Autonomous work: How employees can take control

Imagine: a company and a workplace where everyone feels they are making a contribution, of being equally important and independent. Autonomous work is the way to get there, and companies around the world are introducing such structures. Autonomy in the workplace gives your employees the power to do more, improve performance, and increase profits — all with a greater sense of control.

Let's take a look at autonomous work and its revolutionary approach to see what it's all about.

Autonomous work: What does that mean?

Let's look at the importance of autonomous work. What exactly is it, what does it mean, and how can you apply it to your own organization? In short, autonomous work is a structure that switches off the dreaded 24/7 monitoring by managers and cuts the chains to the office through numerous adjustments. It should offer all employees more flexibility and strengthen them in their roles.

But what is an autonomous team? It is usually a team of motivated employees who can manage projects without constant supervision by working together and getting their work done regardless of where and when they work. An efficient autonomous team will get the same, if not better, results than teams that don't have the same flexibility.

Examples of autonomy in the workplace

Autonomous work is not just a figment of the imagination. It is already taking place in companies of all shapes and sizes. Companies that use systems/tools that improve the efficiency of autonomous work are actually starting to make progress. A software such as Flexopus is an example of such tools.

Flexopus promotes autonomous work by enabling employees to make their work environment flexible. With the intuitive booking platform, employees can decide for themselves where they want to work, in the office or working from home. If they opt for the office, they have the option of choosing between differently equipped workstations and different office zones. If you would rather have it quieter on that day, you can book a free space in the relaxation area, for example. This freedom allows employees to maximize productivity and creativity by choosing the environment that best suits their current tasks.

Employees can also view their meeting rooms and parking spaces Reserve in advance so that there is no unnecessary searching. Flexopus also provides a real-time overview of workplace occupancy, which means that they always stay informed who is in the office at what time.

The integration of Flexopus into existing business systems facilitates seamless integration into everyday work and supports seamless communication and collaboration. Flexopus not only increases flexibility and efficiency in everyday office life, but also promotes employee satisfaction and autonomy.

Desk sharing is just one example of autonomous work, so what are other examples?

• Flexitime: Employees can start at 5 in the morning and stop early, or start late and stop late as long as the hours are done.
• Flexible work locations: working from home, in business centers, in a café or other location (depending on the Wi-Fi connection).
• Your own goal: Employees can set individual goals for their respective teams in terms of profit targets, turnaround times, etc.
• Flexibility during meetings: Team members can set up their own meetings and select the ones that are most important to achieve their goals and objectives.
• Independent budgeting: Automatically gives employees the green light for company spending up to a certain value in order to remove unnecessary obstacles.

How employers can promote employee autonomy in the workplace

An autonomous wonderland cannot be created by magic. Employers must do their job to make it happen.

If you're running your own business or managing a large team, you can use the following tips to set the stage for efficient autonomy in the workplace:

1. Limit employee control visits: Show confidence in your team's capabilities by reducing unnecessary meetings, requests for updates and reports, and more
2. Streamlining communication: Use services and platforms where collective goals can be observed and monitored so everyone is on the same page.‍
3. Promotion and implementation of skills development: Consider courses, certifications, and training days for team members to prepare them to work independently.‍
4. Avoid punishing mistakes: Create a culture where it's okay to try things out, fail, make mistakes, and learn from mistakes to improve in the future.‍
5. Praise: Don't forget those who work autonomously to pay recognition and public supportto maintain the connection.‍
6. Open door policy: Keep lines of communication wide open between all levels of the organization.‍
7. Design and implementation of flexible guidelines: rules for adjustable working hours and set up locations.‍
8. Promoting work-life balance: Respect personal time and encourage healthy balance between work and life.

Autonomous team structure

To enable autonomous work, you may need to redesign your organization's structure. In this case, we will show you how you can create an optimal structure for autonomous work:

• Flatten the pyramid: Reduce management levels and create open lines of communication between employees at all levels.
• Mix the teams: Build teams with diverse skills to create self-sufficient units.
• Guided tour of the marching chair: Let different team members take over the helm, depending on project requirements.
• Objective: Set clear team goals that align with the company's ambitions.
• Huddle up: Schedule regular meetings to stay on track and resolve issues.
• Everyone on deck: Involve everyone in making decisions, big and small.
• Tireless development: Maintain a culture where building skills, sharing knowledge, and personal development are always on the agenda.

Autonomous workgroups: advantages and disadvantages

Like anything worthwhile, autonomous working groups also have their advantages and disadvantages. Nevertheless, autonomy in the workplace is currently very much in vogue, as the advantages demonstrably outweigh the disadvantages! As far as details are concerned, you can use the following lists as a guide:

The good sides:

• Employees are more engaged and happier at work
• creativity and innovation Go through the roof
• The problem-solving competence is significantly increased
• Productivity and efficiency reach new highs
• Teams are becoming more adaptable to change
• Less need for middle management
• Top talent flourishes and stay with the company for the long term

The not-so-good things:

• Risk of deviation from corporate goals
• Difficult assessment of individual performance
• Some team members may feel isolated or unsupported
• Employees may feel more under pressure as a result of increasing responsibility

Synopsis

Thanks to autonomous work, the traditional 9-to-5 day is already a thing of the past. This concept and the associated adjustments to old-school working methods are a welcome change that was long overdue. As autonomous work is becoming more and more popular and delivering ever better results, you should ask yourself whether you really want your company to lose touch because it doesn't adapt.

In other words, are you ready to embrace a culture of autonomous working to move with the times and make your business thrive? We'll leave the answer to that question up to you!