5 ‘New Way of Working’ Experiments to Try Today

05 April 2022

The world is changing and the ‘New Ways of Working’ movement is responding. In essence, it’s a modern approach to the way we manage and run organisations, shifting control from the C suite into employees hands. Everything from hierarchies to meetings are put under a microscope and questioned - do they add value?

Mark Eddleston is a a new ways of working consultant, coach, facilitator & trainer, and co-founder of the global Reinventing Work community. We work with Mark regularly to make sure we’re constantly challenging ourselves and don’t fall into old habits. 

 

The benefits we’ve gained from New Ways of Working

Every business will get different things out of reflecting and reassessing their working practices. Here are just some of the benefits of some of the changes we’ve already made: 

  • Increased employee engagement and satisfaction
  • Staff retention – as often comes with higher satisfaction levels
  • Better productivity – spending time of the things that matter
  • A culture of trust and psychological safety
  • Everyone has a voice, so even more exceptional ideas and fresh perspectives
  • Constant growth in the business and progression for the team

So, interested in how you can get started? It’s easier than you might think. Here are 5 simple changes that you can start in your business today and move toward a more modern way of working. 

 

1. Make information transparent and accessible

In a world where we don’t talk politics, religion, or finance in polite company it might be uncomfortable to make your numbers and decisions open to the whole business but it serves a lot of purposes. Everyone can see where they fit into the business because they can see how things connect end to end. It also encourages trust, which is always a two way street. 

 

2. Check-in at the start of every meeting

Start every meeting with a 5 minute check in. It gets everyone focussed and gives everyone a chance to speak up so they don’t fade into the background. It’s even more important if you work remotely since it gives you an opportunity to build a personal connection across the team. Loneliness is a real issue, especially in the SME world, so take the time to create those relationships. This generator is a great resource if you’re not sure where to start. 

 

3. Get rid of internal emails

With Slack and Microsoft Teams and every other internal messaging option available now, there really is no excuse to use email. It is clunky, takes up time, and gets lost among messages from suppliers and clients. 

 

4. Create feedback profiles

Encouraging open and honest feedback will put you on the fast track to personal progression and business success. But psychologically safe feedback is crucial. There are some secrets to great feedback – which you can find in this video – but everyone is different. Creating an open document which explains how and when everyone prefers to get feedback can give you a safety net to make sure you’re supporting everyone in a way that suits them.

 

5. Make time for fun!

‘Work life balance’ is out and ‘work life integration’ is in. Forget the buzzwords – we don’t go to work and forget we have a family and we don’t come home and forget about those emails stacked up in our inbox. Work is a part of life and who couldn’t use a little more fun in their lives? Teams that laugh together are more productive and trust each other more, so don’t overlook the importance of fun in the workplace.