12 clues that you haven't understood anything about smartworking
This post was originally written in Italian and translated using AI. If you notice any translation errors or unclear passages, please let me know.
On August 31, 2022, the simplification adopted during the COVID emergency for managing employees in remote work will end. Therefore, there will be no further extensions, and every employee who wishes to work in this mode will need a reformulation of their contract. Exactly as it was in the pre-COVID period. While lawmakers have disregarded the requests of many for a new and simpler access to agile work, companies will still have to face the needs of those who, having experienced remote work, prefer it over working on-site.
Not all companies, however, are ready for this transition, and often there is already much confusion starting with the very terms smartworking, telework, agile work. Leaderships tied to the Fordist status of work struggle to reinterpret a contemporary and synergistic corporate vision in line with the agile model. Below I propose 12 clues that should encourage reflection and push for a deeper understanding of the Change that is inevitably taking root in Italy as well.
1. Smartworking and agile work are the same thing.
Do you have trouble using one term over the other? Let’s clear it up once and for all. Smartworking is a term coined by us Italians to define a different “intelligent” way of working. During the pandemic, this term was overused and often confused with telework. Lawmakers use the term agile work, and I believe that starting from August 31, it will be more correct to use this term to make the nature of the Change clearer.
👉 Prefer the use of “agile work” over smartworking.
2. The hybrid model is acceptable.
Do you think alternating between office days and remote days is still compatible with the Change? Maybe this table will help clarify which mode can truly be considered agile work:
| Office days | Remote days | Agile work mode? |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | ❌ NO |
| 3 | 2 | ❌ NO |
| 2 | 3 | ❌ NO |
| 1 | 4 | ❌ NO |
| 0 | 5 | âś… YES |
The hybrid model is a “compromise,” not agile work, but rather a small “concession” for employees. Agile mode is a professional work framework, and switching contexts between office and remote would cause distractions and inefficiency in the process. By its very nature, it is not possible.
👉 Forget the hybrid model, agile work is a process of deep change.
3. Agile work is a form of welfare.
Do you think that allowing remote work is a form of welfare? Have you found yourself comparing it to parental leave? You’re off track. Being able to accompany children to school thanks to flexible hours is only a consequence, not the purpose. Agile work is not a “bonus” granted by the company to employees, but a win-win strategy for the improvement of both sides.
👉 Open your mind and go beyond the bonus/welfare concept.
4. Agile workers work from home.
Do you think that working in agile mode necessarily means working from home? While a home office setup can certainly be useful and convenient, an agile worker transcends time and space as fixed physical locations. There are coworking spaces, cafés, B&Bs offering specific services, and of course digital nomads who are constantly traveling, working out of vans or campers while exploring different places.
👉 Visit a coworking space or search for “digital nomad” on YouTube.
5. Agile workers have socialization problems.
Do you think that those who work agile lose the ability to socialize? Do you think the workplace is necessarily the best place for building relationships or friendships? If someone’s workplace is their only chance to socialize, the problem is relational, not inherent in the work model. Offices may allow friendly encounters, but they can just as easily expose people to conflicts. Agile work allows flexible time management, so individuals can invest in deepening existing relationships or creating new ones wherever they want.
👉 Remember, as Aristotle said, humans are social animals and will naturally seek others—independent of their work life.
6. An employee outside the office is also out of control.
Do you think that if someone is outside the office, they’re also outside your zone of control? First ask yourself why you feel the need to control. Maybe some employees get distracted and miss deadlines—but do you really believe this depends on being in the office? With a properly designed agile methodology, employees self-regulate and take responsibility. Remote teams simply require the right tools (video calls, document management, repositories, etc.).
👉 Focus more on responsibility than control, and surround yourself with capable people.
7. With a remote team, meetings are harder to organize.
Do you believe that organizing meetings with an agile team is impossible? Consider it differently: agile workers always have shared calendars. Plus, agile project design already requires scheduled retrospectives and planning sessions. Meetings planned in advance succeed; impromptu ones fail because they distract. For knowledge workers, distraction dramatically reduces performance.
👉 Rethink your project design and plan meetings so no one gets pulled away unexpectedly.
8. Salary is enough to retain employees.
If you think you can keep an employee who requests agile work by raising salary or offering benefits, chances are you won’t succeed. Those who choose this mode do so for something more valuable than money: time. The ability to manage their own time and improve work-life balance is priceless.
👉 Reconsider your priorities—a happy and serene employee is more productive and efficient.
9. Working hours are necessary to meet deadlines.
Do you wonder how a remote team can meet deadlines if you already struggle now? Once again, the problem lies elsewhere. Don’t blame poor project methodology on work mode. Requiring time clocks or constant overtime are signs of an outdated Fordist time-driven approach, not goal-driven planning.
👉 Shift your mindset to focus on objectives, and you’ll see that fixed hours lose importance while deadlines and results gain clarity.
10. Agile work is about a distant future.
Do you think this Change is far off, and by ignoring it the problem will disappear? You’re sweeping dust under the rug. Think bigger: repetitive jobs can be automated by robots, software, or AI, while many roles and even departments can be remote. The Netherlands has already passed a law in one chamber guaranteeing the right to remote work. Meanwhile, Silicon Valley, long the cradle of computing, is undergoing an epochal shift.
👉 Face the issue seriously now and turn it into an opportunity.
11. Sustainability as a corporate value.
Do you care about the environment and sustainability? Do you really think a cap on energy prices to justify more office space is the solution? Think for a moment about every employee commuting daily, burning fuel just to show up. Carpooling or corporate gardens are old and insufficient solutions. The best savings is not consuming. Remote work offers a unique opportunity: employees save on fuel, companies save on office costs.
👉 Focus on savings and collective well-being.
12. Looking for collaborators who don’t ask for remote work.
Are you struggling to find skilled collaborators? If your offer requires relocation to the office, I have bad news: it will only get worse. As mentioned, Change is unstoppable, and the market adapts to demand. Candidates will increasingly request agile modes, and if you resist, you’ll end up “scraping the bottom of the barrel.”
👉 Embrace the globalizing factor of agile work—you’ll gain access to a talent pool that’s not just local, but national, European, or even global.
Remote work also offers opportunities to people who struggle to commute physically to an office, such as those with disabilities, parents, or residents in rural areas.