Adapting to a Flexible Work Environment

1. Materials and Spaces

Think of the amount of time you spend at work. Then, think about how important it is to use that time well so that you can be as productive as possible. Success in the workplace requires laser focus on what matters, and the ability to tune out distractions in order to deliver results. Employers value–and reward–employees who use their time wisely to get the results a company desires. They also value employees who can adjust and still deliver in a flexible work arrangement (remote or hybrid).

There was a time not long ago when most people worked in an office, school, or other worksite. Remote and hybrid work was not thought to be viable. The thinking on this has changed over recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many companies to re-evaluate their remote/hybrid work policies.

In a remote or hybrid work arrangement, you want to be as productive as you would be on a job site. To ensure that you are set up for success, you will want to consider two key items when it comes to working from home. Specifically, you need to make sure you have all the materials required, and that you have a work environment that is free from distractions.

The table below illustrates some key examples of items that you may need to consider in each category.

Key Item	Examples
Materials	Do you have a computer and printer that are reliable? Do you have a desk and chair? Are they ergonomic? Do you have a phone line that is dedicated to work? Do you have reliable Internet access?
Spaces	Is your office free from distractions? Does it have a door? Will you always have access to your office space, or do you share it with others? Is your space large enough to meet your needs? Is the lighting adequate if/when you have video meetings?

The chart above shares some common concerns, but it is not an exhaustive list. Your list will depend on your job and your needs. The key to making sure that you can be productive no matter where you work is to make sure that you consider critical issues, and adjust as needed.

IN CONTEXT

Jasmine was an admissions counselor for a large online university. She worked in an office until COVID-19 hit. She and her colleagues were sent home to work on very short notice. She had never worked from home, but was excited to shorten her commute and save money on gas.

However, after her first two weeks, Jasmine was exhausted and barely getting anything done. She had been working from her kitchen table, and her Internet was always going in and out. She also had two kids at home doing online school, and her husband was also working from home.

To improve her situation, Jasmine took some time to read about the best practices for working from home. She decided to make her spare bedroom into an office. She already had a small desk and chair that she could use, and she would be able to close the door to keep her kids and husband out when she needed to concentrate or had a meeting. She also decided to turn off the Wi-Fi on her phone and iPad during working hours to cut down on devices using the internet. In the coming weeks, she found herself more relaxed, and she had a much easier time completing her work.

think about it

Luckily, Jasmine was able to make some changes fairly quickly to make herself more productive and happy. The changes benefited her, but they also benefited her team and her supervisor, as she was able to maintain the same focus that she had in the office. Her skills and ability to do her job had not changed, but her environment had. Jasmine’s agility skill proved to be useful in this case. By being able to pivot and change how she was working in her new setting, she was able to maintain her usual level of productivity.

reflect

Think about the following questions regarding Jasmine’s story.

1. What steps would you need to take to work from home effectively?
2. What would you have done if you were Jasmine?
3. Do you prefer working from home, in an office, or some combination of the two? Why?

terms to know

Remote

A work model that allows someone to work outside of a traditional office environment.

Hybrid

A work model that allows a combination of work in a traditional office setting for a certain amount of time and working remotely the rest of the time.

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2. Make It Work

Your work environment plays a large part in determining whether or not you are successful. In most cases, you don’t have a choice in what that space looks like, but you do have control over how you make it work for you. If you find yourself in a more flexible environment, there are some familiar points to keep in mind, but you also need to be willing to use a growth mindset to learn and adapt.

2a. Important Tips

• If your work environment changes and you have more flexibility, there are some simple tips for practicing your productivity skill in the new workplace:
• Know when to say "no." Sometimes being productive means eliminating tasks that won‘t help you reach your goal. (This applies to your personal life too!)
• Understand that it‘s not about the amount of work you do. It‘s about doing it efficiently and effectively.
• Use an organized set of steps to achieve your goals. Breaking down a goal into achievable parts helps you to reach it.
• Determine your priorities and then work to complete them.
• Understand how to delegate things to coworkers or ask for help when you need to.
• Reassess priorities throughout the day based on what the organization needs.
• Decide which are key issues and which are distractions.

These all apply no matter where you work, but when you have less structure to your day and your environment is less rigid, they become more important than ever. If you can keep these in mind and you have arranged your space in a way that lends itself to maintaining focus, you will be more likely to stay on track.

2b. Keep Learning

The earlier example about Jasmine demonstrates how taking time to reflect, learn, and grow can make a real difference in your productivity skill. A remote work environment was new to her and she quickly learned that she would need to make some changes to meet her daily goals. You need to be willing to do the same if you find yourself with a new work arrangement.

There are any number of methods and tools you can use to become a more effective remote or hybrid worker. Some examples are:

• Communication tools (Slack, Google Chat, etc.)
• Project management tools (Asana, Trello, etc.)
• Time management tools (calendars, lists, etc.)

You learned about some of these in earlier lessons. You may use this in a traditional work setting, but if not, you may find they are just what you need to find success when working from home. If that is the case, you need to use your technology skill to investigate them, try them, and determine what is best for you.

There are also other topics you can choose to learn about that are related to “how” you work. In a previous lesson, you learned about the need for balance and making sure that you can maintain focus on work while not overextending yourself. This may or may not come naturally to you. If it does not, then you need to be willing to take the time to read articles, take classes, listen to podcasts, or connect with others so that you can learn strategies to help you strengthen your productivity skill.

big idea

Employees who take the initiative to learn about best practices for remote and hybrid work (and implement them) are more likely to make progress professionally and to go above and beyond their supervisors‘ expectations, but the benefits won‘t stop there!

term to know

Overextending

Having an excessive workload or too many commitments.