{"id":371,"date":"2017-08-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-22T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.onpressidium.com\/flexible-working-much-stretch\/"},"modified":"2023-03-24T10:34:50","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T23:34:50","slug":"flexible-working-much-stretch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/flexible-working-much-stretch\/","title":{"rendered":"Flexible working: is it that much of a stretch?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prior to setting up my own business, I worked in an environment notorious for its lack of flexibility: the advertising agency. While not all agencies are the same, it\u2019s fairly safe to say the rumours are mostly true \u2013 this is an industry that doesn\u2019t exactly encourage a healthy work\/life balance. I spent my twenties in a state of constant insecurity and dread; always terrified that if I wasn\u2019t the last to leave each night, I\u2019d be out of a job. We basically all<\/em> felt this way. We didn\u2019t even question it. Hey, we\u2019d seen the Devil Wears Prada<\/a>; we knew our situation wasn\u2019t exactly unique.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When I finally decided to go off and do my own thing, the main reason wasn\u2019t because I was being ignored, oppressed as a woman, or sidelined for a promotion \u2013 it was purely because I wanted a life! And rather than being judged by the hours spent at my desk, I wanted to be valued for the work I actually produced. I suspected that I was actually making my employer a fair bit of money \u2013 but the faster, more productive I was, the more I was asked to do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At first, my \u2018writing consultancy\u2019 Words By Nuance<\/a> was just an excuse to work from home, and an attempt to get fairly remunerated for the value I was delivering clients (not the weekends and nights I sacrificed in a fruitless attempt to appease my boss). I had modest expectations. I figured if I could make remotely the same wage I did in an agency, I\u2019d be sweet. After all, I\u2019d be working from home!! Unheard of in advertising, and many other industries too. I crossed my fingers and got cracking.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The weird thing was, flexibility made things easier.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gone were the days of dragging myself out of bed<\/a>, schlepping into work, worrying about politics, and trying to get a few minutes peace in lunch hour. Now, I just woke up, sat down, and did the work. I did it whenever and wherever I wanted. I didn\u2019t need to worry about being monitored. I was accountable to my clients and that was quite enough to keep me motivated!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As long as I communicated clearly and was super organised, no one turned a hair. Clients were happy their work was being done well, and delivered on time. They didn\u2019t care if I worked random, weird hours or rewarded myself with the occasional early-mark. They didn\u2019t even care when I spent a month-long stint working from a polo ranch in Argentina<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The work kept rolling in. And before I knew it, I had a thriving business, more work than I knew what to do with, and an amazing team working alongside me.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And while plenty has changed, our commitment to flexibility isn\u2019t one of them. Now, my growing team ALL work flexibly in some way, shape or form. It\u2019s not a concept we\u2019ve had to retrofit; it\u2019s simply how we do things. How we\u2019ve always done things!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just little teams like ours who are doing it, either.<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of my longest standing clients is Mirvac<\/a>, a major Australian property company. The sector they work in is not known for its flexibility; especially when it comes to teams on construction sites (you can\u2019t exactly pop off early when you\u2019re building a skyscraper on a deadline). But in spite of this, I\u2019ve been pleased to see Mirvac seize the opportunity to encourage flexible working by introducing a company-wide initiative called My Simple Thing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As the name suggests, this is a simple concept. It involves each person at Mirvac nominating one simple thing they can do to achieve better work\/life balance \u2013 and to work with their team to make it a reality. Some come in late or work from home once a week, so they can spend quality time with their family. Some take time out to play sport, or get a massage. Some train for ocean marathon swims (psychopaths). The beauty is, your \u2018Simple Thing\u2019 can be anything you like. In the words of Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz<\/a> \u201cIt\u2019s not up to us to tell people what\u2019s best for them. Different things work for different people. We don\u2019t judge.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It\u2019s been refreshing to see the convo move on from the \u2018mum\u2019 thing too.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For so long, really the only valid reason to work flexibly was because you were a woman who had kids (and even then, there was a serious guilt factor<\/a> involved in leaving the office at 4pm, even when you\u2019d been in since 6). \u00a0For some reason dads didn\u2019t get the same leeway. And god forbid anyone have any OTHER reason to be somewhere else mid-week!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But parents aren\u2019t the only ones to appreciate flexibility, so does everyone else, regardless of their age, stage or situation! Life by nature isn\u2019t rigid; stuff happens to all of us that we can\u2019t anticipate. Kids break their arms, people move house, relationships begin and end, amazing travel opportunities pop up, weddings and funerals happen, parents get old. We need to roll with the punches. And you can\u2019t do that when you\u2019re stuck in an 8am-6pm straitjacket.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So how can we all make flexibility a reality?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You know how I said flexibility made things easier for me? Well just to clarify, I did not mean to suggest that it was an inherently easy thing to achieve. Even when I was just one person, there was a lot to be learned in the process. Now, a few years on, I know that when it comes to flexible working, there are definitely a few musts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Communicate<\/strong>. If you\u2019re working remotely or irregular hours, you absolutely have to keep your team in the loop. It\u2019s not for surveillance reasons; it\u2019s just so everyone\u2019s expectations are managed and there are no surprises. If you\u2019re going to be offline or AWOL for a period, it really helps to let your team know.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Have a game plan.<\/strong> If you set out what needs to be achieved by when (and any milestones that need to be met along the way) you can manage expectations and keep everyone on the same page. The more notice you can give about when you may need personal time, the easier it will be to accommodate.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Choose your \u2018workspace\u2019 wisely<\/strong>. Working at home may seem appealing but if your internet is patchy, there are screaming kids underfoot, or there\u2019s construction happening next door, don\u2019t even try! Wherever you choose to work, it needs to enable you to work productively and professionally.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

