Telework

How Flex Work is Bad for Work-Life Balance

No more commute. No more awkward elevator rides. No more watching the clock tick slowly toward quitting time. And, best of all, flex work means better work-life balance.

 

Except only it’s not as easy as it sounds. Flexible work arrangements aren’t an automatic fix for work-life fit. 

Source: workplace.care.com

Often times we here at SCG come across articles that cover the benefits of working from home or that provide helpful tips for the remote worker (you may have seen Stegmeier Consulting Group post articles in the past such as 9 Things Successful People Do When Working From Home, for example).

The uniqueness of this piece lies in the fact that it plays devil’s advocate and cautions readers to think twice before simply waltzing into a work from home setup.  The risks and pitfalls that are inherent with a telework program do exist, and it is important to be aware of these issues whether you are a veteran of the remote working environment, or someone that is newly transitioning out of working 9-5 at the office.

Our company has significant experience working with organizations that are instituting new, or expanding current telework programs.  We recommend (and assist with) the development of remote work policies that set expectations for everyone involved with teleworkers, including their coworkers and superiors.  We caution organizations not to look at remote workers as employees that should labor around the clock simply because of their convenient access to their home office.  While seemingly an efficient solution to address problems  that arise at various times throughout the day (or night), over-dependence on teleworkers can contribute to their inability to separate work-time from personal time, which can lead to employee burnout.

Telework does offer the best of both worlds:  the potential for increased productivity and employee work-life balance. However, there is no magic switch to flip to make the strategy work. Like most successful ventures in the business world, a teleworking initiative must be thoroughly planned and properly implemented.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change


Telework

The Benefits of Remote Working

Raise your hand if you would love to wake up and walk 10 feet and arrive at work! Well this is exactly what I do every morning. My office is located 10ft from my bed. It’s a blessing and a curse. N…

Source: www.business2community.com

It is incredible (and refreshing) to see that 10% of the workforce is already working from home according to the Reuters statistic referenced in this article.  Incredible because the concept of punching the clock day in and day out at the office was the normal work environment for so long.  Refreshing because the statistic also shows employers are coming around to appropriately utilizing the technology they have  to allow employees the flexibility that has become so desired in the workforce today.

Corporations that have yet to embrace a telework policy for employees may be hesitant for a variety of reasons, including the cons that Dr. Thomas-Rodgers brings to light in her article.  Partnering with Stegmeier Consulting Group however can help alleviate those concerns.  Your organization does not have to be on its own when assessing which employees fit the new remote work approach, developing remote work policies, or devising and holding training sessions for employees and management alike.  Our company has over 18 years of experience assisting businesses with workplace change initiatives.  Contact us to see how we can put that experience to work for you.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Workplace Strategy

How Your Miserable Open Office Might Change This Year – Fast Company

2015 is the year of fine-tuning the open office design.

Source: www.fastcompany.com

So you have modernized your office design complete with open layouts, casual working spaces, and new strategies that encourage collaboration and mobility.  Great!  The problem?  The new approach just isn’t catching on in the office, and the investment your company has made in this change doesn’t look poised to yield a promising return.

If this situation has your organization perplexed, you’re not alone. There are several factors (or, Critical Influences as we here at Stegmeier Consulting Group refer to them) that our research shows could have caused this disconnect between the intended results of the workplace change and the actual results.  Rest assured, however, that there are a number of things that can still be done to get your workplace initiative back on track.

Whether it is through training, surveys, focus groups, or other forms of employee engagement, Stegmeier can help your organization pinpoint and overcome whatever hurdles may be in the way.  Don’t settle for the status quo and assume your endeavor is a lost cause.  Contact us to learn more about the 15 Critical Influences that contribute to the success of any workplace initiative, and to learn more about how SCG can assist in making your office a destination that employees can’t wait to visit.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Workplace Strategy

Office Hoteling: Flexible Workspace for Maximized Productivity

Office Hoteling helps companies maximize real estate cost savings while providing greater employee productivity and collaboration.

Source: www.rmgnetworks.com

Even if members of your workforce do not travel 80% of the time as the individual in this piece does, your organization still maybe able to take advantage of the concept of hoteling.

