How to run your business better with Smart Working

The commute to your office takes hours, doesn’t it? And, when you get there – what do you do?

• Have a coffee- complain about the commute and last night’s TV.

• Start work at 9.27

• Do the Daily Stand Up call

• Email the person next to you

• Start the project plan

• Zoom the guys overseas

• Check Facebook

• Get distracted by the conversation at the water cooler. ‘England Cricket. A thumping 251 defeat. it’s like going back to the 1990s!’

• Lunch – spend £10 at Costa

Take a call from The Boss while you’re there. He’s on a Leadership Team away day. He says that the facilitator is spouting on about something called smart working – which can apparently improve productivity by as much as 13% – Pah!

• Phone the supplier

• Sing Happy Birthday to Margaret. Eat cake.

• Chat about the cold weather with Jamie from accounts

• Email the person next to you

• Do as much of the project plan as you can – you’ll do the rest on the train home. It’s due tomorrow. Too many distractions today!

• Get the train. No room to sit so can’t do the project plan

• Read the story. Say ‘night, night’ to the kids

• Start on the project plan

• Yawn

Same thing tomorrow?

There must be a better way to run your business.

There is. Smart Working is a business wisdom. A response to the difficulties in finding skilled people for your business and the challenge of meeting customer service demands. It is a business vision that drives improvements in productivity and saves on expensive office space.

Here are some quick fixes for creating a smarter workplace

1. Offer flexible start and finish times so your people can lose the commute and arrive refreshed and ready for work.

2. Pilot remote working during the snowy season so that your people don’t have to risk their lives on icy roads. You’ll be surprised how much productive your team will be.

3. Allow your people to work from a co-working hub near to their village or town on one or two days a week.

4. Focus on building trust. Trust is a key element for success, and you may have to shift some fixed 9-5 mindsets who don’t trust their people when they cannot see them. To build 2 way-trust, ensure top down leadership training and bottom up development for smart teams. That’s when the magic happens!

Ruth and Olly run the Smart Working Revolution and help business leaders like you to build smart workforces that improve customer service, employees quality of life, promote equality and inclusion as well as productivity for your business.

Get smart working started in your business. Join our Brighton Masterclass this Autumn.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk