What does ‘a new way of working’ mean for organisations?

”The new way of working” is a phrase to illustrate the changing office environment and how this can be designed in a way that represents modern day needs and demands. New ways of working are not just about the physical work environment, or the available resources. It is also about how a team works together, makes agreements, trusts each other, reinforces each other and how flexible they are in times of change. A new way of working is used to improve and evolve; and to be ready for the office of the future.

Redefining the workplace

The term “new work” was conceived by a German Austrian professor- Frithjof Bermann in 1980. He wanted to re-shape and rethink the way people worked and offer them greater freedom and work engagement. The new way of working is about re-defining the workplace in a way that fits the future work perspectives and contributes to employee experience and wellbeing. The new way of working changes the aspects of

• Time: Employees can work outside of the 9-5 standard. The focus is on the outcome of the work, regardless of when they are working
• Place: Employees can work at any chosen remote location or at the office.
• Contracts: People don’t need to be bound by fulltime contracts. Employees are paid for outputs, products, projects and services they provide.

Smart and Simple

Adjustments within the working environment or the way in which people work should always lead to connection, belonging, trust, speed, and momentum. Smart Office software should therefore aim to make working in the office simpler, smarter and more efficient.

Work environments that adapt to the new way of working include: Freelancing, Hybrid working, Agile working, Hot Desking, Flextime, Job sharing and Telecommuting. You can apply the new way of working in the organisation by explaining the need for change to your employees. Communication is crucial when transitioning to a new process. Also make sure that your management and key employees are on board with the change in direction. Adapting training according to employee needs contributes to the adaptation of the changes within the organisation. Lastly, it is important to visualise the new processes and share documentation where it is relevant for the teams. And above all, encourage any improvements.