Before COVID-19 this global head of marketing and business development would travel to meetings around the world, and jet lag was never a problem. Today he epitomizes the new generation of asynchronous workers who during the pandemic have taken flexible working to the next level.

These people complete tasks at a time that suits them, which is often at hours that are very different to when their colleagues are working.

Of course this approach only works if systems are in place to ensure collaboration is not lost and everyone trusts everybody else. He is adamant individuals are more efficient and enjoy a healthier work/life balance.

Leadership coach Joanna Howes is a former operations director at marketing agencies Clemenger BBDO in Melbourne and McCann London and spent 19 years working internationally with multi-disciplinary teams. She is unsurprised by the trend toward asynchronous working.

“We are defining what are ‘weird’ hours versus what we have all been conditioned to believe are ‘normal’ hours,” she said. “The pandemic has awakened everyone to the idea that there are 24 hours in the day and not all humans work to their optimal best at the same time.”

She added: “People have proved they can be flexible and adapt to new ways of working. We are able to work the hours that best suit us and in the future will not be considered strange.”

Howes admitted that such a shift will not work for everyone. In the service industry, for example, many people have to match the hours of their clients. There is also a fear that a 24-hour working day could create an “overload culture” with people expected to be available for meetings when their colleagues are despite having already worked many hours. This could cause anxiety, stress and burnout.

The big test will come over the next few months as people return to the office. “We will need compassionate and connected leaders who know the members of their teams individually. They will need leaders to tell them when enough is enough,” said Howes.

Debbie Davies is HR manager of Chinese planning and marketing consultancy Emerging Communications and another person choosing to work the hours that best suit her life. She is based in the U.K. but works very early in the morning to talk to the team in China. She does her best administration work late at night and often takes the middle of the day off.

“We are talking about delivering the perfect work-life balance and this approach only feeds a culture of presenteeism if employees do not feel trusted,” said Davies. “During the pandemic it has been very easy to sit at home for hours in front of a laptop and forget to take …read more

Source:: Digiday

Author: Aaron