To find alternative ways of managing in a world of hybrid working? Or simply, a means to better satisfy your customers’ ever-increasing demands for maximum responsiveness from your organisation? Many organisations are exploring the concepts of autonomous work to solve these challenges. But how can this work in highly regulated and competitive environments? How do you ensure some semblance of control, and where do you even start?
If you wonder how autonomy, initiative and flexibility can be combined with high performance, quality and customer service, it is worth looking at organisations such as Netflix, Buurtzorg, Spotify and others, who have working like this in their DNA. Having delivered unparalleled growth, service outcomes and financial results, their concepts of self-management built on empowerment and trust provide great lessons for the new world we find ourselves in today.
In this session, Paul Jansen of Cambridge-based Trust Works will introduce the innovative concepts of self-management and autonomous working through a number of short case studies. He will explore how to empower front-line employees, minimise bureaucracy and promote trust, transparency, and openness to learning. And how this leads to better outcomes, more fun at work and fantastic customer loyalty.
Tom Rose, of weirdQ, and former Projects Director at Pod Group will share his experience of bringing the self-managed way of working into a highly successful and rapidly growing high-tech company operating in the IoT sector. He will reflect on why Pod embarked on this journey, what lessons were learnt along the way, and what the effect has been on the working practices, culture, and engagement of the workforce throughout the organisation.
About Paul Jansen
Paul has made a career out of helping organisations realise their full potential by unleashing the capabilities and intrinsic motivation of their people. He led and created several employee-owned social enterprises and other not-for-profit organisations and as COO of Buurtzorg Britain & Ireland introduced concepts of self-management to many organisations in and outside the UK.
In 2020 he created Trust Works, which delivers interactive, fun and challenging programmes that inspire and provide practical tools and skills to organisations and individuals who want to learn about self-management. Trust Works also provides tailormade support to organisations through consultancy and coaching, helping them to introduce innovative ways of working that are more suited to the hybrid times we are living in and are in tune with the aspirations of the latest generations of employers and staff.
About Tom Rose
Tom is a doctoral researcher at University College London, working on projects at the interface of organisational design, social network, and meta-knowledge management sciences. He currently leads the “The Human Network” project, exploring how social interactions and networks shape organisations.
Tom, with Charles Towers-Clark, author of ‘The WEIRD CEO’, formed weirdQ to help businesses understand the science behind how and why their organisations operate the way they do, through a lens of human interactions.
Agenda:
4pm - Registration and networking over coffee and pastries
4.15pm - 5.30pm: Paul Jansen and Tom Rose
5.30pm - Further networking and a chance to follow up with the speaker
6pm - Event close
To attend:
Any Cambridge Network member may attend, there is a small charge of £15+VAT for members. Please log in first to receive your member discount.
Non-members may also attend this session at a fee of £25+VAT.
You may wish to join as a member from £50+VAT and come along to many other events for free or at member rates!
Refunds:
Please note that the fee is non-refundable for cancellation within 5 working days of the event.
