New Ways to Work
I was catching up with an old friend and telling her about my clients on the East Coast, in the Midwest and in Southern California. Then I explained how I work with my team—none of whom “reports” to work at my office. When I read the Financial Times interview with Professor Lynda Gratton of London Business School, who talked about the future of work, it all came together for me. Mine is a consultant’s view. People in the corporate environment no doubt will experience it in other dimensions and with different nuances.
Post-geographic. There was a time when only road warriors crisscrossed the country and perhaps the world to conduct business. Now, as the Internet makes more and more communication options open to more of us, working across geographic regions is accessible to anyone with a computer and optionally a phone. Now, global teams can collaborate easily on a day-to-day basis, adding that much more efficiency to the workplace.
Cross-cultural. I like being able to touch base with my colleagues in Europe in the morning and switch to speaking Chinese in the evening. Living in California gives me the flexibility to do all of this without working extraordinary hours. It opens up a broader array of resources and talents I can tap into, as well as business opportunities, not to mention the rewards of variety and intellectual challenge.
Multidisciplinary. If we can transcend geography and time zones, surely we can begin to reach beyond our comfort zones. Marketing communication professionals are accustomed to working with strategic and creative disciplines. We have been good at tapping into research, media, medical and scientific resources. Now, we can and should begin to tap into specialties such as behavioral sciences and refine our approaches to influencing perception and adherence.
A balancing act. The Blackberry makes it difficult for us to duck emails, especially when they are coming in a steady stream from different time zones. For me, it means disciplining myself to carve out downtime, so that I can stay fresh and effective. Likewise, cyber contacts cannot replace the face-to-face interactions and personal relationships that are the basis for trust and collaboration, not to mention just “getting on the same page.” Good thing I do like travel.
Always integrated. I think flourishing in this new environment is about weaving together different cultures, disciplines and perspectives. That’s where we can derive synergy and generate fresh ideas. Otherwise, we’d simply be working longer hours in more places, and that would be a pity.