Agile working
Do the preparation task first. Then read the article and do the exercises.
Preparation
The world we live in is changing and it is changing rapidly. Whether this is driven by technology, globalisation or in response to specific crises, there is no doubt that the workplace of today needs to constantly adapt to ongoing changes in order to remain efficient and competitive.
In more traditional work settings, the definition of a good employee was someone who came to the office on time at 9 a.m., sat at their desk and worked hard, taking direction from their managers and following the rules. This model employee would be there rain or shine, always appearing busy until it was time to go home at 6 p.m. But with the development of smartphones and internet technologies, many companies are starting to form virtual teams with team members living in different time zones, and employees are now finding themselves answering emails, attending meetings and working on reports from home outside their usual working hours. People now need to work smarter and not just harder.
It is not only the time and location of the modern workplace that is changing. The role of the manager is evolving too. Many organisations are moving away from an approach where managers constantly supervise their staff and tell people exactly what is to be done. Instead, they are adopting a more project-based approach, where managers have the responsibility of clarifying project goals and enabling teamwork and collaboration. The roles that the individuals play might differ from project to project, and agile managers can serve to support team members in adapting the way they contribute to a team.
These changes in modern work practices mean that organisations need to adopt agile working approaches so that they can find the most appropriate and efficient way of getting things done. The consumer goods company Unilever describes agile working as 'an approach to getting work done with maximum flexibility and minimum constraints'.
Agile working is not just about allowing employees to work from home and decide their own working hours. Another example of agile working might be workspaces designed to suit the different kinds of work taking place. This is an environment that helps people to be at their best and most productive. An agile workspace might include open areas with small tables for people to gather and work together and standing desks to improve energy levels and productivity. It might include quiet zones for a bit of thinking time and social areas for staff to chat and relax together. Like most things with agile working, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Agile workspaces have to be adapted to the individuals and their roles in the company because agile working is about valuing people and their activities and not having them limited by the physical workplace.
Basically, agile working is about being ready to change the way we work – whether it be our working hours, our physical workplace, the technology we use, the nature of our roles and the way we work together, or the way our work is done. By encouraging such agility and flexibility, we can adapt to the ever-changing world around us, while creating a more dynamic workforce and improving our performance and productivity.
In my opinion about agile working is about skill of employees to adapt with any condition and changes in the world. We must fast learning and keep spirit to become a good person with the good solution from many issues in the office. I had ever heard someone say, If we stop learning, we will stop growth. So, work or not, we must use chance to learn about anything and always to growth become a good person, so we can get success in the future.
I carry out a ministry within the community and therefore have no direct experience of agile working, but I believe that in many respects it is similar.
In my previous job, I led my branch through a shift to agile working during the Covid-19 pandemic.It was my first experience working remotely with just laptop and phone,but I quickly adapted. I learned that being a manager is not about being in the office; it is about clear communication,trust, and ensuring that the technology serves the client's needs.
The first, i want to say thank you for this article. Second, i really want to work agile job, but first i need to improve my english.I live in Turkey, here business life is very competitive, that is why i am here.Thanks.
Agile working is essential and effective when there is a good internet connection. In some African countries, it's difficult to promote agile working because of the quality of the internet connection. It's a good approach because it reduces risk during the move from home to workspace and vice versa, saving time and money for buying oil for the car, for example. It helps to meet your colleagues who are in other countries and discuss with them like you were in the same meeting room. Agile working is the best way to promote a multicultural environment at work.
For me, agile working will be a solution as I want to give my time to my baby too. I can work very well while my baby is sleeping and I feel that my productivity also increases, I got some very good idea for work while breastfeeding my baby and noted in my phone and used it. Productivity and effectiveness from agile working style may depend on the attitude of the employees, in my opinion, for some employees, internal controls should be applied at the same time.
This is Cotext has been introduced to our company and we are looking forward to see it's outcomes at the entire team productivity.