(More on flexible work cont. 2)

Hybrid Working

Hybrid working is part office-based and part remote working, eg at home

How to handle hybrid working

i) understand people's work, ie determine which is best done

    - alone (remote working) and/or

    - together (with others in the office, ie teams)

NB change schedules to match the above

ii) need to redesign the office space, ie smaller rooms with technology readily available

iii) develop team charters around hybrid working, ie relational conversation about how everyone can best support each other; not static and is ever-evolving

iv) silos (remote working has encouraged the development of, and loyalty to, silos at the expense of the organisation)

Learning from pandemic on hybrid working
"...The office seems to have become a place where we were always 'returning' but never quite 'arriving'......hybrid work is the norm..."
Sarah Green Carmichael, 2023

Office occupancy rates have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, ie in many cities, offices are still vacant.

Most management and staff agree that
- you need some degree of 'face time'
- being in the office for around 2 days a week, ideally Monday and Friday, is optimal
- the preference is to allow remote work on 4 or more contiguous days.

The only exception to this is older workers who are used to the face-to-face experience in the office, ie it has become a habit

Remote working has been a boon for people with disabilities.

Need to realise that every situation is different, ie know one-size-fits- all. Some teams benefit from being together more often; others thrive with more autonomy.

Some findings on comparing where you work:
- the office is better for complex problem-solving than remote working
- the office is better for developing broad networks then remote working
- remote working is better for performing individual tasks than office working
- remote working is better for building strong, but small, internal networks than office working
- successful leaders regularly meet, ie fortnightly, in 1-for-1 meetings with their team
- generally meetings with more than 7 people are less effective
- for meetings longer than 1.50 hours, it's better to be physically together then in the virtual mode
- if meeting short and sharp, online works well
- some workshops were better online, etc
All this is helping managers think about who do they really need in the room for collaborative conversations and effective decision-making.
Management are using perks to try and llure staff back to the office.

There can be a difference in attitude to this issue depending on personality type, ie as extrovert derives energy from others, they prefer face-to-face, while introverts who get their energy from themselves are happy to work remotely or on their own.

One of the significant advantages of working remotely from home is the time saved by not commuting (to and from work) which can be hours per day.

"...long commutes are the chief obstacle to in-person work......the commute gobbles up hours of the day and the Internet has made the trek optional. That's why returned-to-office rates have remained lower in the cities with the longest commutes..."
Sarah Green Carmichael, 2023

Some cities are planning to re-purpose office space for housing; others are trying to make in-office time worth the commute time; others are trying to improve communications with remote workers.

Owing to improved technology and communications, the office becomes less important. Generally, if tasks require interaction with others, then the office can be important; however, if tasks require minimal, or no interaction, then the office is not important.

NB Social bonding is an important part of work and the office is the best place for this.

Despite the advantages hybrid working, face-to-face (F2F) contact is important

Despite the advantages hybrid working, face-to-face (F2F) contact is important
"...We build stronger connections when we are working face-to-face......on average,we actively connect with 11 other colleagues each day when we are together in the office and spend 20-30 minutes more time collaborating. Our people also spend 40% more time connecting with their leader and peers while in the office..."
Sian Lewis as quoted by Patrick Durkin, 2023

Informal and spontaneous F2F  meetings, such as in a lift or kitchen, can be areas to pick up useful information and develop relationships, ie
"...facilitates organic knowledge sharing and behaviour modelling in the office..."
Fiona Thomson as quoted by Euan Black, 2023

Furthermore, exposed to other people in the office can help motivate staff to be more productive and efficient, eg shadowing
"...literally sitting next to someone and seeing first-hand the little things that make someone an effective professional...''
Claire McCaffery as quoted by Euan Black, 2023

How to Make Hybrid Work Better During Change

(source: Rethink Change, 2022)

(source: Rethink Change, 2022)

Transitioning Back to Office

(source: https://infograph.venngage.com)