Solutions
In response to the outcomes of the Flexible Model™ Assessment and the ideation process, we’ll work with you to develop strategic interventions – we call them Culture Shift Accelerators – to target the areas where we identified opportunities to support the business to embrace a culture of inclusion and flexibility.
Some examples of culture shift accelerators include:
Culture shift accelerator #1: Development of key principles and supporting guidance for the successful implementation of flexible ways of working
Contact us for more information or to discuss how developing key principles and guidance for flexible working could work for your organisation
We can help you to design a set of bespoke key principles and supporting guidance that align with your organisation’s values and ways of working, providing a clear framework for flexibility that acts as a backbone to help everyone embrace the culture shift.
The guidance sets out precisely how the organisation’s chosen approach to flexibility is expected to work, outlining the skills and behaviours needed and sharing important resources such as conversation guides and example scenarios to support managers and teams to make it work for them.
Some of the most common challenges when implementing flexible ways of working can include:
- Concerns about fairness
- Bias
- Underconfident managers
- Outdated mindsets about work
- Inconsistency of performance management
- Overwork leading to burnout
- Poor communication and trust
One solution that has changed the game and helped organisations we’ve worked with to overcome these issues is the design of team charters specifically for flexible working.
A flexible working team charter is a document every team member contributes to, helps to shape and commits to as they define and agree ways of working. It empowers and equips your teams to remain agile and deliver exceptional performance as the evolved world of work continues to emerge. We use our simple, evidence-based five-step process to support teams in a safe environment to have open conversations in a virtual workshop environment to build their charters, and we also train internal champions to maximise value to our clients.
Benefits of designing flexible working team charters include:
- Engage in collaborative discussions to define what will work for the company and individuals based on what each team needs to deliver
- Build a culture of incredible trust and communication
- Feel supported to make it work whatever your position
- Focus on outcomes over hours worked
- Facilitate improved performance management conversations
- Tackle the challenges head on and mitigate risk
- Get exceptional buy-in and engagement throughout the entire change process
Culture shift accelerator #2: Support for leaders and managers to create micro-cultures for flexible working at a local level
Find our more about FlexPro™
Culture shift accelerator #3: 1-2-1 coaching support for managers
Contact us for more information or to discuss how coaching support could work for your organisation
One-to-one coaching support during a period of change allows employees to explore and validate their complex thoughts and feelings as well as develop a strategy to embrace and positively move through the change in a safe, confidential environment.
The opportunity to discuss key concerns and gain clarity over the new ways of working enables them to build confidence, develop key skills and renew their focus and commitment to the business. Providing specialist, impartial support is a key contributor to a positive, smooth and swift transition experience and – crucially – to increased ongoing engagement and retention of valued employees.
Each programme of support is bespoke and tailored to the unique needs of each individual, and could be built around some or all the following four key aspects:
Based on our initial assessment and the opportunities it uncovers for improvements, we can build bespoke workshops and training programmes to support every level of your organization as it embraces evolved ways of working. A few examples of workshop topics we cover regularly with clients include:
- Building leadership commitment for change
- Why we’re doing this: The business case for flexible working
- Creating a communication strategy to support the culture shift
- Recruiting and on-boarding flexible employees
- Managing flexible teams
- How to measure performance by outcomes
- Developing a high-trust culture
- Designing flexibility into every role
- Supporting employees returning from long-term absence
- Managing wellbeing and beating burnout
- Letting go of traditional mindsets
- Leading with empathy
- Designing a gender pay gap strategy that works
- Train-the-trainer programmes
We can of course provide detailed outlines of how these programmes could look and cost information once we understand your needs and objectives.
Culture shift accelerator #4: Targeted workshops and training programmes
Contact us for more information or to discuss how our targeted workshops and training programmes could work for your organisation
Culture shift accelerator #5: A strategic approach to supporting returners
Contact us for more information or to discuss how a strategic approach to supporting returners could benefit your organisation
If you are a leader determined to provide a standout experience for returning employees, ensuring they re-enter the workplace feeling engaged and with a strong sense of belonging, so they remain with your organisation long-term – we can help your organisation to design a roadmap that will supercharge engagement, inclusion, diversity, talent acquisition, retention and profitability.
With our expert support, you will take inspiration from the work our team has done with leading UK organisations as we work together to design a strategic approach to supporting employees as they prepare for long-term absence and during their period of leave, before working collaboratively with them to design and deliver an exceptional re-boarding experience.
As we work together our consultants will share case studies, evidence, tools and processes adopted by leading UK organisations within the Inclusive Workplace community that will support you with all the practical steps you could need to overcome the challenges of supporting returning employees and create true equity, close pay gaps and build a working environment that enables every employee to fulfil their true potential.
Our support will enable you to:
- Build a clear strategy for supporting employees throughout each of the key phases of long-term absence.
- Communicate the strategy and engage successfully with diverse stakeholder groups, building their understanding and ensuring the approach becomes embedded throughout the organisation.
- Develop supportive guidance and resources for line managers to ensure they have the tools they need to go beyond policy and deliver a human-centric, inclusive experience when re-boarding returners.
- Develop your employer brand and maximise opportunities to attract diverse external candidates returning to work following a career break.
- Develop a working environment that supports your people through every life stage, focusing on how they can leverage their transferable skills and add even greater value to their role when returning to work so they can experience equal career progression opportunities.