The epidemic last year compelled the workforce to work from home(WFH) overnight and over the last twelve months, everyone has become using the technology to connect and collaborate with team members.
It has created new opportunities and new challenges for everyone. The companies that will benefit would be those that understand the customer requirements, identify solutions and bring new products to the market.
However, the WFH is expected to continue with a mix of in-person office work to benefit from the benefits of WFH as well as office working. This hybrid work, however, is not easy to implement.
Deciding on who will work in the office and when and for how long is a very complex issue. This has to be implemented carefully taking the inputs from all team members. If not implemented systematically it could threaten the work culture. It would have a direct impact on the work done by the team members.
Intertwine the benefits of the remote and in-person experience.
Hybrid work by nature having some team members work from home and others working in the office. Remote members may feel isolated, become less engaged. Brainstorming, creative work may suffer especially when remote members cannot participate so easily with others. One of the solutions is to integrate the physical spaces and technology keeping in mind three key concepts – equity, ease of work and engagement.
One way is to have technology that allows you to create breakout rooms so that the smaller groups can interact with each other and contribute to the overall team objective.
Ensure that everyone has a clear view of each other. have the equipment to facilitate this so that everyone is fully engaged and interact with each other productively.
Interchange closed and open spaces.
Switch to open offices and conduct meetings in open spaces with movable boundaries. When focused work is required have small enclaves where the team member can do his work without any disturbance.
Open spaces help is quickly adjusting spaces as required depending upon the team needs. Quick stand-up meetings can easily be held quickly in an open space with visible content and other required tools.
A shift from fixed to fluid.
The hybrid work benefits from less fixed real estate assets as the workplace can be flexible as needed. This ensures that the workspace is optimised. Open spaces can be put to multiple uses with hybrid meetings in the mornings, cafeteria spaces during break time, all team meetings in the afternoons or as required and can even be rented out in the evening for events.
Ensure a balance between We and Me work.
It has become clear now that the office should be a place for collaboration and teamwork. Team leaders should focus on boosting collaboration.
Collaboration is not just group work but also requires working alone to think through the problem and find appropriate solutions. To avoid groupthink which can lead to a paucity of ideas, it is necessary to provide for an individual workspace to generate fresh ideas.
There is still a debate on whether WFH has been beneficial but team members have reported better productivity and motivation levels working from home. members who are called into office must be given private spaces to conduct their work and at the same time do not get bogged down with complicated technology.
The redesigned office must offer team members better work experience than what they had at home to motivate them to return to the office when required to do so. Organisations should create workspaces that adapt, be flexible and thrive to attract and retain talent.
4 Strategies for Building Hybrid Workplace that Works
by Jim Keane and Todd Heiser HBR 2021/07
R2G 