5 Common Executive Objections to Flexible Work and How to Address Them

Tonille Miller

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Introduction

Despite what might be trending on LinkedIn, flexible work (hybrid, distributed, remote) is not new. Any company with multiple offices (or floors) can certainly attest to that. It’s worth noting that plenty of data cites the benefits of flexible work, from a sense of belonging to an increase in employee satisfaction, productivity, and engagement.

Yet when it comes to implementing flexible work policies, many leaders are still unwilling to budge, citing broad ‘productivity’ or ‘culture’ concerns, among others.

In this article, we’ll examine the 5 most common objections leaders have towards flexible work policies. We’ll also provide actionable recommendations you can follow today to address and resolve their concerns.

1. Executives Think Everyone Needs to Be in an Office to Build Culture and Maintain Connectivity

Many leaders mistakenly believe culture is “Taco Tuesdays” or foosball tables. On the contrary, culture doesn’t require being co-located. Culture is the lifestyle of the organization; it governs how people interact, treat each other, get things done, and what behaviors are rewarded. These signals reflect the culture, whether at a client site or working from home.

When it comes to connection, none of the data show that simply having people in the same office creates or maintains connections. In fact, a Harvard Business Review study found that pre-pandemic, when people were in offices, 65% said they didn’t feel any connection at work.

Here are some ways to build culture and create a sense of connection in a flexible environment:

• Purposeful Gatherings: Bring people together for a specific, focused goal, such as project kick-offs or team-building activities.

• Shared Experiences: Have the team listen to a podcast, read a book, or try a recipe, and then discuss it together.

• Digital Platforms: Leverage digital platforms like Imperative to aid in building team connections and trust.

• Communities: Create communities such as employee resource groups (ERGs) to create a sense of belonging, ownership, and purpose.

2. Executives Believe People Need to Be In-Person to Be Innovative or Collaborative

While some leaders worry remote work could decrease collaboration and innovation, Stanford professor and leading expert on innovation Jeremy Utley suggests that distributed work can actually increase creativity. He says the key to fostering innovative ideas is to have as many sources of different and disparate input as possible. And guess what? Having everyone in the same conference room, at the same time, with the same experience is the opposite of that.
Here are a couple of practical ways you can increase innovation and collaboration:

• Virtual Brainstorming: Collect and discuss team ideas through online collaboration, followed by in-person or virtual meetings for finalizing implementations.

• Virtual Ideation Spaces: Create an idea-sharing platform for employees, let leadership review and implement selected ideas, and publicly recognize contributors to drive innovation and engagement.

3. Executives Believe People Need to Be in the Office to Ensure They’re Being Productive

How do we know someone is being productive just because they are in the office? We don’t.
Even well before the pandemic, Harvard Business Review found presenteeism costs the U.S. economy upwards of $150 billion a year in lost productivity.

Regardless of where, when, or how the work gets done, it’s key to design and align metrics, KPIs, and incentives around outputs instead of inputs. As Brian Elliott, co-founder of Future Forum, notes, when you base your success measures on inputs, you get quantity – emails, meetings, and potentially arbitrary activity. But activity doesn’t equal quality or impact, and can even worsen results. Measuring outcomes, however, encourages focus on what matters and an ownership mindset.

To implement this in your organization, set organization-wide objectives and key results (OKRs). Let each team decide how they want to meet those goals, and enable team members do the work when and where they choose. Rather than track hours logged, track performance outcomes. For salespeople, these include sales generated and client satisfaction; for customer support teams, response and resolution time; and for software engineers, speed of development and deployment.

4. Many Executives Believe You Can’t Develop Employees Remotely

Some executives believe it is too difficult to develop employees remotely due to challenges in replicating in-person experiences and concerns about reduced oversight. In reality, remote development is possible, and flexible work options can democratize and expand developmental opportunities.

Here are some effective strategies to develop employees when working distributed:

• Connect the Dots: When leaders openly share information and connect the dots vs. just assigning tasks, employees gain a valuable understanding of the business, akin to a mini MBA.

• Virtual Apprenticeship: Encourage senior employees to copy junior staff on emails and add them to Slack channels, calls, and Zoom meetings, which provide them with opportunities to observe and learn.

• Learning in the Flow of Work: Real-time coaching and feedback from managers and peers is a highly productive and cost-effective approach that promotes immediate knowledge application.

5. Many Execs Aren’t Sure How to Lead in This New Environment

Leading in a flexible work environment certainly requires a new mindset and habits, but the good news is that the skills required to lead distributed teams are the same skills that enable managers to lead Millennials and Gen Z employees more broadly. Leaders upskilled in this area will not only be good flexible work leaders, but better executives for different employee populations.

For example, Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, said he has no issue with his people working remotely. Nvidia is now the 6th most valuable company in the world – valued at over $1 Trillion – all while embracing distributed work. Last year, it was Glassdoor’s top company to work for, and 97% of their people rated it as a Great Place to Work.

Here are some strategies to help executives lead successfully in flexible work settings:

• Embrace Digital Fluency and Asynchronous Tools: Mastering collaboration, communication, and project management tools is crucial; consider a Millennial or Gen Z reverse mentor for rapid skill development and better organizational awareness.

• Clarity and Transparency: Communicate clear goals, deadlines, and performance expectations to team members (e.g. team-level agreements).

• Trust, Autonomy, and Accountability: Give teams the flexibility to manage their time effectively. Leaders who empower their employees with autonomy and accountability see a virtuous cycle of trust, performance, and ownership.

• Human Communication: Flexible work environments demand enhanced communication and empathy. Regular check-ins with employees focusing on their personal lives, stress levels, and obstacles are an excellent way to orchestrate this.

Conclusion

The trend toward flexible working arrangements is not merely a passing fad but a clear glimpse into the future of work. Companies embracing flexibility, whether opting for a Fully Flexible or Structured Hybrid approach, are expanding their workforce at a rate twice that of their Full Time In Office counterparts.

By proactively addressing objections and educating leaders on the benefits of flexible work, organizations can remain competitive while fostering a more adaptable, productive, and engaged workforce. This shift towards flexibility is truly a win-win, offering employees increased satisfaction, engagement, and a heightened sense of belonging at work while simultaneously enabling employers to thrive in the changing business environment.

About the Author

Tonille Miller
Management Consultant, I/O Psychologist, and Executive Coach; Founder, EXT - Experience and Transformation

Tonille Miller, a Management Consultant, I/O Psychologist, and Executive Coach with 15 years of experience, is dedicated to creating enriching work environments. She founded EXT - Experience and Transformation, focusing on aligning leadership goals with employee needs for peak performance and business success.

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