About the “Dictionary”: Launched today, the “Dictionary” on this site will include novel HR-specific and contemporary business terms that are either trendy or avantgardistic, popular or leading-edge.
Each term will be described in an ‘elevator pitch’ manner (a very short presentation that you would do to somebody you briefly meet, like in an elevator, to attract her/his attention), but the interested reader will always find additional bibliography links to further document her/himself.
Agile Working
The first time I came across the term ‘agile working’ was in a recruitment ad inserted by the Unilever company, that was including ‘agile working’ as a benefit for the future holder of the searched position.
The term instinctively leads thinking towards flexible working, flexible hours or home working. But work is an activity, not a place! (RICS)
Therefore it sounds rather like “Martini” working (see Martini ads of the 80s) = “anytime, anyplace, anywhere”.
The term is multi-dimensional: ‘agile working’ is not just limited to doing the same work in the same way at a different time and place.
Agile working = time + place flexibility + doing work differently, focusing on performance & outcomes
Bibliography:
The Agile Organisation / Work & Place in the 21st Century
http://agile.org.uk/what-is-agile-working/
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
http://www.rics.org/Global/property_economy_2009_agile_working_dwl_pt.pdf
FMworld, Test of Agility
http://www.fmlink.com/article.cgi?type=Magazine&title=British%20Telecom%20moves%20one%20step%20beyond%20Flexible%20Working%20%26mdash%3B%20to%20Agile%20Working&pub=FM%20World&id=30998&mode=source
Featured Artist: Dorel Topan