In a recent study, our smartphone was aptly described as an ‘adult pacifier’, as we have it on us at all times, and tend to be less inhibited when we use it (compared to a laptop or desktop computer). The devices are so invaluable that most employers now provide us with a phone to help us stay connected to our colleagues, but does this connectivity tether us to work 24/7?
It’s a question that seems increasingly pertinent in our coronavirus age, as so many of us are working from home on a semi-permanent basis. It creates the inevitable dilemma around when exactly work time begins and ends each day. This blurring of boundaries can create considerable challenges for our work-life balance, especially when employees have so much else on their plate at the moment too.
That’s the traditional line of thought – that any blurring of boundaries between our work and personal life is a bad thing. It’s become one of those accepted truths about work that is seldom questioned, but new research from the University of Jyväskylä, in Finland, looks upon the matter with a fresh perspective.
Spanning the boundary
Our digital devices are hugely powerful due to the tremendous range of apps they contain. Long gone are the days when they would ‘just’ provide calls and emails, and we can now transfer files, work on documents, collaborate with colleagues, and all manner of other work-related tasks from our phone. Striking a balance is still important though, right?
Some employers have attempted to assist our work-life balance by restricting access to work systems outside of office hours, fueled by understandable concern that people are working too much, and not getting the rest their mind needs to function effectively. The Finnish research suggests there are better strategies available, however, that allow employers to maximize the flexibility afforded by the smartphone, while not over-burdening the employee.
“People often forget to talk about positive effects, such as autonomy and freedom the employees gain when they have the flexibility to schedule their work” the researchers say.
The benefits of flexibility
The research set out to explore the various benefits of flexible work, and underlined the belief, nay hope, that the current coronavirus-induced surge in home working will encourage a more honest and candid discussion between managers and employees about their work-life balance, and how the two can work well together to enable the employee to do their best work.
“This reduces the conflict between work and other life,” the researchers say. “If people in an organisation strive for more dialogue between employees’ different life domains, it is possible to create a functional environment where people can talk about different matters.”
As with much in life, the researchers believe that a problem shared is a problem halved, and having a discussion about work-life balance with employees can help managers get more out of their team because they can co-create solutions to the inevitable challenges that are presented during this unprecedented time.
“This kind of communication creates a low threshold for contacting one’s supervisor, which helps employees build a balance between the different domains of their lives and strengthens their organisational identification,” the researchers continue.
Managerial support
The research highlights that one’s direct manager plays a crucial role in the success of any flexible working. The pivotal role of the manager emerged from an analysis of several hundred employees at a Nordic company, who were asked the extent they talk about their work with their family, and similarly, how much they talk about their family with their boss.
The study reminds us that while there is often ample analysis of the effectiveness of communication within the work community, there’s often much less attention given to the role our work plays in our life more broadly.
It calls for a less rigid perspective on what is work time, and what is not. The research highlights the example of employees at international companies, for whom strict 9-5 office hours may be wholly impractical given the demands of working across timezones.
Such flexibility requires employees to become what Wharton management professor Nancy Rothbard refers to as “integrators”, as they don’t mind blurring the boundaries between work and home. Such people are the polar opposite of those, who Rothbard refers to as segmenters, who like to clearly demarcate their professional and personal lives.
“In this new work-from-home reality that we’re living in, it’s particularly challenging for segmentors, people who like to keep a sharp line between work and home. We can’t do that right now, even if we want to. This is where the rubber hits the road, and our two worlds are colliding like crazy,” Rothbard says. “We have kids who are doing online school. They’re wandering into the room to get something. You’ve got a spouse or a partner who is also trying to get work done from home. Sometimes you have clashing conference calls. Sometimes you both need the high-definition video camera…. These are the kinds of challenges that we inevitably are facing in the pandemic work-from-home reality.”
Virtual contact
Recent research from the London School of Economics highlights the new approaches to management the pandemic is throwing up. Their analysis, of the financial district in London, underlines the need for managers to adopt a different approach to ensure newly remote teams function well, whether that’s in terms of celebrating small wins, creating a culture of trust, and a proactive communication style that aims to coach employees through what are inevitably going to be unusual and often highly stressful circumstances.
“Inclusive leaders recognise the realities of what it means to work virtually and the need to be flexible,” says Ben Pring, Director of Cognizant’s Center for the Future of Work. “Meetings, for example, can be scheduled using rotating time zones when people are not in the same location or around preferred working hours – some may be early risers, some may opt to start late and finish late, others may need to adjust around childcare arrangements. The crucial thing is to accommodate these differences and not encourage longer hours than are normal or healthy.”
He suggests that two key traits for leaders to develop, and prioritize, are trust and compassion. Many workers will be out of site, so trust that employees are doing their work will be vital. Similarly, these are unprecedented times, so a more compassionate and human approach to leadership will be vital in helping teams get through things unscathed.
If remote working is to become the ‘new normal’, then these skills will be vital to develop to help manage the disparate workforce. It’s a situation reiterated by the Finnish team, who urge leaders to focus their communication not purely on work matters, but also on the various other issues that are likely to affect our work.
“Communication with one’s immediate supervisor during flexible working hours, also on matters other than work, could ease the daily lives of many employees if they could share the possible challenges of their family life or free time with their supervisor in these settings,” they conclude. “This would also make the supervisor better aware of the employee’s situation working from home and the related impacts on work performance.”
