Hybrid Office Model - 3 Questions Managers Dare Not Ask!

Being a consultant provides an interesting vantage point in working across many companies rather than working in just one. ?It helps you view patterns that occur across multiple sites.? I like to take notice of the side conversations managers have with me about their struggles and pay particular attention to one's that keep reoccurring across a wide range of companies.? Currently, reflections about the problems in supervising staff working from home or in a hybrid model (Ie. part home/part office), is a hot topic.? But interestingly, the reflections I hear about, are not for open discussion, as if politically incorrect to mention.? There are 3 questions I notice of importance; 1. What if I think my poorer performers will take advantage of the work from home flexibilities? 2. What if the staff members lifestyle doesn't seem to be conducive to working from home? 3. What if ‘I’ don't enjoy supervising staff or teams working from home? Behind each of these questions is a potential ‘criticism’ about the managers attitude to working from home and/or hybrid models, hence why it’s a side conversation.? Firstly, many managers are reluctant to differentiate performance levels of staff.? They fear it being perceived as favouritism to recognise one person’s skills as better than another’s.? Secondly, managers can be concerned about being perceived as discriminatory if they were to highlight perceived obstacles of someone's personal life in accommodating their work role.? Thirdly, managers assume they are supposed to be a chameleon when it comes to supervising, so their personal preference is irrelevant. ?I want to challenge these 3 assumptions!?

I want to make it clear I see significant benefits in the potential of hybrid models of office and home.? Flexible work practices have been considered for a long time before the Covid shutdowns, and for good reasons. There is some good evidence it can maintain productivity levels and sometimes increase them.? However, Covid conducted an extreme social experiment we are still coming to grips with, where it was compulsory to accommodate this approach, and see its benefits.? But now it’s a time to reconsider, and weigh up pros and cons.? We learnt a great deal about the value of video conferencing, how to conduct meetings differently, and a greater vigilance not to work if sick.? Certainly Zoom, Google and Amazon have told us a lot about the benefits of online and home-based approaches, but there are some significant downsides to supervising a team often working from home.?? We are still designing the new models of office meet home combinations, and what works best for different settings. There's nothing controversial or discriminatory to me about the 3 questions being posed above, depending on the intention the manager has for considering them.? A key characteristic of poor performing staff is not taking responsibility for their own actions.? Underperformers can tend to blame circumstance or others for their shortcomings.? It's not a big stretch to suggest that some people may misuse the privilege of working from home.? If a staff member has avoided responsibility in an office setting, then why would you be confident of improvement in a home setting with less scrutiny and less observation.? Some staff work very well independently and are motivated to juggle the office and home environments, but some do not, and are constantly prone to being distracted.? This is a realistic consideration and could mean variations in the level of hybrid arrangements available for different roles and capabilities.

Some staff have complex personal situations, and whilst the manager has no right to intrude on someone's personal circumstances, it can become apparent there are significant distractions for someone at home that may impact on work performance.? I can’t tell you how many meetings are interrupted for me these days on a video conference with my clients’ personal activities.? This never happens in an office setting but is a window into the distractions of our personal lives.? These things can be negotiated, and don’t have to be a significant factor in working from home, but it requires some recognition from the staff member of this reality.? Some managers can tell that someone’s home setting is not conducive to a work focus, but they can be met with a defensive response when trying to explore this.? Pre Covid, extensive assessment would take place to evaluate the potential for balancing work from home functions, and it was incumbent on the staff member to prove its viability.? Some managers believe work from home has now switched to be viewed as an ‘entitlement’ that doesn’t seem to require any justification.?

Research conducted during Covid-19 shows that many managers are struggling with the effective management of people working from home, with this translating into many workers feeling untrusted and micromanaged by their bosses.? The consequences of poor management currently suggest the urgent need to help develop managers’ skills in this area.? However, simply telling managers to trust their employees is unlikely to be sufficient.? https://hbr.org/2020/07/remote-managers-are-having-trust-issues

Yes. Managers have do adapt, but so do staff, to the partnership and preferences of their manager.? Google’s chief people officer, Fiona Cicconi, wrote an email to employees a few months ago, which included doubling down on office attendance.? “Of course, not everyone believes in ‘magical hallway conversations,’ but there’s no question that working together in the same room makes a positive difference,” Cicconi’s email read. “Many of the products we unveiled last month were conceived, developed and built by teams working side by side.” https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/08/google-to-crack-down-on-hybrid-work-asks-remote-workers-to-reconsider.html

In closing, the history of flexible work practices was to tailor the requests for alternate home arrangements to the needs of the individual, team, supervisor and program.? For me, these rules still apply!? The office vs work from home consideration is not an either-or deal, rather one that requires tailoring to each organisation's context.? Teams need to negotiate the ups and downs of relationships, communications, and morale, and the work from home meets office dynamic is a tricky one.?

Supervising from distance is also a new skill area.? Many managers are uncomfortable in this area and are unfamiliar with techniques to support ‘virtual supervision’.? Its important organisations provide specific training and coaching to managers on how to navigate new types of staff supervision.? Staff also need to understand that demonstrating your work activity when working from home requires higher levels of accountability.? Supervisors can’t rely on ‘observation’ to assess your performance and require staff to provide greater ‘transparency’ into their work schedules and outcomes.?

If you found this a post of interest and would like to find out more about ‘Supervising From Distance’ training and coaching, don’t hesitate to drop us an email or phone call.