“Just Be Flexible” Sounds Harmless, Until It Quietly Starts Redefining Your Job: What Does It Mean

In many different work environments throughout the United States, employees are often told the following phrase by their managers: “Just be flexible.” This is generally considered a positive trait associated with the concepts of flexibility and teamwork, yet in practice, it leaves the employee wondering what is truly expected of them on a day-to-day basis.

While the concept of flexibility is considered a highly positive and important trait in the workplace, the lack of guidance and boundaries can also have the unintended consequence of creating ambiguity in the role of the employee.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which is associated with the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the concept of flexibility in the workplace can have the positive effect of increasing productivity and satisfaction if the expectations are well defined and not ambiguous.

Why “Flexibility” Often Comes Without Clear Rules

Employers also utilize flexibility as a strategy in order to quickly respond to changing business needs. This is particularly true in an ever-changing business environment where priorities change quickly. As such, it is important to respond quickly without delay. From an organizational management point of view, it is important to avoid organizational rigidity by requiring workers to remain flexible in order to remain efficient without requiring restructuring.

As noted in the CDC NIOSH analysis of workplace flexibility in the workforce, this strategy of requiring workers to remain flexible can quickly become problematic when workers do not understand how this is to be achieved because it is left to them to determine what flexibility really means. In many instances, workers will believe that flexibility requires them to do even more.

As such, it becomes an open-ended requirement that is difficult to achieve.

The Impact of Role Ambiguity on Employees

When employees are encouraged to be flexible without being given parameters for that flexibility, they tend to experience something called role ambiguity. This refers to a lack of understanding of one's job duties and expectations. This can make it difficult for one to effectively prioritize tasks and can lead to burnout or indecision.

The CDC NIOSH report points out that unclear job expectations can lead to increased workplace stress and reduced job satisfaction. This is because one is not sure if they are meeting expectations or if they are failing. This can lead to a point where one always has to be available and flexible without being aware of when they can be inflexible.

This not only impacts one's work performance but also their emotional state.

Stress, Burnout, and the Pressure to Always Adapt

Employees who continue to deal with ambiguity in flexibility tend to report increased levels of stress and even burnout as they become fatigued by the mental processing required to deal with ambiguous situations. The findings of the CDC NIOSH study indicate that workers who do not have control over their jobs and roles tend to increase their stress levels significantly, particularly when combined with fear of negative evaluation.

This creates a situation where workers do not feel comfortable saying no to situations that become unreasonable because they do not know how such an action will be viewed by management. This is where flexibility is no longer about working together; it is all about adjusting.

This can eventually lead to disengagement in the long term.

When Intent and Impact Do Not Match

The intention of the employer in introducing flexibility is to develop a more vibrant and nurturing workplace environment. However, if proper communication is not maintained, the situation can be the exact opposite, with employees feeling confused, overwhelmed, and not valued.

The study done by the CDC NIOSH research highlights the failure of flexibility policies when not supported by proper frameworks, as employees are not able to align their efforts with the expectations that are not clearly defined.

The difference between intention and impact is the major problem in the communication process in the workplace.

Why Clear Communication Changes Everything

Research has demonstrated that the best circumstances for flexibility to be effective are those in which guidelines, roles, and communication between employees and management are clear. By doing so, employees can understand what flexibility actually entails in the workplace, what is expected of them, and what is not expected of them, hence adapting to the situation without undue pressure or stress.

The CDC NIOSH analysis emphasizes the significance of clear communication, which eliminates role ambiguity and enables employees to retain a sense of control over the situation, which is crucial for high productivity and mental health.

A Simple Phrase with Complex Consequences

While “just be flexible” is a simple phrase that can be very helpful and supportive on its very face, in reality, there can be many complex implications that directly affect the way employees experience their work environment on a day-to-day basis.

For employers and employees alike, this is an important dynamic to understand because of its implications for the need for clear communication and definition within any given phrase, even in casual language within the workplace.

By having flexibility clearly defined and understood within the workplace, it can be one of its greatest strengths in building a sustainable work environment.