A new, “HYBRID” way of working in the office and at home.
How to make the “hybrid” work for YOU.
Here we go again...welcome to the next chapter in this funny old journey! It's time for yet another transition - you did it before in an extreme way, moving from working in the office as the norm to working completely from home; and now it's time to embrace the happy halfway ‘hybrid’ - except this time you have the opportunity to really make the most of this long term ‘new normal’ by utilising all of your juicy and insightful learnings about yourself from the last year...so let's go!
Firstly, let's acknowledge that as humans, establishing a new routine, a new way of life...and then disrupting it all again can feel quite challenging and destabilising to some people. You may feel that you can adapt quickly and are relishing the idea of creating your new ‘hybrid’...or you may feel that you need more time to adjust. This will not be nailed overnight. It is going to require patience, trialling, experimenting, seeing what works and what doesn’t. So go easy on yourself and on others, be kind and seek to understand how others are feeling about it.
Do you remember when you used to dream of this less rigid, more flexible way of working?!
The key thing to accept is that there is no going back to ‘before’ - to before 2020 and Covid19 happened! There is only looking forwards now, to a way of working which is far more flexible thanks to the incredible leaps forward we all took in embracing the use of technology to make our working lives effective, flexible and remote. Now is the time to embrace both modes of communication - re-establishing in person contact (yippee), and still making the most of online ways of working when you are not in the office.
A big reminder here - do you remember when you used to dream of this less rigid, more flexible way of working?! When you used to feel that you should be chained to your desk 5 days a week with such little flexibility that a dentist appointment during the day seemed like a huge deal and you would feel guilty about being away from your desk for an hour? We used to dream about a mix - some days in the office, collaborating with others face to face, and others days at home, a more flexible schedule that would allow ‘life’ to be more manageable too - picking up kids, putting a wash on, not commuting - all whilst still focusing and getting projects done.
This is a chance to take a step back and look at this incredible opportunity with a fresh perspective; to be intentional with how your work life blend looks; to create a ‘new normal’ that works for YOU. I encourage you to fully embrace this unique opportunity to shape your reality in which you live and work.
Here’s how! Grab a notebook and pen and try these activities:
Brainstorm all of the benefits of working from home and consider what types of work projects / tasks / meetings actually work better in this scenario?
. Next, do the same for the office - brainstorm all of the benefits of working in the office and consider what types of work projects / tasks / meetings work better in this scenario? Eg this might be a certain type of discussion with a person / group.
Once you’re a bit clearer on how to make the most of working from home and the office, get proactive so that you are making your schedule work for you - so that your days and ultimately weeks can start to feel as wonderful as possible!
Every Friday plan your week ahead - which days you will work from home / the office and the work that you plan to do / people & meetings you want to organise from there
Try planning a month ahead, or even plotting in how you want your schedule to look for the remainder of the year
It might be that a routine will work for you eg working from home every Weds/Thurs, or it might be that you mix it up to reflect what will work best for the type of work you are delivering.
Its probably going to take a bit of getting used to blending in person and digital comms - re-embracing connecting with colleagues in person (yippee) and continuing to make the most of the digital communication skills you have built over the last 18 months. Remember comms don’t stop now when you’re not in the office! Practice turning the volume up on both until a happy normal is created.
It might be a good time to reassess digital comms behaviours to see where this can be improved? For example, cameras on - commit to it, don’t multitask! Be intentional with your time, don’t just accept a meeting invite because it's online - have you seen an agenda, do you need to be there? Our TVH experience of online comms is that it works just as well as in person if everyone fully commits to it and all other distractions are removed….such as phones / desktop notifications!
If you have worries / concerns about the hybrid way of working, spend some time brainstorming the problem and possible solutions, then consider who it is that you need to discuss this with to come up with a solution that works.
Trial and error, play around, see what feels good but most of all? Have patience and optimism that this more flexible way of working can 100% work FOR you, and make your work / life blend so much better, more effective AND more enjoyable - wahoo!
If you need guidance establishing this new rhythm, check out coaching with Katy here and Laura here.