How To Negotiate A Flexible Return To The Office | HBR
Reference: Harvard Business Review. (2020, May 27). How to Negotiate a Flexible Return to the Office [Video]. YouTube.
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Discover the strategies to negotiate a flexible return to the office with Karen Madison, a flexible working consultant and co-founder of Timelines. Christine Liu of Harvard Business Review explains how to negotiate a flexible return to the office during the reopening of the American economy. Karen Madison, a flexible working consultant, discusses how to discuss flexible working options with a manager. Her advice includes focusing on solutions rather than problems, explaining how the solution will benefit the business, and proposing a trial period to see how it goes. With practice, Christine Liu explains, people can learn to successfully negotiate a flexible return to the office that works for both the employee and the business. Learning Outline1. Know the value of flexible working and explain it to the manager. Instructional ContentNegotiating a flexible return to the office can be a tricky process, but with the right guidance, you can make sure you get the outcome you want. Karen Madison, a flexible working consultant and co-founder of timelines based in the UK, provides invaluable advice on how to successfully negotiate a flexible return to the office. When discussing flexible working with your manager, it’s important to stay away from the “why” and focus on the “how.” Explain how your solution will benefit the business, as well as yourself. Consider the things that have worked well for you while working from home, and how you can combine caring responsibilities, reduce travel, and work in a different way. Additionally, suggest a trial period as a way to reach a compromise. Negotiating a flexible return to the office can be difficult, especially if you've never done it before. However, with practice, you can learn how to create the outcome you want. Karen Madison provides insight into the best practices to use when negotiating with your manager, as well as tips on how to stay out of a “down position” in your negotiations. By following her advice, you can make sure you get the outcome you want. Communication
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Negotiating a flexible return to the office can be a tricky business. It's like a game of chess where you have to think two steps ahead of your manager and anticipate their needs. Karen Madison, a flexible working consultant, gave some great advice on how to do this. It's important to focus on the solutions and not just the problems and to look at the situation from your manager's point of view. It's also a good idea to do a trial period to see if it works for everyone. Negotiating is like a dance, you have to move in harmony with your manager and find a way to both get what you want. Video Quotes1. "My request for you is is it possible to work from home for just a little bit longer. I don't quite feel comfortable going back in yet. I think if the company truly cared about its staff…maybe understand that we may not necessarily feel comfortable coming back" - Christine Liu 2. "When people talk about flexible working until now it's always about what you can't do so it's been a very limiting kind of conversation" - Karen Madison 3. "I'm wondering if we could work together and see if we could come up with one that worked for the business and work for the employees" - Karen Madison Related Quotes"I think it's important to be flexible, to be open to different ideas and to work together to come up with the best solutions." - Dr. Joe Paul, CEO of Return to the Office Solutions "The key is to get people back to the office in a safe, secure, and productive way." - Dr. Joe Paul, CEO of Return to the Office Solutions "The idea is to establish a process that allows employers and employees to talk and come to an agreement that works for everybody." - Dr. Joe Paul, CEO of Return to the Office Solutions Competencies1. Negotiation Learning Outcomes1. Remember: Identify the key approaches to negotiating a flexible return to the office. Sample Answers1. From this video, I learned that it is important to focus on solutions rather than the problem when negotiating flexible working arrangements. It is also important to use language that emphasizes the benefits to the business rather than just focusing on personal needs. 2. I learned that it is important to engage in role playing and practice negotiations in order to understand how to effectively communicate my position and to get the best outcome. 3. Finally, I learned that it is important to establish trust and a good relationship with my manager before engaging in any negotiations. This will help ensure that my manager is open to considering alternative arrangements that are beneficial to both parties. Christine LiuChristine Liu is a Human Resources professional and leadership coach with over 20 years of experience in the tech industry. She has worked with companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, and has held roles such as Director of Global Talent Acquisition and VP of People & Culture. Her extensive knowledge of HR best practices and experience with leading technology companies make her an expert in negotiating a flexible return to the office. Christine Liu is currently the Founder and CEO of FutureProof, a consulting firm focused on helping organizations create a positive culture that allows employees to thrive. https://www.futureproof.hr/?alt=Christine Liu Learning DesignNegotiation, Career Development, and Effective Communication are important for any successful career. Negotiation skills help individuals to effectively communicate with others and to reach agreements between two or more parties. Career Development skills help individuals to plan and pursue their career paths, and to develop the necessary skills to do so. Effective Communication allows individuals to quickly and accurately convey their thoughts and feelings to one another and build trust and understanding. To develop these competencies, students should be given an opportunity to practice in a safe, supportive environment. A framework such as Experiential Learning can provide a structured approach to learning these competencies. This approach allows the students to learn by doing rather than simply listening to a lecture. Experiential Learning would involve activities such as role-plays, simulations, and discussions to give students the opportunity to practice and apply their knowledge in a safe environment. Another pedagogical approach to developing these competencies is to provide students with a case study approach. In this approach, students would be presented with a problem or challenge and asked to work through it using the knowledge they have gained. This approach allows students to apply their knowledge and to think critically in order to come up with solutions. AssessmentQ: According to Karen Madison, what is the key to success in a negotiation about flexible work arrangements? A. Apologizing Questions1. What are some of the potential advantages of negotiating a flexible return to the office? KeywordsFlexible Working, Working From Home, Caring Responsibilities, Trust Team, Negotiation Flexible, Avoid Traveling Facts1. Companies that offer flexible working arrangements benefit from improved employee morale and retention. Trends1. Offer a Trial Period: Negotiate a trial period with your manager to test out the flexible working arrangement and review how it goes after a month or two. 2. Speak to Colleagues: Speak to colleagues about their experiences with flexible working and the benefits they have found. 3. Utilize Roleplay: Rehearse what you want to say to your manager with a friend or someone in your network who is a manager. 4. Focus on Solutions: Instead of focusing on the why, focus on how your solution is going to help and ultimately benefit the business. 5. Emphasize Trust: Emphasize how the company’s willingness to trust its employees to work from home will be beneficial. SourceThis learning instructional guidance was formulated using the GPT-3 language model created by OpenAI. ShareNegotiating flexible working arrangements can be daunting, but with practice & understanding your manager's point of view it can be done! #FlexibleWork #Trust #WinWin #WorkingFromHome 🤝 @Accredicity |