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As the Covid-19 pandemic hit offices, teams were forced to adapt to a new way of working under crisis – and with no handbook. As we return to the office, we face another transformation, but this time there’s no excuse not to make a plan. “I think the last couple of months has been a massive testbed for the future of work and how we can prepare as leaders,” says Margarete McGrath, global strategic propositions lead at Dell Technologies.
On the face of it, the hybrid model seems self-evident: teams will split their time between the office and working remotely. But ask ten workers what they expect this to look like in practical terms, and you’ll likely get ten quite different answers. How many days should be spent in the office? Do normal working hours still apply? Does “remote” mean working from home, or dialling in from a yoga retreat in Bali?
A mismatch between people’s expectations may easily lead to resentment and misunderstandings, so it’s important to set out the new rules of the hybrid workplace clearly – and early. Intentionality is key, says Tom Welchman, partner at McKinsey & Company. “When we were together in person, pre-crisis, things just happened,” he says. “Now we have to be much more intentional: intentional about the norms we set, intentional about the capabilities that we build and intentional about the enablers that we provide.”
In many ways, the daily routine of the hybrid model presents greater challenges than going all-remote. Running a remote video meeting may present some annoyances, but holding a meeting with some people in the same room and others dialling in can become the worst of both worlds. This is where the need for a new etiquette comes in. It’s not just about being polite, but about establishing behavioural norms to make sure that work activities run smoothly and efficiently, and that company culture stays healthy and inclusive. Hybrid meeting etiquette could include a more formalised approach to turn-taking, for example, to avoid those present in-person from dominating discussion over those working remotely. It may require a more structured agenda to give everyone a chance to present their thoughts. And it’s time to decide once and for all: cameras on or off?
The switch to hybrid also presents an ideal opportunity to reconsider how we use technology in the workplace more broadly, and whether old norms remain appropriate. One major consideration when working with colleagues in different locations or on different schedules (and perhaps different time zones) is the distinction between synchronous and asynchronous communication. Which tasks require everyone to be online together, and which could benefit from people managing their own time? And which tools are most appropriate for each of these scenarios?
It may be time to reconsider the basics, such as when to use email and when to switch to an instant messenger – and how immediately people are expected to respond to messages on these different platforms. It’s all well and good saying that someone can work flexible hours, but not if they’re going to receive 100 messages on their phone when they’re supposed to be out of the office. “We do need to look at the expectations around collaboration and communication technology – how we use it and when it's used,” says Melinda Lee Ferguson, vice president and general manager for UK and Ireland at VMware. “What is the expectation of response time to a WhatsApp message or text as compared to a Slack or a Teams message, or then an email? Because those expectations and boundaries need to probably change as we move into more flexible working situations.”
Lucy Cooper, head of innovation for Europe at Accenture, suggests going a step further to think laterally, considering approaches such as deleting inboxes when someone is away on holiday, holding emails until a return, and diverting or shutting down email over the weekend. “We're going to be experimental in our approach, trying stuff out, and really aim to understand what makes the biggest difference in our people being and feeling empowered to own the way they work and how that changes behaviour,” she says.
This isn’t just a matter of efficiency, but also one of wellbeing. Our experiences during the pandemic have highlighted how easily work can bleed into our personal lives, potentially leading to stress and burnout. Without clearly defined boundaries, a hybrid model could blur these lines even further. This is why it’s so important to codify our new working etiquette. Ambiguity often leads to overcompensation – meaning people may spend more time on tasks that aren’t as critical as they thought, or prioritise the wrong projects.
Managed carefully, a hybrid model could lead to a more inclusive work environment. It could help level the playing field by allowing people greater flexibility to handle caring obligations and permit employers to broaden their search geographically when hiring. But if new opportunities are not clearly communicated, some may take liberties while others feel unable to take full advantage. Establishing and communicating a clear set of guidelines can contribute to a fairer workplace, where the hybrid approach can benefit everyone – and business leaders need to set the example. “The role of leadership for us is actually playing out to be really important,” McGrath says. “The role modelling of leadership, to make sure that we move away from a culture of trying to drive presenteeism back in the office, and to drive a really inclusive culture and be mindful of people's work-life needs.”
Establishing a new etiquette for the hybrid workplace is not about micromanaging individuals, but about setting clear expectations for all. For leaders, the exact content of any new rules may ultimately be less important than making sure everyone knows what they are.
Perhaps counterintuitively, the more flexibility a workplace wishes to offer, the less laissez-faire it can afford to be.
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
