What Does Flexibility Mean to You? - Tips for Getting More Flexible at Work

Flexibility is a word that gets tossed around in the workplace. But what does it mean to you? To some, flexibility is a lack of requirements or limits. However, for others, flexibility means bouncing back from difficulties and setbacks. Regardless of your definition, increasing your level of flexibility can help you do more at work- and make you happier with your work-life balance. Learn how to get more flexible at work by reading this article!

What is flexibility?

There are a lot of different definitions for flexibility in the workplace. Some people think of it as an absence of requirements or limits, while others believe that flexibility can bounce back from difficulties. The type of flexibility you desire will dictate how you’ll implement it in your work-life balance.

Why should you care about it?

It would help if you cared about your flexibility because it can make you happier with your work-life balance and improve your performance at work. For example, when my children were little, I worked from 9.00 to 3.00 so that I was able to drop them off and pick them up from school.

Both of them are older and out working, and my husband loves playing golf on the weekend. So I might take Friday off and work Saturday, Monday, Tues, Wed, Thursday. Sometimes I might work on a Sunday and take two days off mid-week.

I also wake up early, so my workday might start at 6.00, and I can finish my workday at 3.00 to go home to work in the garden and take my dogs out for a walk.

Consider your current work flexibility.

Before changing anything about your work, it’s essential to consider your current work flexibility. Think about the following:

-How much time do you have during the day to complete tasks?

-Are there fixed hours in which you must complete tasks, or are they flexible?

-Do you feel like you have enough free time to prepare for future projects?

-Do you need more resources at your disposal, like more office supplies or equipment?

These questions will help determine how much flexibility is needed in one’s work routine. Once these questions are answered, it will be easier to see what needs to change and stay the same.

Take a break to figure out what you want.

One of the best ways to increase your flexibility is to take a break. Take some time off work and ask yourself what you want out of life. What do you want from your career? What do you want from your coworkers?

What are the things that matter most to you in your life? By figuring out these things, we as working women or mums can have more direction and understanding as to how our lives should be structured.

The first step in being more flexible at work is getting to know yourself and what’s important to you. The next step would be taking a break- finding a way to get away for a short period and figuring out what you want. You may realize that this job isn’t the right fit for you, or maybe it will give you a new perspective on how much time you’re spending at work. Either way, taking this time for yourself will help make everything better going forward.

Revisit your current work flexibility and re-evaluate

You might be surprised to learn that even if you’re already flexible, there is still an opportunity to improve your current flexibility. To do this, take some time to revisit your present work flexibility. For example, can you take vacations without going through a lengthy approval process? Can you change your schedule if needed? What about changing jobs or roles? All of these questions are about the level of your work flexibility.

For example, does the company have a set vacation policy, or does it require employees to ask for vacation days in advance? If the company has an established policy, this can help ensure that more people get some time off.

If you’re not satisfied with the level of work flexibility, you currently have, re-evaluate what it means for you. Maybe for you, flexible means being able to bounce back from difficulties and setbacks instead of having no requirements or limits.

As long as every person has different definitions of what it means for them, everyone has their meaning of flexibility. For me being flexible means I can work when I am free. I wake up early, and I might start my workday at 5.00 am or 6.00 am, and I might clock off around 2.00 or 3.00 pm to take my dogs for a walk and start working in the garden.

Tips for getting more flexible at work

There are a few critical strategies for getting more flexible at work.

1) Be more open to change

2) Develop your ability to bounce back from difficulties and setbacks

3) Show your willingness to adjust

4) Give yourself credit and appreciation

5) Don’t give up, even when things get difficult or go wrong

6) Get creative with how you do things

Conclusion

Getting more flexible at work can be challenging, but there are concrete steps you can take to make it happen. By re-evaluating your current work flexibility and considering what you want, you can get more flexible at work without feeling like you’re giving up your entire career.

#FlexibleIs #BreakTheBias and #IWD2022.