Senior leadership: role modelling flexibility
Your people are looking for senior leaders genuinely working flexibly.
To retain top talent and bring diverse talent through the ranks, people need to have role models working and living the way they aspire to work and live.
As they look at their next career step, do they want to live like you? Golf once a month or working from home once in a blue moon is not going to cut it.
We need role models for part-time or job share, working from home and prioritising life outside work.
This is absolutely critical to creating genuine career pathways for people who need flexibility. Equal representation of women and other diverse groups in leadership will never happen without this.
Tell the story
We need leaders to not only demonstrate that leadership roles can be done flexibly, but we also need them to shout it from the rooftops.
They should “leave loudly” to show that flexibility isn’t just a word to them. They should be proud of the space they give to their lives outside work and transparent about dedicating time to it.
Profile “flexibility role models” within the senior leadership team to give employees licence to work flexibly and be successful in the organisation.
Beware of flexible tokens
In successful flexible organisations, role models are not one-off examples rolled out as your sole “diversity” example.
Flexibility needs to be genuine and widely adopted to have the greatest impact. Eg. Increasing diversity in talent pipelines and leadership, increasing retention of high potential talent.
Embedded role modelling
looks like…
Consistent part-time hours
Working from home
Multiple leaders working flexibly
Ad-hoc role modelling looks like…
One leader working flexibly
Working from the hairdresser once a month
Going to a kid’s Christmas performance
Going to soccer once a week at 5pm
Leaders deserve flexibility too
Leaders are valued for their ability to provide direction, decisions, guidance and expertise, not coverage across the week.
We also need to hire flexible workers at the mid and senior levels. Show it can be done. And set them up for success.
Seem impossible?
Think again. Flex is for everyone. We can work through this and figure it out. The freedom to work flexibly is important for all of our mental health, retention and role modelling to teams, remember?👆