Flexibility in work, time and lifestyle


In many ways, flexibility in work, time and lifestyle all fit together, because today most employees see work as an extension of who they are. People go for jobs that meet their criteria and, as they have considerably more choice these days, the job defines their attitudes and personality. Want hip? You go to a high technology start-up or a new media operation. Want sensitive? A healthcare firm or a not-for-profit organisation. Just want lots of money? An investment bank. As Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjell Nordstrom explain in their best-selling book Funky Business [2] ˜people want to be themselves at work.' They are no longer defined by the job they do, they are defined by who they are. This is why employee branding is such hard work. Just as it was invented, the employee said, ˜Hey, I'm not a McDonalds or an IBM or a British Airways brand carrying employee, I'm me. And that is who I am going to be from now on.' They don't necessarily want their hearts and minds won. They want to contribute, but they don't always want to be a part of your club, just because you think they should. Managers of SMEs need to heed this. There is an almost unhealthy belief that employees of SMEs like the cosy closeness of this type of business. Well they might have done once, but this MTV watching, mouse-clutching generation is after a lot more than a cosy feeling. Sure, you might provide the financial incentive, but they want more than that; a lot more, and they are out to get it. So you are vulnerable unless you begin to tweak the ˜we're all in this together' model. You might be in it, but your employees are very likely looking at a different set of criteria for fulfilling their expectations.

So these people - whom you are actively seeking to engage in wealth creation for your shareholders - have very distinct views of what work is all about. Sure they will do it, lots of it. But it is going to have to be on their terms, not yours. While in recessions management can get away with just about anything, come economic upturns and labour shortages the boot moves quickly to the other foot .

[2] (2000) Funky Business: Talent Makes Capital Dance . Pearson Education.




The New Rules of Engagement(c) Life-Work Balance and Employee Commitment
Performance Tuning for Linux(R) Servers
ISBN: N/A
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2006
Pages: 131

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