Expert guidance makes a difference for organizations adopting a hybrid work model. Without it, employers run the risk of creating unhealthy, unsustainable workplaces due to decisions based on misinformation and myths. Below, we dispel three perpetual myths.
#1: Hybrid work improves culture—OR—Hybrid work destroys culture.
The truth is, neither is true. If your culture is strong, hybrid won’t break it. Conversely, hybrid won’t fix a weak culture.
However, culture impacts a hybrid workplace’s success. For example, in organizations with low trust, i.e., wherever leaders and managers don’t trust employees, where they work is unimportant. This distrust inevitably damages the organization’s overall culture—hybrid work only brings it to the forefront.
Leaders use hybrid to excuse cultural weaknesses or strengths. But the workplace model—remote, hybrid, or office—doesn’t dictate culture. People do. People and their decisions either improve or destroy culture.
Use your transition to hybrid to improve culture. Consider:
- How can you build greater flexibility in when, where, and how people work?
- How can you ensure managers and staff respect work/life boundaries?
- How can you promote belonging and inclusion among all employees?
- How can you communicate effectively across the workplace?
- How can you foster and demonstrate trust in employees?
Hybrid success and workplace culture depend on intentionality. If you are intentional and transparent about the reasons behind your decisions and practices, you can improve culture.
#2: We need set office days.
We see this all the time. A manager declares, “Our team will come into the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.” On the surface this seems like the best of both worlds, but it lacks intentionality.
First, it assumes the office is the best place for each team member to work every Tuesday and Wednesday. Second, it doesn’t consider focus and collaboration. Arbitrarily dividing up staff among the days of the week doesn’t create a successful hybrid workplace.
Just because you set a schedule, don’t assume it’s optimal for everyone. If Tuesdays are for in-person team strategy meetings, that’s fine. But what if an employee has deep work requiring focus to do on Wednesday? Where do you think they can best concentrate? What if the best day for an employee to attend a project kick-off meeting is Thursday? Can they come into the office that day instead?
Different tasks require different degrees of focus and collaboration. Be intentional. Bring people together to collaborate, innovate, and learn. Don’t bring staff into the office to carry out work they could do more efficiently elsewhere.
Leave scheduling up to each team, but provide guidelines for team-led decision-making. For example, advise them to schedule time together for in-person social bonding, to help teams cohere, collaborate, and succeed. Make sure collaborative work occurs in-office and they’re not just answering emails or taking calls from their cubicle.
Hybrid can give you the best of both worlds but only if you take an intentional approach.
#3: Hybrid should be easy to navigate.
Hybrid work introduces many new management challenges:
- Creating an equitable workplace for both remote and office-based employees
- Maintaining communication regardless of workplace
- Recognizing and rewarding staff appropriately
These challenges require a different management approach and a new set of management skills. Don’t assume your managers know what’s best to say and do. Managers are culture carriers. If they don’t have the knowledge and skills to manage hybrid teams, your organization’s performance and culture will suffer. Make sure they get the support and training they need.
Misinformation and myths about the hybrid workplace abound. Don’t let these seep into your decision-making. Understand what’s best for your organization. When it comes to navigating the hybrid workplace: build trust, be intentional, and prepare yourself to meet new management realities.
Transitioning to a new workforce model has many moving parts. Let us know if you’d like to discuss your plan and the purpose for your decisions.