Flexibility Wins: Office Mandates Reveal Fearful Leadership

by Jeff Dewing, CEO of Cloud, Top 50 Workplace Leader and International Energiser

Today’s leaders need to wake up and smell the coffee – the future of work requires autonomy, not autocracy. The days of command and control are dead, or at least they should be. We’ve seen household brands like Boots, JD Sports and Manchester United getting it completely wrong, and returning to office mandates.

Forcing teams back into an office five days a week reveals an outdated approach driven by fear and a lack of trust in employees. The root cause of this is a lack of effective employee management. Flexibility in the workplace improves business performance, employee satisfaction and retention. Here’s why:

The numbers don’t lie

The verdict is in: flexible work wins. Studies show that hybrid work boosts retention and performance, and having control over working patterns enhances wellbeing. Yet, 2 in 3 UK firms are stubbornly clinging to increased office attendance. Too many leaders are ignoring the fact that flexible working arrangements actually boost productivity. The pandemic taught us that there’s a better way of doing things, people can work from home and deliver on their objectives. Pressuring employees to return by making them fearful of losing out on career progression is wrong and puts businesses at risk of losing top talent.

There’s an overreliance on turnstile data as a reflection of business progress rather than individual needs and performance metrics. Our teams have families to look after, care responsibilities and problems to solve which makes it ridiculous to expect a return to the old way of doing things. Ultimately, every individual desires autonomy, mastery and purpose. These factors are the key to unlocking greater productivity, engagement and happiness at work.

The Ego is the enemy

The biggest driver of a forced office return, in my view, is ego. The second is fear; leaders are unable to keep up with the pace of changing preferences and are returning to a command and control structure. Leaders shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking they know best. The people that know best are the people living it – your team. Admitting you don’t know everything gives you credibility as it shows self-awareness, a key trait that will take you to new levels of performance. Set your ego aside and admit when others know more than you.

Business is about people, and an unhappy team won’t deliver. Investing in and looking after your team is an investment in your business. Listen to them and be prepared to adapt. If you always do the same thing then you can’t expect to see a different result. If your team want more flexibility then work together to find a way forward. Likewise, for those who enjoy going into the office, you must ensure it’s a worthwhile experience, with more to offer than a home environment.

Focus on performance, not proximity

As a remote CEO living in Portugal leading a company based in Colchester, I focus on creating a culture of trust, autonomy and performance – not proximity. Flexibility only works if there are clear Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) in place. As long as there is total clarity around the business goals, the individual goals and the timelines for achieving them, it doesn’t matter where or when the work gets done. When employees have clear goals and expectations of the outcomes, they will never let the organisation down, provided that they have the autonomy to decide how and when to do their work.

A crucial part of the equation is creating coaches, not managers. A coach helps you achieve your greatest potential while a manager sets and marks work. Every employee should be given a clear plan for their growth with goals. It’s also essential that leaders and managers create an environment where failure is okay and can be learned from. Lead by example by sharing your own setbacks and encouraging others to do the same. Perhaps most importantly, make feedback everyone’s favourite F word. Continually feedback on performance and how employees are feeling to ensure a happy and effective team environment.

Today’s leaders have the opportunity to do the right thing. Listen to your employees’ needs, and ensure they have flexibility and autonomy. In doing so, you will get the best out of people. The golden rule for flexibility to work is to have absolute clarity of business objectives and the outcomes you need your people to achieve. The rest comes down to trust and a willingness to adapt.