The way we work has changed dramatically in the past two years, from fully in the office, to fully at home and now onto hybrid working. Moira Dunne shares her top tips on how to get the most out of the latest phase of working life.
As pandemic restrictions ease, many businesses are moving towards a hybrid working model. The aim is to get the best out of both worlds: the flexibility of home working, increased collaboration, and the benefits of office interaction.
After working permanently at home for two years, however, it can be hard to embrace yet another new way of working while maintaining momentum week in, week out. A little bit of planning can help employers and employees to get the best out of hybrid working. Here are my top three tips:
1. Reset
It’s essential to recognise that this latest phase of working life brings with it an opportunity to reset. For employees, it’s chance to review your current home working arrangements before moving to a permanent hybrid work model. Ask yourself some key questions:
- Do I need a better working from home routine?
- Can I optimise my workstation and equipment in my home office?
- What distractions at home cause me to lose time and focus?
This review will help you identify issues with your home-working environment and assist you in increasing your focus and productivity.
2. Plan
It is crucial to plan how best to split your work between home and office. We instinctively know that tasks requiring a high level of focus are more suited to a quiet home environment. Time in the office enables group work such as problem-solving, innovation and coaching.
Consider the time and location dependency of your work. Each employee can plan for:
- time-dependent tasks that must be done during core hours;
- location-dependent tasks that require access to files or systems in the office;
- collaborative tasks that require interaction in the office; and
- solo tasks that can be done individually, independent of location or time.
Aim to have the team in the office on the same days, if possible. This can help to ensure all team responsibilities are covered while also making the most of collaboration time.
3. Deliver
Hybrid working is most effective when each person takes responsibility for delivering in their role. This builds trust, and can help to remove any residual stigma about remote working. It shifts the performance assessment focus away from presenteeism and towards delivery.
Both employees and managers have a part to play here. Open communication is beneficial in any working environment, but it is imperative in the hybrid working environment. Productivity is improved when:
- employers provide clarity about what needs to be delivered. This helps people to work independently at home; and
- employees seek clarity when they are not clear about expectations, report on progress and discuss any issues that may arise.
4. Continuous improvement mindset
Hybrid working can benefit both the business and its employees, but there is a collective responsibility to make it work. It is new territory, so it is best to take an iterative approach. Encourage people to adopt a continuous improvement mindset by:
- trying the model;
- reviewing the model;
- modifying the model; and
- improving the model.
With these tips for successful hybrid working in mind, businesses can achieve both productivity and flexibility while maintaining employee momentum, focus and satisfaction.
Moira Dunne is founder of beproductive.ie.
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