The AI Revolution: Why Culture Holds the Key to Success

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WHY HEALTHY CONFLICT IS GREAT FOR TEAM EFFECTIVENESS

Whats more important  **where** you work, or **when** and **how** you work?

In 2022 a Wall Street Journal [survey](https://www.wsj.com/articles/workers-care-more-about-flexible-hours-than-remote-work-11643112004) found that:

- 95% of people wanted to set their own hours.

- More people cared about flexible schedules than whether or not they went into an office.

In his[ WorkLife](https://adamgrant.net/podcasts/work-life/) podcast, organisational psychologist Adam Grant \(who has been Wharton's top-rated professor for seven consecutive years\) observes that the flexibility conversation has focused heavily on **remote work.**

Were all tired of debating where we should work, he says. What we need is a **broader conversation** about what flexibility means.

Ahead of his **first-ever** Australian tour [Adam Grant LIVE](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g000000R00ZEAS) in February 2024, lets look at what he and other Growth Faculty speakers, authors and thought leaders say about **flexible work**. Is it time to give employees more autonomy in where, when, and how they work?

**What is Workplace Flexibility?**

According to Australias [Fair Work Ombudsman](https://www.fairwork.gov.au/), workplace flexibility comes in many forms and can look like:

- changes to start and finish times

- job sharing

- compressed working hours

- working from home or another location.

Fair Work says that flexibility helps employees maintain a work-life balance. Interestingly, it says that flexibility in the workplace can help employers improve the **productivity and efficiency** of their business.

**Employees Crave Autonomy**

Before you look at what a great workplace looks like, how does giving people autonomy and flexibility benefit an organisation?

Harvard Business Review [cites research](https://hbr.org/2021/10/forget-flexibility-your-employees-want-autonomy) on the self-determination theory that asserts that ones **autonomous motivation** is what leads to success and fulfillment.

If we think of entrusting employees with greater autonomy as the encouragement of self-determination, we can expect a greater degree of **satisfaction, fulfillment,** and **engagement** at work, HBR says. \[Thats\] because the outcomes are likely to be perceived as the result of their own inherent ability. Similarly, it will serve as an **intrinsic motivator** to perform better.

**Benefits of Better Employee Experience**

Probably the best way to approach conversations around flexibility is to find out what each employee believes enhances their experience of work. It will be different for different people. It might be where they work, it might be when they work, and it could be more centred around who they work with, and on what.

Salesforce Global Growth Evangelist Tiffani Bova and author of _The Experience Mindset_ says theres a ripple effect when you pay attention to getting ****[Employee Experience](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/employeeexperience) right with some data showing positive Employee Experience factors can drive up **revenue by 50%** or more, and profits by nearly as much.

**Workplace is a Complex Operating System**

According to [Aaron Dignan](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/newwaystowork), author of _Brave New Work_ , the workplace is a complex operating system that cant be fixed; rather it is managed and managed in a **relationship**.

In the modern complex workplace, experimenting and questioning is largely what is needed.

Covid was a huge experiment in flexible and remote work, and this ongoing experimentation is what is needed still: **_Probe \(try, experiment\)  Sense \(Is that what I wanted?\)  Respond_**

Adam Grant says, to give employees the freedom they crave, we need to **reimagine** what a flexible workplace looks like. Grant is a fan of business leaders thinking more like scientists, always [mastering the art of rethinking.](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/adamgrantleadershipskills)

**How To Make Work Fit In With Our Lives**

According to Adam Grant, people have long wanted more than freedom to choose _where_ they work. Theyve wanted to choose their **purpose, people** , and **priorities**  what they do, who they collaborate with, and when and how much they work. Grant's new book [_Hidden Potential_](https://adamgrant.net/book/hidden-potential/) __ being released late October will no doubt touch on these factors as being essential to a person's full potential being realised.

As Simon Sinek said in Brene Browns [Whats Happening at Work](https://brenebrown.com/podcast/whats-happening-at-work-part-2-of-2/) podcast with Adam Grant, this could be behind the quiet quitting in good companies with good leaders.

_I think its skewing younger, young people trying to figure out how my work fits into my life,_ he says. __

In the same podcast, Adam Grant indicated that a **healthy form of quiet quitting** might be more akin to a cry for flexibility and autonomy by otherwise engaged employees: _I can care about my job, but contain it, and Im not going to be exploited anymore just because Im engaged._

**Flexible 20% of the Time**

Flexibility doesnt have to be time away from work completely. It can also be flexibility in _what_ you spend time on at work.

Speaker [Dorie Clark](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/dorieclarkstrategicthinking), author of _The Long Game_ , says Google expanded to 20% 3Ms employee initiative of setting 3% of time aside for discretionary, speculative activities. So, one fifth of a Google employees time can be legitimately spent on more creative projects.

