Partner Article

Creating trust in new world of smarter working

Smarter working is now becoming more and more commonplace and this new way of working can be daunting for many business managers and employees alike.

Implementing the right technology and finding the right space to work is only one part of the picture. Many bosses are reluctant to see staff migrate from their desk office where they can see them to ‘elsewhere’ where they can’t and fear losing control of their team resulting in a lack of productivity.

Trust is one of the key obstacles blocking long-term success of flexible working.

Jean-Philippe Courtois, President of Microsoft, said “for employees to feel truly empowered to take advantage of this flexibility it requires more than a mobile device and an internet connection. It takes a culture of trust – on both sides.”

The importance of trust must not be undermined. A recent global study showed that trust is the number one driver of employee engagement and that hightrust organisations provide three times the total return to shareholders than do organisations with low trust.

To be successful with implementing a smarter working policy, management philosophy and style needs to be revisited. Undoubtedly there will be many differing attitudes, beliefs and behaviours towards trust, all of which need to be managed in order to ensure that smarter working is a success. For smarter working to be effective, trust must be given from the start.

Here are some tips on how to manage the change within your organization.

Essentials for Establishing Trust in the Smarter Workplace

• Communication. Good communication helps employees feel supported and in control. Both managers and employees need to realise how their working practices will significantly change – for example more e-communication rather than face-to-face, performance measured by output/results rather than presence - plus the essential requirement of trust that will be needed on both sides. Providing an overview of smarter working and the implications, as well as clear guidelines on these new working practices will help support the transition.
• Training. A clear understanding of goals, practices and procedures in this new way of working is needed and adequate training on this is essential for all employees. Managers will need to learn how to deal with a dispersed team and be coached to ‘trust’ their employees.
• A structured change management programme. Implement a clear smarter working programme. Many assumptions about how work is done will be challenged. Often, meetings, processes, teamwork and management techniques will all need to be rethought and this requires a structured approach.
• Set clear objectives – if employee contribution is no longer measured by presence, define how it will be measured. Clarify expectations. Plantronics is using the now renowned software SuccessFactors to define, align, cascade and monitor business performance.
• Stay Connected. The right technology is essential to ensure teams are always contactable, Unified Communications makes this easier.

Smarter working can inspire and energize a workforce, with the correct foundations in place and 360 degree trust, everyone can benefit.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Plantronics .