Currently, workshifters remain the minority in mid-sized and enterprise corporations. One topic that I frequently present on is the changing definition of work in the mobile and distributed workforce. In a recent Webinar I asked the audience "Which best describes your corporate practices regarding flexible working arrangements for employees?"

The good news is that only 11% of companies are still prohibiting flexible work and 15% have very flexible work environments. The bad news is that about half of companies are very restrictive in who can work outside the office.

If you're looking to develop a flexible working program within your company here are a few ideas to get started:

1) Do your homework

There's tons of research out there on the benefits of flexible work but here are a few recent Webinars I did with IDC & The Future of Work to get you started:

* Prepare Your Business for the Growing Mobile Workforce

* Corporate Agility: Doing Business Anywhere, Anytime

2) Start with a Pilot Program

One of the biggest inhibitors to letting employees work outside the corporate office is fear. Fear that they won't be productive, fear that managers will lose control and fear that visibility is gone. Dispel the fear by rolling out a pilot program with a small group of users in the org and bring back results before proposing a full flexible work program roll out.

3) Create a Results-Centric Work Environment

Clearly defined goals and outputs become crucial when workers are no longer in the office full time. As Chris Brogan mentioned on an earlier post, productivity is not how long you sit in the four walls of the corporate office. Productivity is what is produced at the end of the day. When beginning a flexible working arrangement it's imperative to be 100% clear on goals and deliverables. Err on the side of over communication in regards to goal definition, project status and progress.

Workshifting is definitely still a work in progress but companies are beginning to realize the ROI. Care to share your success story about flexible work at your company?

Eric Bensley is a contributor to workshifting.com. He works in Product Marketing at Citrix Online and focuses on engaging new customers with content. This includes White Papers, Webinar speaking engagements, podcasts, and eBooks. You can follow him at www.twitter.com/ericbensley.