level jobs can be worked more flexibly. We also know that no two such jobs will be worked in the same way, so what is appropriate flexibility for one won't necessarily work for another. Given a supportive environment and an organisational culture that accepts flexibility as an essential 21st century working practice most senior managers will be able to work it out for themselves. They will also need some employer help - for example, access to technology or a job-share partner - and the time and space to reflect (perhaps during a coaching session) what would be most appropriate both for the organsiation and for themselves.
If you're an individual looking for ways to work more flexibly, dowload this document to help you analyse how you might re-organise your job.
Analysing a senior level job for flexible working
We believe it's High Time things changed. But we also know that change needs to be handled carefully. If you want to know how we can help you tackle things please take a look here or send us an email.
Page updated 20 October 2008
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