As Dorie says, no-one can predict the future so by allocating 20% of time to think strategically and creatively, you effectively create **back-up plans**. They could save the company.

Dorie says hedging your bets make you more resilient. How can you carve out up to 20% of your time to work on discretionary or speculative activities?

**Flexibility in Meetings**

Meetings are now a significant part of a workers remote and hybrid day. One 2023 Microsoft study found the amount of time workers spend in meetings has **more than tripled**. \([NPR](https://www.npr.org/2023/02/13/1156610135/since-the-pandemic-began-is-it-better-to-have-more-meetings-at-work-or-none-at-a)\)

Seth Godin, in his new book _The Song of Significance_ , says surveys show endless meetings are nominated by employees as the **worst part** of working from home.

He adds that Zoom meetings are often only meetings in the worst sense.

_Attendance is taken, someone lectures, a few people ask questions._

_..no-one likes being lectured, and they like it less when its in real time and masquerading as a conversation._

Seth showcases the experiment of web software company Zapier which suspended all regular meetings for week \(called Get Stuff Done week\).

More than 80% of the teams written goals for the week were achieved. Examples of how it worked:

- Instead of a weekly 1:1, staffer consolidated questions for their manager and sent via Slack.

- Instead of a project check-in, all team members sent updates in the relevant Asana task list.

- Instead of a one-off strategy call, stakeholders shared their thoughts in a Coda doc.

- Instead of a project kickoff call, the project manager sent a Slack message with charter, timeline and next steps.

\(Note: You can join our free Author Access live virtual event with Seth Godin - [Seth Godin - The Song of Significance](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g000000QyTaEAK) on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 8 a.m. \(AEDT\).\)

**Flexibility and Work-Life Balance**

We talked earlier about experiments in flexibility. It seems many business leaders are over the workplace flexibility that defined Covid-times.

A [KPMG 2023 CEO Outlook survey](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/kpmg-ceo-outlook-2023-net-talent-fpsg-group-/) confirms there's a growing consensus among global CEOs that a return to in-office work is on the horizon. 6 in 10 leaders \(64%\) globally predict a **full return to in-office** working by 2026.

However, employees continually express a desire to keep hybrid work, where possible. A [2022 study](https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/ishybridworkingheretostay/2022-05-23) highlighted that **78% of employees** who had the option to work remotely expressed an improvement in their work-life balance.

By cutting out the commute to and from the office, working remotely gives employees more time to spend with their families, exercising or just getting some extra rest. For employees, this means less stress and anxiety, more time for hobbies and family, and greater overall happiness and productivity.

**Balance Between Productivity and Flexibility**

As Adam Grant will set out at his [live events in Melbourne and Sydney in February 2024](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g000000R00ZEAS), of pivotal importance to leaders is the striking a balance between productivity and flexibility.

While productivity remains a cornerstone of success, flexibility is the glue that holds our work cultures together in the face of rapid change.

A positive and adaptable workplace culture prioritises both aspects, fostering an environment where employees can thrive, innovate, and contribute their best while enjoying the freedom and satisfaction of autonomy.

As business leaders, rethinking flexibility and what it really means for each team member will satisfy all parties, and define the future direction of your workplace.

**See Adam Grant in person in 2024**

Dont miss Adam Grants highly-anticipated Australian tour in 2024[ ADAM GRANT  LIVE: Unlock Hidden Potential & Transform WorkLife](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/event.php?eventId=a1J9g000000R00ZEAS). Tickets are selling fast \(Note: VIP Melbourne SOLD OUT. Limited VIP tickets left in Sydney\).

**About Adam Grant**

Adam Grant is a renowned organisational psychologist, bestselling author, and global influencer. As Wharton's top-rated professor for seven consecutive years, his expertise in motivation, generosity, original thinking, and rethinking has made him a leading authority in his field.

His five _New York Times_ bestselling books _Think Again, Give and Take, Originals, Option B_ , and _Power Moves_ have resonated with millions of readers in 45 languages. His latest book is _Hidden Potential._

With hugely successful TED talks and his TED podcasts WorkLife and ReThinking, plus a substantial social media following and popular monthly newsletter, Adam Grant is one of the world's most inspiring thinkers and speakers.

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Rethinking Flexibility at Work: Adam Grant, Seth Godin, Dorie Clark & more

95% of workers want to set their own hours for a better work-life balance

Keep informed
Stay Inspired

Rethinking Flexibility at Work: Adam Grant, Seth Godin, Dorie Clark & more

95% of workers want to set their own hours for a better work-life balance

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired