The Evolution of Flexibility: A Personal Reflection on Work, Identity, and Change

The Early Days: Jackets on Chairs and Long Hours

When I began my career over 25 years ago, office culture was steeped in symbolism and tradition. Leaving a jacket on the back of your chair was a subtle signal that you were still “around”. We often waited for the boss to leave before making our own exit. Long hours were worn like a badge of honour, proof of ambition and commitment.

Were we productive? In short bursts, yes. However, in relation to the time we spent at work, we were productive, just not efficient.

Parenthood: A Catalyst for Change

Fast forward 15 years, and becoming a parent changed everything. Time was no longer mine to manage. A small, dependent human needed me constantly. This shift disrupted my work life and stalled my career, which had become a core part of my identity.

Why was it so disruptive? Because the norms and expectations at work weren’t just embedded in the culture, they were embedded in me.

Breaking the Mould: The Cost of Nonconformity

Unravelling those patterns took immense effort. Not due to a lack of discipline, but because I wasn’t just changing my habits, I was pushing against the structures, beliefs, and biases around me.

There was shame in arriving late or leaving early. Picking up my child from daycare often drew raised eyebrows or comments like, “Taking a short day again today?”even when I logged back in at night. Remarks like, “It must be nice to leave early – I couldn’t work at all when my kids were young,” stung.

My inability to travel at short notice made my leadership role unsustainable. The organisation’s reluctance to consider part-time or job-share arrangements in key roles meant that “flexible” jobs became career holding patterns and signals that you weren’t serious about advancement.

Technology Emerges, Slowly

At the heart of the issue was a lack of imagination. There was no time, or perceived need, to rethink how work could be done. Most people seemed to function just fine within the rigid, time-based model we had built.

To be fair, technology was only just beginning to support remote work. Around 2007–2008, I could finally access a shared drive remotely. Mobile phones, email, and eventually BlackBerrys, introduced some flexibility. Conference calls allowed for remote collaboration. Long nights at the office became long nights at home – not ideal, but an improvement.

The Pandemic: A Global Reset

While technology began to offer options, behavioural norms about being physically present were slow to change. Some early adopters (mostly entrepreneurial women and progressive global teams) began to thrive around 2010. But it wasn’t until the pandemic of 2020–2022 that traditional work models were truly disrupted.

In crisis, we humans can be remarkably innovative and trusting. The flexibility born from the pandemic led to record levels of full-time female employment and increased opportunities for remote and regional workers. Gig work expanded career flexibility for both individuals and organisations.

Today, “Remote,” “Flexible,” and “Hybrid” are headline features in job ads. Candidates ask about flexibility before salary.

Finding Balance: The Post-Pandemic Workplace

In my view, the best-led organisations have found a post-pandemic equilibrium: offering flexibility within clear frameworks of accountability. Achieving this balance hasn’t been easy. It’s required strong leadership, navigating fairness, collaboration, office space utilisation, expectation setting regarding client and customer engagement, clearer job definition and responsibility assignment and project management capability .

Unsurprisingly, workplaces with low trust and high control have reverted to rigid, in-office mandates.

The Next Challenge: Outsourcing and AI

However, a new challenge looms: if a job can be done from anywhere, it can be outsourced, or automated. The backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts also threatens the progress we’ve made.

A Values-Based Future

Ultimately, we must ask: what kind of world do we want for our children and loved ones?

One where they’re valued for their skills and outcomes, with the freedom to innovate? Or one where they must choose between family and career, wellbeing and financial security?

Flexibility is a values-based decision. When done well, it delivers exceptional economic and human value and plays a vital role in balancing gender at every level in operations.

Our upcoming Webinar and Knowledge Share Forum: ‘The Changing Landscape of Flexible Work’ delves into the transformative power of flexible work arrangements in traditionally structured and shift-based operations organisations. Join us and learn how to leverage flexibility in your organisation.