The Cultural Drift Effect of Hybrid Work

Rewind with me a few years to what company retreats were like pre-pandemic. Do you remember the energy, the chatter, and the laughter that filled the space? It feels like yesterday when we regularly did two-day brainstorms, covering the walls with sticky flip chart paper full of ideas.

Fast forward to now, the company retreat is now virtual. Low energy faces stare at their screens while eyes dart around as if they’re focused on something else (they are!). All of the little 2x2 virtual boxes are muted, causing awkward delays and “you’re on mute” comments. New ideas are sparse and side conversations flow in the chat.?

Putting nostalgia and reminiscing about “how it used to be” aside, the stark contrast in energy, attention, and camaraderie between then and now is palpable. This experience isn’t just because we went from the “room” to “Zoom,” but also because virtual work has obliterated the “in between.”?

The culture that was once contained in walls and a roof has dissipated into home offices and coffee shops and starts and stops with “Join Meeting” and “End Meeting” buttons.?

Most leaders I’ve connected with who aren’t just heads down pushing through are seeing and feeling this cultural drift - and have no idea what to do about it.

A Cultural Drift: Are We Evolving or Dissolving?

Can we stretch our organizational culture across the vast digital expanse without losing its soul? Or are we merely watching it drift away like a boat losing sight of the shore?

Years ago, the thought of a work-from-anywhere culture was as far-fetched as a moon landing in the 60s. But in the blink of an eye, the 'lunatic' idea is our new norm, the pandemic leaving behind a paradox of freedom juxtaposed with disconnection.

A century ago, Henry Ford, the maverick of industrial innovation, cut down the workweek from six to five days - 40 hours. Crazy, right? But he pulled it off, blending efficiency with wellbeing, and profit with purpose. Today, we stand at a similar crossroads. But this time, it's digital, it's global, and it's deeply personal.

This isn't just about scaling walls or breaking barriers, it’s about reimagining the very fabric of our work life, questioning the status quo, and boldly asking – are we evolving, or are we dissolving in this new digital age?

Signs and Symptoms of a Cultural Drift

Decreased Collaboration and Innovation: A study by McKinsey found companies with more collaborative work environments were 5 times more likely to be high performing. When collaboration diminishes, innovation disappears, and so does overall performance.

Reduced Employee Engagement and Enthusiasm: Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report highlights the startling impact of disengaged employees. Stats aside, we’ve all seen how low engagement and enthusiasm is a contagion that will turn a cultural drift into a dumpster fire.??

Increased Turnover or Employee Dissatisfaction: According to the Work Institute's 2020 Retention Report, 22% of staff turnover occurs due to workplace culture issues. This not only points to a drift, but a gap and misalignment between an organization’s culture and its employees' expectations.

Lack of Alignment with Core Values: Research by Deloitte revealed 83% of employees are more engaged when they believe in their company's values. A visible disconnect between an organization's actions and its stated core values is a critical symptom of cultural drift, undermining employee engagement and trust.?

Communication Breakdowns: This studyfound 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures and fragmented cultures.

There’s Just Something Missing?

Most recognize these signs and symptoms of a cultural drift, and their intuition is whispering something is missing and needs to change.?

This is why Return-to-Office (RTO) mandates have made headlines. Leaders don’t know what else to do so they revert to what they know worked in the past, bringing everyone back no matter what the revolt and fallout is.?

The leaders that haven’t thrown in the towel, have pulled out all of the stops to make hybrid and remote work … work. Like trying various versions of hybrid, finding creative ways to fulfill the employee demands to “make it worth it” to come back in, and honoring the needs and desires of individual employee situations.?

Stuck between a rock and a hard place of doing what’s best for the organization while meeting the needs and expectations of individuals, leaders find themselves having to manufacture the two things that are difficult to do in a non-forced and organic way: serendipitous moments and authentic human connections.?

So if we want to catch the whisper before it becomes a scream - what do we do to stop the cultural drift from becoming bigger??

There’s No One Size Fits All Answer

Because there’s no one size fits all answer - I’ll leave you with three things that might point you in the right direction, especially if you’re committed to maintaining some sort of hybrid arrangement. (If you’re a RTO leader → these aren’t for you!)

#1 - Define what excellence looks like as a digital leader / manager

Have you figured out what makes an excellent digital manager at your organization? What do your top hybrid team managers do differently? How do they structure their week? How do they create those magic moments with employees while on Zoom? What are their formulas for training and onboarding new employees? How do they get work done in a way that keeps everyone fired up and all-in??

One of our core pillars in consulting is our high-performance practice. We study high performers, unpack what they do and create a Role Excellence Blueprint that we can use to manage better and train to.

We’ve found most leaders that went from the office to remote basically overnight had to work through the chaos and never really learned or developed the skills to create serendipity and authentic connection digitally.?

Not looking at the skills of your managers/leaders is a huge miss.

Shoot me a DM if you want to learn more about the Role Excellence Blueprint for a Digital Manager. I'm happy to walk you through the what, how, and why to see if it would be of value to you and your organization.?

#2 - Get your team out of the digital noise

“We shape our tools, and thereafter, our tools shape us.” - Winston Churchill?

The tools we use to collaborate and communicate have become a convoluted mess, and once saviors, have become contributors to the cultural drift.?

So much of our work lives now exist in email, Slack, Teams and a plethora of other tools. And while most companies have tighter protocols around their tech stack and clearer expectations for their team, what’s most important is lost among the vastness of the digital noise.?

That’s why people aren’t clear on the direction, and why aligning everyone is so difficult. Our digital worlds are fragmented at best, leaving you with a team that resists change and is slow to take action.?

This is where Latch shines.

Latch sits above the digital noise, allowing you to elevate the most important things lost within your other digital tools. It also functions as a compass, pointing people to the places that need their attention. And the best part is, you get their feedback and perspective back. No more black hole messages or waste of time meetings.?

An Example:

One CEO we work with calls Latch his “one version of the truth.” It’s where he gives direction to his team weekly and invites them to take action. He “put a bow” on the year by announcing an unexpected bonus through Latch and was able to get 96% of his team fired up, engaged in his “truth,” and looking forward to the new year. Sharing this as “one of his favorite days in my professional career,” he was touched by the outpouring of gratitude from his team - and how they could see, hear, and understand his intentions as a leader.

It turns out, leaders need to be seen and understood, too.

Take a swirl around Latch to see if it could be your one version of the truth.

Schedule a demo here.

#3 - Connect with other leaders?

Most have heard “It's lonely at the top.” The saying originates from William Shakespeare's Henry IV --> "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."

Leading and managing is a different game today and we’re absolutely in uncharted waters. The best way through is with others in the same situation.?

We're launching a 'Culture Beyond Borders' group coaching call on February 5th to reimagine work together and hit the day-to-day struggles of leading and managing hybrid team members.

It’s only happening if there’s enough demand by the end of next week - shoot me a note if you’re interested.?

Stop the cultural drift before it gets bigger and reimagine a better way for you and your organization. You’re the trailblazer, a pioneer, the one who will reimagine what work looks like for your organization and maybe even future generations.?

Go get it,

Joe

PS - If the diamonds above don’t get your heart beating faster - download our “Mastering the Art of Hybrid Work” guide. I’m certain you’ll find some golden nuggets to apply immediately.

Joe Mechlinski

CEO, SHIFT

New York Times Best Selling Author, Grow Regardless Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author, Shift the Work