Let’s Get Real About AGILE… yeah?
Published
Why is ‘agile working’ so confusing? Why is it impossible to wrap our heads around what it means? Well … welcome to your education. Let’s get to it!
Agile Working. It’s a phrase thrown around a lot when it comes to modern working, but what does it mean really, and is it all it’s cracked up to be? In brief, agile working is simply where employees are given maximum flexibility and minimum constraints, to work how they see fit.
While it may take a fair deal of trust, the reality is that agile and flexible working environments are the direction more and more businesses are heading, and for great reason. More than a desire for a paycheque drives today’s worker, autonomy over where and when you work and a good work, life balance are central to the needs of the modern employee, and indeed central to the best outcome for a company. This is why so many workers today are no longer tethered to their workstations, preferring to hot desk, work out of the office, collaborate in group project areas, and bounce ideas of co-workers in huddle spaces.
With 69% of the millennial, or net generation, wanting to choose when and where they work, it’s no surprise that businesses are turning to agile working to attract the next wave of thought leaders and innovators.
Agile working is more than simply opening up variable office hours, with the mantra “work is an activity, not a place”, serving as a suitable slogan for the practice. Most definitions of flexible working follow this idea, seeing new ways of working as multi dimensional and not just limited to doing the same old work in the same old way, just at a different time. Effective agile working is about more than where, or even when people work, it’s about fostering an environment of freedom of choice for staff; about ensuring a culture where the work carried out is enjoyable and delivers the best possible outcomes.
It’s undoubtedly true that there’s A LOT about ‘agile’ to wrap your head around. But thankfully our industry’s prime agile working research and development team at Haworth have collated all you need to know about agility in the workplace. Their compound infographic series, below, is designed to take you through every element of contemporary agile behaviour, designs and workplace modalities.
Get the complete Agile Working infographic here.
Related Articles
Articles
Creating synergies of form, hue and space
When considered from the perspective of the human experience, a chair is not merely an object. It is a human vantage point within a space, it is the focal point for energies and activities, and it is a visual anchor that guides activities and emotions.
Articles
Injecting identity into adaptable workplaces: the brand harnessing the visual treasure trove of cross-sector design culture
The magnetic pull of certain spaces comes down to how seamlessly they work and, more importantly, how they feel. Recognising this, Kettal Workplace draws on the uplifting codes of other sectors to deliver contemporary workplace design.
Articles
What Nikari reveals about Finnish design and its love of wood
KFive Furniture and Finnish design brand, Nikari, invite us into a world of Finnish folklore and exquisite woodworking traditions. As we step through this moody, magical forest of culture and contemporary design, we discover what makes Finnish design distinct from its Scandinavian counterparts.
Articles
The brand spotlighting furnishings crafted with purpose and the skilled design minds behind them
A wander around a BACHLI showroom reveals a tapestry of captivating furniture designs, curated precisely and craft-led. Thanks to its longstanding partnerships with iconic designers, BACHLI has become a go-to for discovering the most exciting established and emerging Australian and international brands. Initially based in Melbourne, BACHLI have recently expanded into Sydney with their Surry Hills showroom, increasing their presence and opening their invitation to the design-savvy and curious nationwide.