The New Normal: The Truths Behind Your Hybrid Work

Part of a series making Post-COVID Future of Work more personal. Most thought leaders are opining on THE New Normal — how COVID has changed everything. Here we dig into what, exactly, that means to YOU.

A recent McKinsey survey confirmed that productivity and customer satisfaction increased during the pandemic.

Well, Duh!

For many of us, a mix of working from home and the office has always been the best solution. And the future of your work will most definitely a hybrid mix — but it took a pandemic to force most employers into it.

Let’s explore the McKinsey survey findings and translate them into what they mean for you.

1. You Must Be Your Own Best Advocate

While nine out of ten executives say they envision a hybrid model of work going forward: Nearly a third of them say they lack senior team alignment on how to do that… And 68% say they have no detailed plan in place to help you move permanently into a hybrid model.

So… Don’t wait for decisions from above. Assess what you need to make hybrid work work for YOU — from childcare support to technology to training/development/mentoring to career path — and start going for it BEFORE corporate systems are put in place.

Apply the entrepreneur’s and market leader’s mantra to you: “Disruption creates opportunities.” Push for what you need before the bosses dictate less than what you need. (You know that is gonna happen... Right?!)

2. Design Your Own Best Connections

McKinsey found that small and regular connections with colleagues — to discuss projects, share ideas, network, mentor and coach — increased engagement and productivity. But they also found that those opportunities are inconsistent in many workplaces. Until your senior execs and team leaders get their act together, make sure you’re proactive in creating your own regular connections.

3. You Need to Be Managed Differently

McKinsey found that many managers did not have the necessary soft skills training — such as clear and helpful communication, empathy, and providing feedback — that are in even-greater demand once their teammates go virtual. (What a shock, right?!) Their survey found you have, at best, a 50/50 shot at being managed differently when working remotely. 

So… For most of us — (at least until our companies and bosses catch up) — don’t expect excellence. Plan for 50/50 performance: mixed results in how you are managed. And to improve upon that, circle back to #1 above: Know your needs and be your own best advocate. Be vigilant in asking for what you need, continuously.

4. Prepare Yourself for Nonstop Disruptions

McKinsey found that the best hybrid approaches for working were formed by experimenting and iterating — testing, learning, and then adapting how you will work. Translation: Don’t expect a locked-in new normal — how you work will change constantly, even under the best of circumstances in the best of companies. That includes what McKinsey called rethinking talent allocation: Your role, and who you work with, and what you do is likely to change multiple times before you and your teammates find your groove.

Net/Net: The Future Favors Those Who Go For It

You CAN get what you need to be your best in a hybrid world. But the future favors the bold — knowing who you are, what you need, and seeking/asking/negotiating for it. As Richard Saul Wurman, the founder to the TED conferences, famously says: If you don’t ask, you don’t get. 

Jensen Site, Twitter. Bill’s new book, The Day Tomorrow Said No, is here! It’s a powerful fable about the future of work, designed to revolutionize conversations between leaders, the workforce, educators, and students. It’s THE book for a post-COVID world! Go here to get your copy for FREE!