Mini blog series:
In the previous part 1, we presented key findings from the Microsoft Work Trend Index.
Today's final part 2 is about building a sustainable hybrid work culture. Leaders play a key role in this.
Part 2 / Our take-away from last week's blog post: Although it came suddenly, we are the world's first generation of a digital workforce. The pandemic pushed us out of the office and into our homes to work from there. And that's where we'll keep working in the future, with some detours to the office, mostly to make up for the lack of social interactions – a hybrid work model.
Smooth transition into the hybrid era
The results of the Microsoft Work Trend Index (WTI) show which parameters need to be addressed to ensure a smooth transition into the hybrid era.
While many leaders report about thriving careers over the last months, many employees are faring differently. Especially the young generation Z is struggling badly. Two-thirds are simply trying to get by; no sign of thriving at all. A recent study by the University of Cambridge, which was commissioned by the ILO, confirms these findings. About one-sixth of those entering the workforce lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and global youth employment fell by 8.7% in 2020 (only 3.7% for adults). But even experienced employees feel exhausted, overworked, and let down by their employers. No surprise, then, that a considerable percentage is considering changing their job.
Leaders are playing a key role
Therefore, leaders are the personnel of the hour. On the one hand, to pave the way into working life for the young "generation lockdown". On the other hand, to ease the anxiety stemming from the unknown among existing staff and to lead them into the hybrid world.
The goal is a work culture based on by social togetherness, trust, and flexibility. We have not yet achieved this goal, considering the results of the WTI.
So, the question is: How do we get there?
Answer: With an empathetic and flexible leadership style. In such times of change, people need support and guidance. That's what makes leaders so important right now. To make them aware of their importance and to steer their behavior in the right direction, their success should be measured, among other things, by how well they manage to keep their hybrid teams together.
The following 5 tips promote a trusting and flexible work culture in hybrid organizations:
1) Flexible work requires flexible leadership. Leaders are just as unfamiliar with the hybrid world as the rest of us – and there's no shame in that. Instead of pretending to know the rules of hybrid work, they should strengthen the team spirit by elaborating these very rules with their team. Managers should be flexible, i.e., keeping an open mind, and motivate their teams with a positive can-do attitude.
2) Consider team level and individual level. The understanding of hybrid work can differ among team members – one finds peace in working from home, the other in the office. Leaders need to explore with their teams how set up a hybrid collaboration. Individual discussions are just as essential as team agreements, for example regarding meeting-free days or fixed office meetings. A set of rules creates clarity and reduces uncertainty; at the same time, it leaves room for autonomous decisions.
3) Proactive support and social networks. In a hybrid working world, recurring social interactions are reduced, be it at the printer, the coffee machine or at lunch. Thus, networking requires some proactive action because solidarity is the foundation of functioning teams. The good thing is that mainly basics strengthen the team bond: leaders who proactively support their team in prioritizing work properly, help them feel productive and maintain a work-life-balance, increase well-being and sense of belonging of their employees. So, no virtual happy hour is needed to keep up the team spirit. Rather, deliberately organize hybrid meetings in which everyone feels equally involved. Microsoft uses this guide to do that.
4) Keep leaders informed – personnel surveys. Leaders can only meet the increased need for care in the hybrid age if they have sufficient information. Does hybrid lead to oppositions (team remote vs. team office)? Does someone fall behind? Are there free riders? Insights are needed to address these and other issues. Anonymous personnel surveys deliver those insights. Moreover, recurring surveys can be used to define KPIs and for target-performance-comparisons.
5) Coach and role model. A leader's behavior legitimizes the rules in hybrid interactions. Therefore, they should be strong advocates of self-care and lead by example because actions speak louder than words. Just to give a few examples: leaders should take breaks to show they are not a sign of laziness but, among other things, promote the ability to concentrate; that overtime does not signal more effort; that it is okay to devote time to hobbies. It applies both to the office and at home. This kind of honest, human interaction promotes authenticity, trust and thus respect for one another.
We hope those are some useful impulses for leaders. Of course, it is not exclusively on them to build a sustainable hybrid working environment. On the one hand, organizations need to create the necessary structures, like providing employees with technical equipment, remodeling office space, and so on. They need to give leading staff the required space and time to provide more intensive care. On the other hand, it's on every one of us (of this digital workforce) to meet the change to a hybrid world with an open mind, empathy, and flexibility.
We will keep you updated on our hybrid team adventures at Coopers. We are excited about the future of work and maintain our optimistic attitude. Or in the words of Ryan Roslansky, CEO of LinkedIn: "More people will be doing work they love at companies they feel passionate about, leading to greater success for organizations who engage their employees with empathy and trust."
What leadership principles do you consider important in the hybrid era? How do you train your leadership staff? We are genuinely interested and welcome feedback via email or on our social media channels Facebook, LinkedIn, Xing and Instagram.
Your Coopers Team
Photo by Jehyun Sung on Unsplash