For instance, if your employees are simply using their desks as “touchdown” spaces where they recover from and prepare for their next conference room meeting, perhaps that dedicated workstation is simply wasting space.  The same goes for desks of employees that have the ability to work remotely from a home office.  Companies that have moved to a hoteling structure have realized that a 1:1 desk to employee ratio can be inefficient and even costly.

How ready is your organization for a shift to a new, more efficient and less expensive workplace strategy?  Contact Stegmeier Consulting Group and let us help you conduct a change-readiness assessment of your company.  From there, we can help guide and train your people to successfully adapt to your workplace change.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Corporate Real Estate and Facilities Management

How Coca-Cola Put People First in New Toronto HQ

In 2010, the Coca-Cola brand acquired the North American operations of Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Canada was faced with the challenge of merging the newly consolidated business units into a single headquarters.

The company decided to abandon their offices in suburban Thorncliffe and move everyone to the heart of downtown Toronto – a bold choice, geared at attracting and retaining top talent to work for Coke.

Source: workdesign.com

The images of the new Coca-Cola Canada headquarters are stunning, and the people-first theory behind the design is equally impressive.  Many businesses claim their employees are their most cherished asset:  they are the foundation of the organization, the front line and the behind the scenes miracle workers that connect a product or service to the rest of the world.  But while many make this claim, how many can back it up simply by offering up the look and feel of the workplace they are providing their people?

The bright colors and corridors filled with natural light (not to mention a relaxing looking outdoor break area) are meant to put a bounce in the step of employees as they make their way through the Coca-Cola headquarters.  The fact that the design offers a variety of work areas  (not just all open space) is key as well.  The idea that there is something for everyone  is an important factor in what makes this new design so appealing, and is sure to assist with Coca-Cola’s goal to attract and retain top talent.


However, it is important to focus not only on creating a great environment, but also for preparing employees for working in new ways, including taking ownership of the full gamut of work areas available to them. If your organization is considering a change to the working environment, contact Stegmeier Consulting Group.  We can make recommendations on architectural and design firms, as well as provide your organization with the guidance and training needed to fully prepare the workforce to use the new space as intended and to ensure a smooth implementation of your change initiative.  

  

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.

https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change


Workplace Strategy

How To Deal With Your New Office’s New Open Floor Plan

“I feel like I’m being not only demoted, but punished. Every day I walk in and think, I must be being punished for something.”

While so many companies are moving to completely open floor plans, there’s bound to be some discontent, especially among those who previously held offices. I recently experienced this drastic change at my company, the result being that our CEO sits in a cubicle the exact same size as mine. Seriously. Prior to the move, people were undeniably antsy. On the first day in the new office, everyone looked positively shell-shocked.

Source: www.fastcompany.com

This article offers some great insight from someone who has had to learn to adapt to a new open-office environment.  The shame is that these ideas and suggestions (along with many others) could have been introduced to this workplace long before any kind of change took place.

What is your organization’s plan to avoid employees from being “shell-shocked” when a new workplace layout or strategy takes effect?  For many companies, there is little to no plan to transition from a traditional office to the open-office, or to a new culture of team members working remotely.

Reach out to Stegmeier Consulting Group early in your company’s change process and we can help prepare and train your workforce for the new work environment that will be introduced in the upcoming months or years.  Let us share our over 18-years of knowledge and experience gained through researching and assisting change initiatives with your project team. Stegmeier Consulting Group will help put your organization in the best possible position to reap the intended benefits of the change to your workplace.  

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Telework

21 Tools That Will Help Your Remote Team Work Better Together

Working as a remote team can be difficult, but doesn’t have to be. Here at The Next Web, much of our team is remote.

We have staff in the UK, India, The Netherlands, USA and New Zealand all working together across time zones successfully, even though the time differences can be confusing sometimes.

Here’s a handful of great tools for working with remote teams…

Source: thenextweb.com

A common concern amongst organizations that are focused on increasing opportunities for remote workers is how will employees be able to effectively communicate and collaborate with off-site individuals.  Often times these employees can be a great distance from the home office or from one another.  Fortunately, technology has given us the ability to bring everyone closer, at least in a virtual sense.

This article discusses several tools that can make working on or managing a remote team easier and more convenient for all involved.  Applications to help everyone keep track of time zones ensures meetings can take place or communications can be sent at optimal points throughout a day.  Project management programs can give a remote team an instant snapshot of where everyone stands on a job.  And of course, video chat capabilities provide the sense of sitting at the same table as a coworker as opposed to miles away.

