And Now Let's Take Home (and Private Life) into the Office

FEDERICO GOLLA, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF SIEMENS ITALIA, TALKS ABOUT THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION TAKING PLACE AND HOW THE ROLE OF LEADERS CHANGES

by Claudio Todesco

Four years ago, Siemens Italia began to promote smart working solutions. Today, the employees who work smart on a voluntary basis are roughly 50% of the workforce, 1,700 people out of 3,400. “Our goal is to get close to 100%”, says Federico Golla, CEO and President of Siemens. “The number of hours an employee spends at his workplace becomes irrelevant when he works more flexibly and on the go. He is freed from the old constraints and driven to achieve a first rate job performance. He works better, he’s more satisfied and therefore more productive. It’s a competitive advantage for a company who wants to attract a young workforce that values flexibility. Success comes through technological and organizational innovation”.
What kind of change in the leadership model is necessary to make it work?
The leader must learn to lead a group of professionals who do not see each other every day. An additional amount of remote working is needed, but it eventually pays off. The biggest psychological and cultural change has to do with the freedom to manage his own work that is given to every employee. Not everyone likes it or can handle it. Some people prefer hierarchical relationships. Empowerment and trust are crucial.
Is smart working fit for every kind of competence?
We started focusing on working positions that require an intellectual engagement. But there is no longer a distinction between white and blue collar, between intellectual and manual labor. Smart working is suited to every employee who connects to a network of colleagues using a smartphone or a computer.
A strong sense of responsibility is required, isn’t it?
That’s why it’s recommended to enforce a plan that stimulates employees to buy shares. A widespread sense of ownership creates a higher culture of responsibility. Siemens has 320,000 employees worldwide. Half of them is a shareholder.
Is the traditional workplace obsolete?
It is, every employee can change his workstation by the day or even by the hour according to his assignment. It’s like when he’s living the city: he strolls, then walks into a store, then takes the subway, and so on. There is no longer a clear distinction between working and private life: a worker can freely shift from the former to the latter. That’s why in the early phase smart working is especially appreciated by women who have to manage work and motherhood.
Do employees feel isolated and/or excluded from the company?
It’s the other way round. The new working environment increases the chances for interacting with coworkers. The new Siemens hq in Milan will take into account the need to spend free time in the workplace: there will be a gym, a food shop, even vegetable gardens grown by the employees. Yesterday you brought home your work, today you bring your private life to your office.
It’s a huge cultural shift. Is Italy ready?
No, it’s not. We are slow to embrace new technologies and organizational changes. But if a large company with a strong social responsibility such as Siemens does not stimulate change, who else is going to do it?