Remote working, telecommuting, flexi-working: whatever you call it, working from home is on the rise, but does it suit every employee?
As some of us are naturally more social than others, the answer has to be no. That's why an alternative, known as the Third Place, is emerging. And it's coming to a coffee shop near you. That is, if it's already not there.
A Third Place isn't a home or company office. It's a physical location - a café, shared office, perhaps even a 'work club' - that gives your staff greater flexibility in a world dictated by speed and rapid change.
The term itself was popularised by urban sociologist Ray Oldenberg in his 1999 book The Great Good Place which described the essential community building role of informal public spaces such as cafes, coffee shops, bars, bookstores and hair salons. (1)
The corporate world has since commandeered the phrase to label the concept of allowing staff to choose to work where they feel most comfortable, versatile and creative.
But before you start visualising a people-free office with tumbleweeds blowing through the corridors, it's worth noting that the adoption of a Third Place culture does not signal an end to the company workplace.
Some staff may work from a Third Place once a month, some might work remotely once a week, others might always work from their Third Place. Certain employees might not feel comfortable about the Third Place option at all, preferring to work exclusively from the company office or remotely from home.
Whatever the mix, working from a Third Place is an alternative that can help you foster and hold onto talent in the face of ever-increasing skills shortages. It can also lower overheads, broaden labour market opportunities and bolster productivity.
It's all about job satisfaction
The benefits of remote work were recently quantified by the European Union's Sustainable Telework survey (2), a study that measured the economic, environmental and social impact of off-site employment in five countries.
While this research did not look specifically at Third Place workers, it found remote workers in general exhibited higher productivity, recorded less sick days and enjoyed greater job satisfaction than their cubicle bound colleagues.
In the UK, the absentee rate of remote workers dropped by around 70% with nine out of 10 employees saying they enjoyed a better work-life balance despite actually working longer hours.
The survey also found that remote workers went about their jobs more creatively with 90% of BMW's remote workers suggesting their take up and implementation of new ideas had improved.
Remote work is fast becoming a mainstream practice. Research conducted in the US by AT&T estimates that over one quarter of American companies allow more than 50% of their employees to work from home on a regular basis. (2)
Home and away
While working from home is a perfect fit for some, it leaves many feeling isolated and in desperate need of a daily dose of social interaction.
Neither home nor office, Third Places can offer the best of both worlds. They deliver on environmental buzz and social contact yet are free of household distractions. And because these remote work destinations are chosen by the worker themselves you can be sure it will be an environment they like.
An employee's Third Place will generally be close to their home, perhaps a healthy walk or bike ride away. This proximity diminishes unproductive commuting time, lessens our reliance on fossil fuels and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Encouraging staff to participate in your Third Place culture can also help alleviate the burnout inducing problem of overworking that often occurs when the distinction between home and work is blurred. (3)
And as much as you'd probably prefer not to think about it, a Third Place offers a contingency plan for your business to continue running in the aftermath of a natural disaster, terrorist attack or pandemic.
Making Third Places work
Communication is the key to developing a successful Third Place culture at your company. That's why you'll be visiting your workers' Third Places on a regular basis... not physically, but virtually.
Technological innovation and the roll-out of ubiquitous wi-fi broadband will enable video calls to provide the physical presence managers need to adequately engage and support their staff.
Video calls will be the communications tool of choice as they offer an enhanced sense of 'being there' with face-to-face interaction enabling you to quickly and succinctly read non-verbal cues.
While video calls aren't particularly impressive at their current stage of development, they will become a powerful communications alternative as image quality and software interfaces improve.
A word of warning: You will need to be mindful of how confidential issues are communicated. One solution is to give Third Place staff plenty of warning regarding sensitive topics thereby enabling them to move to a 'safe' area if necessary.
In the US, some shared Third Place workspaces or 'work clubs' feature dedicated 'cone of silence' areas and quiet rooms. (4) Perhaps these will be standard features of future Starbucks outlets or even the pub down the road.
The Third Place checklist
To make a Third Place culture work for your organisation:
1. Carefully evaluate which positions and people are suited to remote work
2. Invite participation, don't order it
3. Schedule in regular face-to-face time to ensure remote staff feel supported
4. Make sure workers have access to reliable, secure communications tools
5. Regularly monitor and evaluate the productivity of Third Place workers
6. Make communications training available to avoid lapses in confidentiality
7. Keep your team connected with a combination of real world networking and new media facilitated contact (e.g. instant messaging and blogs)
8. Ensure your organisation has a strong sense of corporate identity that is continually filtered through to remote workers
The Third Place trend is worth keeping an eye on. Next time you walk past a coffee shop on a workday afternoon see how many laptops and business meetings you can count. This time next year that number will probably be double or more as organisations come to realise that even a small injection of workplace flexibility can prove the odd adage 'a change is as good as a holiday'.
Notes:
(1) http://www.pps.org/info/placemakingtools/placemakers/roldenburg
(2) http://www.teleworkconsortium.org/the_remote_working_revolution.pdf
(3) http://www.careerjournal.com/columnists/workfamily/20060828-workfamily.html?cjpos=home_whatsnew_minor
(4) http://www.networkworld.com/net.worker/columnists/2004/0614kistner.html
In a world saturated by non-stop imagery, noise and activity, could scent be the edge marketers need to more effectively communicate their brand messages? 
