There has been a lot of noise in the news lately about companies like IBM pulling back on flexible work options. This is an ironic move for IBM given that their own research and publications suggest that "teleworkers are more highly engaged, more likely to consider their workplaces as innovative, happier about their job prospects and less stressed than their more traditional, office-bound colleagues." Leaders in the companies who are pulling back on remote work options are arguing that presence is required for productive collaboration and innovation.
Perhaps some of these leaders should talk to Kristen Wylie, Director of Product Marketing at Kronos. Kristen spent 8 months on the road with her 9 and 13 year old daughters over the past year while they performed in the national touring company of the musical Annie. That would be daunting enough for any parent, but Kristen did this while continuing to do her full time job at Kronos. In fact, Kristen was promoted to director while she was on the road.
I spoke to Kristen recently about her experience exercising this "extreme flexibility". With the support of her boss and her team, Kristen spent eight months juggling a demanding job and supporting her daughters' life on the road. We talked about how she pulled it off and what lessons other organizations and employees might learn from Kristen's story.
Listen in by clicking on the player at the bottom of this post to hear Kristen's responses to these and other questions about how she did it:
How does your organization support flexible work options? Can you see a story like Kristen's happening in your workplace?
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