Page 165 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

144 � mAnAgIng the moBIle workForCe

Job design
At this point, we need to achieve those goals, and generally we hire
people either contingently or permanently to fill a job designed to do
just that. Then we can start being more specific about how workforce
mobility fits into this scheme. In the past, most organizations de-
signed jobs to be located in one place. But, as we’ve seen, especially
with more sophisticated technology, location is less restricting than
ever before. Indeed, being able to locate workers anywhere gives the
organization additional degrees of strategic freedom, which can be a
source of long-term competitive advantage.
So, when redesigning a job, rethink any assumption in your head
that has to do with location. Just because you once used to have a doc-
ument center, why can’t you put all your files in a cloud and let your
document workers access it from anywhere they wish? Your admin-
istrative assistant has always sat right outside your desk. Why? Many
excellent assistants work in completely different parts of the country
from their bosses. Rethink those constraining assumptions—for all
your jobs.
In fact, why not think about this in terms of tasks instead of the
whole job, which is really a set of tasks organized for one person?
Which tasks can be completed mobilely and which are tied to a spe-
cific location? Think about that a lot, because some tasks that require
a physical location today might not in just a few short years, months,
or even days. For example, today we think we need bank tellers to
be available for customers. In a few short years, when most people
have some form of telepresence right in their own homes, there may
be little or no need for a retail bank location. How about emergency
medical teams—those we need to be right there on the spot for sure,
right? If we think far enough out and use our imaginations, how-
ever, do you think there could ever be a time when emergency support
could be given via telemedicine? Heck, maybe we’ll be teleporting one
of these days and won’t even be driving cars. It could happen. Just ask
those people who thought we’d never step on the moon.
So think of any task that could be automated, communicated,
tracked online, developed into a computerized work tool, or virtu-