At Stegmeier Consulting Group, we have seen the apprehension that comes with instituting teleworking programs.  Our consultants have successfully guided organizations through these change initiatives, with employees and managers benefiting from increased morale and productivity as a result of SCG’s guidance.  Don’t be deterred by the challenge of implementing new ways of working — we can help.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Telework

RingCentral Predicts How the Cloud Will Change the Workplace in 2015 | CloudWedge

Cloud computing has forever changed the way we access information and perform business tasks. The cloud has saved us time and money, and made it possible f

Source: www.cloudwedge.com

The trends we see in increased remote and mobile work do not appear to be slowing down as we get ready to jump into 2015.  As the author of this article points out, next year will be an enormous year for the evolving workplace, with mobile device usage increasing and the use of virtual meetings “advancing ten-fold.”

Technological advancements (such as the increasing prevalence of SaaS [software as a service] as more companies opt more commonly for cloud based solutions) allow us to communicate and collaborate with one another no matter what time it is, or where in the world we are located.  Is your organization poised to take advantage of opportunities when they arise?  Or is your company still bound by a rapidly aging concept that work is only done “at work”, during “business hours”?

Stegmeier Consulting Group can help your business transition to a new way of thinking about mobile and remote work.  Partnering with us will allow you to take advantage of the technologies that exist and prepare your employees to be as dynamic as they can be.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Corporate Real Estate and Facilities Management

On-Site Productivity, Engagement and Comfort Drive Next Generation of Millennial-Based Office Designs | NAIOP

Say goodbye to bland-looking cubicles, dueling thermostat wars, constructed walls and flat panel TVs, as the office of the future instead will be comprised of sleeping pods, self-luminous walls and treadmill-operated desks, according to winning entries in NAIOP’s 2014 Build-Out/Interior Design Competition. Winning entries were submitted by design firms Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, Albuquerque, New Mexico; DLR Group, offices coast-to-coast; and Ware Malcomb, Irvine, California.

Source: www.naiop.org

Treadmills and bicycles at workstations.  Nanoparticle lighting systems.  Biowalls to improve air quality.

The future workplace is being built today, and by all accounts we should be in for some exciting enhancements thanks to ergonomically appropriate and eco-friendly designs.  But while the future concepts are sure to pique the interest of young talent, what of the existing workforce?  Convincing an older, or more established workforce to trade their personalized cubicles and offices for open, flexible designs can be quite the challenge. 

In fact, companies have invested large amounts of time and money in workplace change initiatives only to see those projects fail due to encountering unforeseen or unaddressed employee resistance.  Teaming with Stegmeier Consulting Group can help you transition your outdated work environment, and prepare the individuals in your organization to be productive and innovative in the workplace of the future.

Stegmeier Consulting Group can assist with a wide range of challenges involved in implementing a workplace change initiative.  Contact us to find out how our services can help your organization.


https://stegmeierconsulting.com/contact/

Phone: 440-846-1410

Changing the way organizations manage workplace change

Blog, Work Life Balance

How Cultural Transformation Can Improve Performance in Healthcare

“When doctors are viewed not as an important team member, but some sort of god-like royalty, culture change is difficult,” Stegmeier says. “Ultimately, healthcare organizations need to empower all caregivers to make a positive change, but taking that first step in either addressing the problem or asking for help can be a difficult thing to do.”

Source: www.precheck.com

SCG’s Matthew Stegmeier was recently interviewed on the subject of cultural transformation in healthcare organizations and shared some insights on some of the misconceptions commonly held by healthcare executives.

Stegmeier Consulting Group has partnered with top healthcare clients such as the Cleveland Clinic, Partners HealthCare, and Johnson & Johnson to lead change initiatives ranging from boosting employee engagement to changing the office environment and, in turn, entirely changing the way administrative caregivers conduct business.

We understand the unique organizational climate of healthcare organizations, as well as how healthcare reform is impacting how institutions must operate in an increasingly competitive marketplace.  If your organization is considering changes of any significance, we’d encourage you to connect with us to learn how SCG can be a resource in preparing and leading your caregivers through change.