How the Future Works

How do you unlock productivity and maintain meaningful connections while offering employees the freedom to work when and where they thrive best?

1. Define Principles, Not Rules, for Flexible Work

Flexible work policies need guiding principles rather than rigid rules. Apple CEO Tim Cook’s decision to enforce specific onsite days resulted in employee dissatisfaction and resignations. This misstep underscores that flexibility is about giving employees real choice, not enforcing a top-down approach disguised as freedom.

A set of principles helps tailor a flexible work strategy to the diverse needs of companies and their employees. The focus should be on the purpose behind flexible policies, such as retaining talent or shifting toward a digital-first mindset. Instead of setting tactical rules, principles guide leaders to adopt a supportive mindset that aligns with organizational goals.

For instance, the Royal Bank of Canada emphasized the value of proximity without mandating set on-site days. This allows managers to decide collaboratively with their teams, embracing flexibility while maintaining a sense of unity.

Examples

• Apple employees rejected a rigid partial-work-from-home policy, leading to attrition.
• The Royal Bank of Canada highlighted proximity as a guiding principle, allowing adaptability.
• Flexibility principles can include fostering trust, encouraging autonomy, or prioritizing well-being.

2. Set Guardrails for Fair Behavioral Expectations

Unclear behavioral guidelines can undermine flexible work models. Imagine dialling into a meeting remotely, only to see all executives gathered in a boardroom. It sends the message that presence is preferred, regardless of policy.

Guardrails help level the playing field, ensuring equal opportunity for on-site and remote workers. For example, Stanford research found remote employees were 50% less likely to get promoted compared to their onsite peers. Addressing this disparity includes setting norms like requiring all participants, regardless of location, to join calls individually for equal visibility.

Role modeling by leadership is key. At Atlassian, executives are limited to onsite work one day per week and hold quarterly in-person meetings. This ensures alignment and commitment to the flexible goals.

Examples

• Stanford study showed promotion inequity for remote workers.
• Atlassian’s restrictions on executive onsite days reinforce flexibility.
• Equality-focused practices, such as individual video call participation, build confidence in policies.

3. Create Flexibility Through Team Agreements

Companies must avoid blanket policies for flexibility. Each team's needs vary based on functions, personalities, and circumstances. Sales and engineering teams, for example, have vastly different work patterns that don’t align with a universal approach.

A Team-level Agreement (TLA) enables teams to define their own flexible strategies. Like organizational principles, TLAs set behavioral expectations, balancing structure and freedom. A key component is identifying core collaboration hours—3-4 shared work hours each day—while permitting individuals flexibility outside those times.

TLAs reflect respect for employee diversity while enabling seamless collaboration. They empower teams to consider their outputs and personal priorities to customize work practices that lead to collective success.

Examples

• Engineers might need focused, solo work time, while sales teams thrive on dynamic collaboration.
• TLAs establish shared collaboration hours alongside personal flexibility.
• Flexible agreements reduce workplace burnout by honoring work-life balance.

4. Encourage Learning Through Experimentation

Adopting flexibility is uncharted territory for many organizations. Treat it as an ongoing experiment, fostering a culture of continuous adaptation. A task force made up of diverse employees can play a critical role in assessing and refining practices for company-wide rollout.

Slack exemplifies this approach by dedicating a portion of senior managers' time to its task force. This task force tests tools and methods to ensure effectiveness before broader implementation. Such iterative learning helps address resistance and validate the benefits of flexible policies.

By openly experimenting and recognizing mistakes as part of the process, organizations can fine-tune their approach to meet dynamic employee and business needs.

Examples

• A diverse task force pilots and evaluates flexible work tools.
• Slack leaders dedicated 20% of their time to flexibility-focused task forces.
• Iterative adaptation reduces change resistance and refines processes.

5. Foster Digital Tools for Genuine Connection

Connection is a basic human need, and it doesn’t have to occur in person. Slack’s research showed that remote work increased employee connection by 36%, proving that digital tools can facilitate bonding.

Tools that centralize communication and resources are critical. Digital social spaces where employees share hobbies or life moments can also replicate informal office interactions. Additionally, online communities for shared identities—such as LGBTQAI+ groups or cultural hubs—offer support and promote inclusivity.

Shifting connection to digital platforms doesn’t mean eliminating physical spaces—organizations may redesign offices to foster creative, cross-team collaboration.

Examples

• Slack’s research found remote work boosted employee connection.
• Companies can establish digital teamwork hubs on shared drives.
• Social platforms help employees bond over interests outside work.

6. Redefine Management as Coaching

Traditional management, focused on supervising and gatekeeping, doesn’t align with flexible work dynamics. In this model, managers must become coaches who build trust, offer clarity on goals, and empower employee potential.

Coaching-oriented managers need training to develop these skills. Ongoing coaching support and structured feedback pairs with accountability partners ensure managers succeed in this role. Recognizing managerial achievements at company events can also reinforce this shift.

By taking on a coach’s role, managers cultivate stronger, motivated teams in dynamic, flexible environments.

Examples

• Managers foster trust through goal transparency and team alignment.
• Coaching support assists managers in adopting empathy and clarity.
• Accountability frameworks prevent managers from feeling isolated.

7. Use Outcomes, Not Hours, to Measure Success

Traditional performance metrics—like hours worked—don’t work in flexible models. A focus on outcomes, rather than activity, is more meaningful. For example, a sales quota based on calls made often sacrifices quality for quantity.

Flexible metrics prioritize value, such as launching successful products or meeting meaningful goals. These can also extend to employee experiences, like minimizing burnout or strengthening collaborative practices.

Digital systems to monitor project progress ensure transparency, offering mutual accountability while valuing everyone’s time.

Examples

• Outcome-based goals celebrate achievements, like new products or services.
• High call quotas can lead to shallow interactions rather than quality sales leads.
• Progress-tracking tools keep teams unified in different time zones or setups.

8. Invest in Digital Connection Tools

A core element of flexible work is creating digital-first environments. This involves using platforms where employees can work collaboratively, regardless of location. Robust intranet systems or content-sharing platforms allow for collective contributions.

Digital tools can also include shared calendars to coordinate cross-team collaboration or specialized platforms focused on solving specific work challenges. These investments sustain productivity while honoring flexibility.

Additionally, digital systems allow hybrid workplaces to manage resources more effectively, blending automation with human effort.

Examples

• Collaboration tools allow global teams to work seamlessly.
• Shared digital calendars align availability without imposing set hours.
• AI-driven analytics tools optimize employee task assignments.

9. Align Physical Spaces with New Goals

Flexible work doesn’t mean doing away with offices—it reimagines their purpose. Headquarters can transition from deskbound arenas to spaces that encourage movement, collaboration, and creativity.

For instance, open layouts or designation-free seating can foster spontaneous interaction across groups. Satellite offices closer to residential zones reduce commute stress and increase accessibility.

By aligning physical transformation with flexible values, organizations build spaces better suited to modern work needs.

Examples

• Design offices for mingling and group brainstorming over individual focus.
• Introduce local hubs for employees seeking in-person collaboration near home.
• Replace rigid cubicle zones with open-layout spaces promoting creativity.

Takeaways

1. Design policies around guiding principles, not predefined rules or hours, to offer real flexibility.
2. Use outcomes instead of activity to measure performance and invest in fostering managerial coaching skills.
3. Prioritize tools and strategies that boost both digital productivity and interpersonal connection.