Everybody seems to agree that it’s a good idea to stop working like we did in the 1960s: flex time, working from home, time-outs and free times have been slowly gaining in popularity. I agree, too, and I’d like to take things even further. When everybody is in control of his job content, he can also control his working hours.

Unfortunately, there are complications that come with the new system. When somebody calls you during your time off with an urgent request, what happens ?  This is exactly the problem that BCG was facing. Their consultants are traditionally assumed to be available for work 24/7. That made it hard for some consultants who loved their jobs, but required more private time. The solution was quite drastic: BCG decided to share everybody’s work. A project is not yours alone, it’s 80% yours and 20% somebody else’s. An article on FastCompany describes this change.

The focus of the article is more on the advantages of slowing down, so it doesn’t cover the most important side-effect of this change. When you’re not alone doing a job, you need to keep the others up-to-date on the progress. Another article, also on FastCompany, talks about this aspect of going flexible. Delegation and collaboration become an important part of any job. This is to everybody’s advantage. The customers get more guarantees that the job will get done, even if somebody is out for a while. At the same time, employees don’t feel like the entire project rests on their shoulders. An approach like the 80-20 idea of BCG means more flexibility and more resilience for the organisation. But it requires organisation and collaboration.

There’s quite a lot to think about in these two articles. I see some opportunity for ICT to build new tools that help with this sort of team organisation. But in the end, it is up to the people to collaborate, no matter which tool they use. This requires a change in mentality on all levels: become aware that you are a coordinator and not just a worker. It means giving up the security of owning “your” project. But it also means that you get to work more closely with your colleagues, which is a more social way of job appreciation. And it flattens the organisation, so you are more your own boss.