Page 223 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

202 � mAnAgIng the moBIle workForCe

in Sloan’s 2009 Guide to Bold New Ideas for Making Work Work. The
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Sloan Foundation, in partnership with the Families and Work Insti-
tute, the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, and the Twiga Foun-
dation, sponsors a national initiative called “When Work Works.”
The idea is that workplace effectiveness and flexibility enhances
global competitive advantage for the United States, and helps both
employees and employers. It’s a great win-win.
They have all sorts of data which shows what we already know in-
tuitively: flexible workplaces are more likely to have employees who are
satisfied with their jobs, who will stay with their employer, be more en-
gaged in helping the organization succeed, and improve productivity,
in an atmosphere of respect, support, learning, and challenge. Flex-
ibility isn’t just a benefit for employees, these organizations say; it has
real competitive benefits. Take a look at the Twiga Foundation (http://
www.twigafoundation.org/) or When Work Works (http://www.
whenworkworks.org/) to find much information about flexible work.
Twiga Foundation president Patricia Kempthorne has example af-
ter example of how workplace flexibility increases productivity. She
believes the principles of motivation work exactly the same for both
colocated workers and mobile ones, except that you have to try harder
when working with teleworkers. “It’s not as intuitive,” she told us, “when
you’re not walking by somebody.” She says that picking up a phone or
sending an e-mail, checking with mobile workers, asking how they
are doing, telling them that they are doing great work, and sharing
that great work with peers on a consistent basis is critical. “Sometimes
out in the field you can feel disconnected,” she says. Rewards systems
are very important for motivating at a distance, she says, and can be
done verbally or through video conferencing.
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` summAry

In this chapter eight principles for motivating your workforce were
outlined and specific applications to mobile workers were illustrated.