Modern ways of working became flexible working which begat agile working. Yet decades later we’re still stuck with much of the rigid office format that we were supposed to leave behind. Yes there is now more open plan with less restricting walls yet glass partitions still mark out the work pens from the communal spaces. We have break out areas, hoteling points, touch down stations and even creative areas filled with bean bags and gaming zones but for the majority of office based workers life has not moved on that significantly.
Most travel to the same place, sit at the same desk and perform the same kinds of tasks day in and day out. The cultural shift away from the rigid work structure has just not happened as promised or expected.
The technology is there though. Laptops, tablets and smartphones with wireless connections and long battery life connected to remotely hosted applications mean that work can be truly liberated from a single place. Add to this internet protocol telephony and follow me printing and there is no excuse.
Apart from one that is – people. Not everyone is comfortable with this type of approach. Some need to see their employees to know that they are working; indeed some need to be watched. Others feel more comfortable when they can see their boss. It is a set up that they can understand. It is what they are used to. It works and so why change?
Work isn’t a place you go, it’s a thing you do, or is it? For many the act of going somewhere, to be part of a physical group and to share time and space with your colleagues defines work. Having a common aim, a shared experience and even a mutual enemy can give a sense of purpose to who you are. So people like to go to their place of work to be with people.
But how many people when asked what they do give the building they attend rather than their job role? There is no reason why work cannot be liberated from the fixed space and still be social. Indeed work should be centred on people and not location. Working relationships should be long term but work tasks may be short.
We need a new paradigm that brings people together to work on issues, solution and opportunities only to disperse when the task is completed or another requirement is created. We need to create a much more fluid and agile approach but this will require managers and workers to let go, trust each other more and give it a try.
And that is where we come in. There are many of us who work this way already and we need to show the path and lead even more by example. We need to take the opportunity to work in places we’ve never tried before, in places we don’t normally go to and in departments where we don’t normally work. This will proved to everyone that it does work and it will help us to know more about the people we work with. Just turn up unannounced, ask if the desk is free today, open up your laptop and get going.
We need to be Guerrilla Workers. #guerrillaworking
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 