No One-Size-Fits-All for Hybrid Work

In today’s video, we continue on from yesterday’s article and expound on the themes around the future and present of work: the hybrid model.

The dangers of the last year in terms of morale, engagement, burnout, lack of safety, and declining performance and more are clear for all to see and we are all in the process of redefining what work means and what we should ask of our employees going forward in terms of location, performance and process so this is the time to do that upfront work and reimagine it in ways that will serve us. The model which seems to unanimously emerge is the hybrid one. But what does that really mean?

https://youtu.be/vQ06edthybI

The proportions between office work and WFH have to be based on outcomes and goals and therefore individual or group work needs, not set a priori in the absence of forensic analysis of true needs to enable performance.

The main message: the future of work is hybrid indeed but it has to be the flexible hybrid that makes sense TO YOU.

That way, what you are creating genuinely works for everybody in the enterprise and therefore enables your success going forward. This can’t be guided by anyone else’s “best practice” or born out of a need for policy and certainty. We recognise this is a bit of work up front but there’s little else as pressing and as important at this time. 

Hybrid will need to be:

• Redefined so it works FOR YOU - Re-examine final goals and if they are not aligned with what the customer wants and defined in terms of outcomes not mindless process that’s a good indication you won’t redefine flexible, intelligent working;
• Governed by an Agile mindset - Do an Agile mindset self-check - re-read the manifesto, reconnect with the intention behind it to naturally reinforce the need for servant leadership, cross-functional collaboration, continuous learning and high performing Psychologically Safe teams;
• Flexible - Take a critical look at your systems and tools (both process and people tools) and ensure they support rapid change and freedom for your teams to autonomously adapt according to their needs;
• Created by listening to your people not to tick a policy box;
• Focused on rebuilding a culture with new practices holding purpose and impact firmly at the centre;
• Based on short and actionable feedback loops;
• Caring, empathic and truly human-centred in a practical campaign to eradicate HumanDebt? not just moan about it.

Ensure everyone has had Team Relaunches and has gone through the specific exercises and experiments contained in them while you explore this new reality, not as a kick-off but as an exploration exercise because from hereon there’s nothing to present as set in stone and no process that is anything other than experimental and in flux. We all need to find ways to quickly become comfortable with a huge amount of uncertainty when it comes to work and processes as we knew them so that we can keep adapting real-time and finding the hybrid that best fits our own individual needs.

So resist the urge to declare any “new normals” or fill in some old workplace policy template and instead, spend the time really listening and reimagining. 

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Don't send your teams home with a laptop, a Jira and Slack account and a prayer!

Read more about our Team Dashboard that measures and improves Psychological Safety at www.peoplenottech.com or reach out at [email protected] and let's help your teams become Psychologically Safe, healthy, happy and highly performant.