         <\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Make time together count<\/strong>. One hazard of flexible working is that it\u2019s harder to get the team together in person. For this reason, it\u2019s really important to allocate time each week to catch up face-to-face. Even just for a coffee! This kind of quality time is what keeps your culture intact.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Now a little inspo\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

          To finish, I thought I\u2019d give you a little insight into how the Nuance team makes our working hours work for us. Hopefully it sparks some ideas within your own team, and reminds you of all the things you have that matter apart from that daily grind. Remember, life\u2019s for living!<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          My simple thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \u201cOften, I\u2019ll be in the office 7am to 2pm, avoiding peak hour and giving me a chance to ride my horse in the afternoons. I also frequently take a day or two off midweek to visit my Dad who lives in the country, and is in his 80s. HI DAD, LOVE YOU (you better have bothered to read this far).\u201d\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          \"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Alex\u2019s simple thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

          “As well as working at Nuance, I also work with my partner to run our music festival, Return to Rio<\/a>, which is held towards the end of each year. Working at Nuance means I can take the time I need to give my other job extra attention in November when things ramp up, instead of feeling totally overwhelmed trying to do both.”<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          \"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Emma R\u2019s simple thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \u201cWork flexibility for me means being able to be a relaxed Mum, versus a stressed-out\u00a0one who\u2019s always rushing into day care at 1 minute to\u00a06pm. I leave at 3pm every day, giving me more quality time with my amazing daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          \"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Poppy\u2019s simple thing<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \u201cAs well as working at Nuance, I also work for a fashion label and in a bar (variety is the spice of life!). It’s amazing to have the balance of these different jobs and also the option to take time off to travel, which I love!\u201d<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          How about everyone else out there? How are you flexing your work to make life better? And if not, what\u2019s stopping you?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Prior to setting up my own business, I worked in an environment notorious for its lack of flexibility: the advertising agency. While not all agencies are the same, it\u2019s fairly safe to say the rumours are mostly true \u2013 this is an industry that doesn\u2019t exactly encourage a healthy work\/life balance. I spent my twenties […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1393,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[84,61,85,52,54,86,87,88,89,57,60,1,90,91],"tags":[92,93,94,67,95,96,97,98,99,100,72,101,102,103,104,105,106,107],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1891,"href":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371\/revisions\/1891"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordsbynuance.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}