The better you know your people, the more successful your mobility strategy
2 min read
Risk versus reward and the trade-off between possible data breaches and workforce productivity are the main considerations for most organisations when implementing a mobility strategy. One of the drivers I hear about frequently is how to attract and retain talented staff, but how much do we assume about our employees and mobility? Do we really understand how people embrace mobility and therefore what value they place upon it? Indeed, has anyone actually bothered to ask?
According to a new Cisco-supported research report by Tony Crabbe, it is clear that ‘mobility’ means different things to different people. The research also reveals that how, where and when people chose to be mobile varies based on their motivation, or persona. Understanding the types of persona in an organisation could and should influence the scope of the organisation’s mobility strategy. The four most common mobility personas identified in the research are summarised below:
The Producer – the producer works on the road, at home and in the office – wherever they can get the most done. 41% of managers were ‘producers’, compared to just 20% of employees
The Player – the player loves their mobile devices, living their life and building their identity through them. ‘Players’ all but disappear after the age of 40, replaced by ‘jugglers’
The Juggler – racing from task to task, the juggler use mobility tools to balance the demands of their role with the demands of their personal life. 37% of all Gen X women are ‘jugglers’
The Serialist – the serialist has a clear sense of boundaries, balancing work responsibilities with their right to have a life outside of work. 55% of all ‘serialists’ in our findings worked in Human Resources
Excitedly, I thought this may be my chance, at long last, to claim a category that at least made me sound cool or appear younger than my 40 years. But alas no, and with little surprise I am very much a ‘producer’. However, I identified three areas of particular interest to me:
1. What technology does my team use most often, and when during the day do they use it?
2. Where do they feel they can be at their most productive, and why not everywhere?
3. How, if at all, do people separate professional and personal time, and what are the intentional boundaries they create? What’s more, how should I respect these?
Take a few minutes to read the report for yourself and discover (or in my case, confirm) your mobility persona. Let us know your thoughts on the initial research or better still, share your results so we can broaden the research sample and publish further findings.
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2 Comments
Thanks Travis for the reply. I agree and have already had those conversations with my team. It sparked an interesting debate (one I have never had before) that as a manager will most definitely help me engage with the individual more effectively.
I’m in the transition from the Producer to the Juggler. It would be interesting to see managers ask their employees these questions and see the tallied results.