Taking part in the Future Work Design project has been another fantastic opportunity to gain insightful feedback from our workforce. The experience of our regional colleagues and the support from Hull University in pulling together their research findings will be invaluable for us all.
Before COVID-19 and lockdown we were already working on being a sustainable, progressive and agile organisation and during 2018 we moved out of traditional offices into an agile workspace. Staff were enabled to work from a range of locations, including partner workspaces and their own homes. For us this was not just about reducing paper or using digital aids. Working in an agile way is also about a mind-set, centred on continually adapting to meet business needs, in support of our North Lincolnshire communities.
Throughout our transformation staff have put forward their views and experiences and we have listened and improved. The introduction of new agile hardware and software further accelerated the shift to becoming more agile.
This meant that in March 2020, when we asked all those who could to work from home, we were in a strong position. Changes to the way we have been working to respond to COVID19 have helped us to transform even more swiftly and to a new level of effectiveness. We are coming together to problem solve as one team, at greater pace, with successful results.
A sharper focus on workforce wellbeing was also a priority for us but the current situation has accelerated this. Through feedback questionnaire’s and wellbeing assessments we are shaping the offer for our workforce in the short-term and into the future.
Our aim now is to listen, learn and respond once again to the feedback we obtain through the Future Work Design project and we are looking forward to sharing our joint findings. It will enable us to capture what has worked well and focus on how much further we can take agile working whilst still maintaining personal and professional contact.
Our workforce has shown what we can achieve together and we will continue to build on this, enabling people to choose where they work and how best they can meet the needs of the people and place of North Lincolnshire.
