People keep talking
about how remote work
is part of the future of work.
Well, I have news: that future is here.
Remote and hybrid work
are the new reality.
And now we have to figure out
how to make them work for all of us.
[The Way We Work]
In March 2020,
when the COVID pandemic hit,
remote work went into hyperspeed.
Work routines that were tied
to commutes and buildings
where people shared time
and space went away.
Many people wondered
what would become of teamwork,
collaboration and productivity?
They soon found that they
could accomplish more at home
and find the best work-life
flexibility of their careers.
Today, the verdict is in.
Using surveys, polls and meta analyses,
I found that over 70 percent of employees
in most global surveys
want a mix of in-person
and remote formats moving forward.
This makes us multimodal workers.
What does this mean?
It means we have to be awesome in person.
We have to be awesome remotely.
And we have to be awesome
when we’re in hybrid mode.
While that might sound like a lot,
with some new thinking and new skills,
we can use the office
as one of our many work tools.
I've been doing research and advisory
work on distributed work
for over 20 years
and have spoken with over 300
companies around the world.
Here are four things we know work well.
First, coordinate anchor days.
When we go to the office,
let's make sure we overlap
with our colleagues and collaborators.
That’s why we call these “anchor” days.
Otherwise, we'll find ourselves
in the office with no one around.
No use in gathering at the water cooler
if we're the only ones there.
Second, plan spontaneity.
In my work,
I've heard over and over again
that while people prize
the flexibility of hybrid work,
they long for informal and spontaneous
interactions with their colleagues.
This is a classic paradox,
but it's quite solvable through what
we call structuring unstructured time.
One thing to try is to set aside
the initial six to seven minutes
of an hour-long meeting for informal chat
about non-work matters,
just to talk or even complain.
You can also ask people the one word
that describes how they're doing,
verbally or in chat.
You can have informal contact
by scheduling virtual
or in-person lunches with your colleagues,
breaks for coffee, tea or a snack,
and even happy hour trivia challenge.
If you're a leader,
you should demonstrate
the value of informal talk
by initiating it yourself.
Third, use the right tools to communicate.
The key here is to match our digital tools
with our communication objectives,
which means we have to mix it up.
If we have to solve
a really complicated problem,
the best digital tool to use
is one that allows real-time discussion.
If we need to process complex information,
sending an email might be the best option,
giving people time to review
and absorb the content.
Video can be great
when we need our communication
to include emotional cues.
It helps to see someone’s face
when discussing tricky topics.
It also increases immediacy and intimacy.
But it can be exhausting.
Many people reporting tech exhaustion,
but it doesn't have to be that way.
We need to know when to take a break.
For one-on-ones,
try audio and keep the cameras off.
This last takeaway is for management,
but it affects all of us.
Commit to the new culture.
Top leaders have to avoid
sending mixed messages.
Too many are saying they're all for hybrid
while signaling that they prefer
everyone to be in the office
or saying, "This conversation
is so important,
we should have it in person."
Leaders need to make sure
that their words, actions and attitudes
are aligned with the hybrid arrangements
that they've chosen.
Consistency between hybrid
policies and attitudes
is the only way to build
an inclusive hybrid culture for everyone.