The flexible office

20 yeas ago it was unthinkable that we will work from any place on Earth and be in touch with colleagues across the globe, and be able to make conference calls without physical presence.

Nowadays we are participants in what is called a virtual office space where the executives, employee and managers can be in different cities, countries or even continents and still make their weekly meetings.

A new challenge is how business leaders adapt their culture and leadership to the new level of communication and new technology. Our new path is exploring and pushing forward the boundaries of flexibility.

Today we don’t need office space and a desk and a telephone in order to work from 9am till 5pm. All one need is a Wi-Fi connection and a power outlet in order to perform our tasks. Today we can work from the coffee shop in the corner, the local library, hotel lobby, train or even from airplane. The new devices allows us flexibility to work from the iPad or iPhone, or any smart handset you use. You can travel excessively and still to make board meeting from another side of the world.

I am not against having a regular office in a beautiful building comfortably loaded with furniture and modern technological equipment but the function of the “office” changed entirely in the last decade.

Today we have a choice; if we want to meet and socialize at the office, to connect and collaborate or to work from home or even a remote part of the world and still to be a part of the team. The technology revolution give us the freedom to be more flexible and to stay connected, to travel intensively and to participate in all meetings, seminars and videoconferences from on the road.

The Internet give us a new perspectives and limitless opportunities for flexible working, it provide flexibility we could not even think about 20 years ago. We adjust our business work accordingly, we create new work cultures where each individual can create his one work environment.

But as always the coin has a backside. Those modern forms of work and alignment can bring depersonalization as well, so the line is very thin and one should be aware of it.

Some times I am thinking, where we will be a further 20 years from now? What will be next?