Why Flexibility At Work Is Key

We like to think a perfect process for getting things done exists, but in most real-world applications, it’s just not possible. As design blog Happy Cognition points out, flexibility is necessary in every job, on every project. If you don’t allow for it, you’ll miss obvious answers.

Picture: Christmas w/a K/Flickr

A one-size-fits all approaches doesn’t work for most jobs. Unless you’re actually doing the same thing over and over again at work, it’s necessary to change your process now and again. Happy Cognition explains:

To me a good process… Is built from a collection of interchangeable parts. These parts can be tangible artefacts, like prototypes, style tiles, mood boards, and full-page comps. They can also be the tools we use to create these artefacts, like Photoshop, HTML prototypes, and paper sketches. Communication methods like phone calls, Basecamp messages, and in-person meetings are even part of the arsenal, because how we talk about our work is just as important as the work itself.

Is adaptable. If an artefact isn’t resonating, it should be painless to adjust or switch it out for one that works better for the task at hand.

Last-minute changes to any process are going to cause a wrinkle in your workflow, but you can at least plan for it by making sure it’s painless to pull out parts and replace them with new ones whenever possible.

Head over to Happy Cognition for a few more ideas and questions you can ask yourself to ensure you’re remaining as flexible with your work process as possible.

One Size Fits None [Happy Cognition]