Agile & Activity Based Working: Make the right choice

The modern world has not only altered our lifestyle for the better but has also brought about change in the way we work. Companies today have come to realize the need for flexible workplaces. Those employers who let their team choose their working style has witnessed increased participation of each individual with respect to completing tasks, and sportingly working towards achieving the organizations’ goals.

There are many flexible working approaches available today for both employer and employees. The two most increasingly popular ones are Activity-Based Working (ABW) and Agile Working.
Both these approaches being noticeably different are often intermingled and muddled, with some people using these terms interchangeably. So let’s understand what’s the difference between these two approaches.

Everything you need to know about agile working :

Agile Working is all about letting your employees work as they wish. You create a workplace that spells FREEDOM. The freedom to choose from working in the office, home or via mobile or simply a combination of all the three. Agile workers are seen to be more productive as they undeniably have the flexibility to choose their working hours and their workplace which in turn encourages creativity, collaboration and the willpower to do more. Agile working is cleverly believed to be one of the aspects of smart working which combines the progression of technology into your everyday work life. The simplest example of this progression being, a cloud-solution that lets you access information irrespective of your location. Hence as a wise leader, the best way to retain the excellent talent is to adopt a dynamic work culture that lets the employees be themselves.

Here’s a quick overview of the pros and cons of Agile Working:

Pros:

• A greater sense of autonomy and freedom for employees
• Job satisfaction, leading to better engagement and talent retention
• An overall reduction in operating costs

Cons:

• This method cannot be applied selectively. It either has to be adopted by all or none
• Requires latest technology and a strong IT support fundamental.
• Calls for a significant culture shift for both employees and management

Everything you need to know about Activity Based Working (ABW):

Activity Based Working is quite similar to Agile Working as both focuses on giving employees the freedom to choose how they work. However, ABW has a lot more aspects to it than just deciding how to work. ABW based workers are encouraged to discover the ways which they work best while still maintaining connections with the team, while Agile based working concerns individual employee contribution. Activity Based Working concerns the team as a whole. A lot of importance is given in building the team and fostering networking. Activity Based Working ideally works around the strategy that no employee owns a work desk. The working premise is rather broader and includes a host of settings that allow the team to conduct specific tasks at respective places. This approach is best when adopted in open-plan offices as these kinds of offices have a great mix of quiet corners,recreation facilities, training rooms, shared workspaces, private offices,meeting rooms,cafes and more.

Here’s a quick overview of the pros and cons of Activity Based Working:

Pros:

• This offers employees a choice settings for a variety of workplace activities.
• There is greater autonomy for employees which gives them a chance to perform their best
• More employee engagement and increased productivity.

Cons:

• Does not work with all business genres.
• You will be required to tweak your management techniques and work culture to a great extent
• It may necessitate physical re-structuring of workspaces

Agile Working and Activity Based Working both give your business a competitive advantage. However, the one you choose to adopt at your workplace depends on understanding which approach works best for you. Choosing the right path lets your employees perform 100 times better when they are at the peak of their potential.