Back to the office?

In a new hybrid working model the office is no longer the central core of work activity, but becomes a meeting place for irregular but planned face to face interaction. Leaders will have to totally adjust their practices to be effective, and development plans for young leaders will have to be radically re-designed. Most people will no longer have a personal ‘desk’ or feel any ownership of the office space.

Few companies will, in reality, ever truly ‘return to the office’ as this will imply rejecting new remote work capabilities for employees that will in many cases demand it, not as perk, but as a right.

The typical office based culture that existed in most companies in 2019 evolved over 70 years. The new normal is being established in a matter of months.

Companies are reacting quickly and laying down their policies: everyone back to the office, 50/50, fully remote etc. Perhaps they are reacting a little too fast under pressure to take a view on the ideal set up for them and their employees? It will take a lot more time, a lot more listening, and years of actual experience of running businesses with a major element of remote work to optimize for business success, and positive corporate culture.

84% of the respondents in our survey said they believed remote working impacted corporate culture. It seems they can agree on that, but would they agree on how?

The shift to a hybrid working world is a wicked problem and should be tackled as such. There is a dramatic polarization of opinion and and a complex multitude of preferences around remote working that is going to be challenging for companies and workers to manage.

The pandemic was a critical problem with no time to plan or discuss. Rapid action was needed, and remote working met that urgent need. Companies and people reacted quickly, and well.

Companies that try to deal with the next stage as a tame problem risk over-simplification of a complex transformation to a new working world.

Tame problems are tackled by studying, testing and improving but beware over use of pre-pandemic thinking. The past in this case is not a reliable source of inspiration for the future. Companies cannot 'manage' themselves to excellence in this area as management builds on past data and experience. No data set exists for young people who have never worked in an office.

Wicked problems are recognized by their complexity and lack of a simple or unique solution. They require leadership to move us nearer to 'something better' , and to take everyone on that journey.

Young people must be an active part of designing the future as they are the only true 'remote work natives' . Those that remember the office are 'remote work immigrants' and their judgement will always be impacted by that. Young people need to be be granted a much higher share of voice about what good looks like in smart organizations, than would have been the case pre-pandemic.

Companies have to 'rethink' culture in a hybrid work world, how it works, and what it means and does for the company - or risk that young people may be disengaged. How do we include the voices of individuals who feel the furthest away from the epicenter of power – both physically and in terms of experience?

The way that meetings are held is an essential element of the shift in culture – symbolizing a new way of doing business. There is a danger that when organizations go back to in-person meetings, simply allowing remote workers to join by video conference may disadvantage them. How can companies restructure meetings in a way that allows for true hybrid participation? Leaders should be asking questions like: When do we meet? How do we meet? Do we need two hosts – a hybrid host and an in person host? How do we ensure that the balance between access to senior leaders and share of voice is appropriate?

Leaders are up against a polarized set of viewpoints from their teams about how things should be organized to drive business success. This dichotomy of opinion and feelings about remote working from employees may create one of the greatest challenges to be faced by future leaders.

Many people have had a taste of work life without an office and a daily commute, and they want more of that. Conversely many young people actively want to give life in a real office a try.?

Eddie Ross working with?Larraine Solomon?of Inspiring Conversations.