Hybrid working is the future. It's crucial to equip leaders to get it right. Colin Sloman discusses how Cognician can help.
A major shift is underway that is changing where and how work occurs. During the pandemic, organizations had to change how they worked overnight, but working from home was a resounding success. PwC found that 83% of employers say the shift to remote work has succeeded in their organization.
As the dangers of having big groups of people working together wind down, organizations are trying to figure out how to proceed. Many want their workers to return to the office (at least part-time). However, many employees want to hold on to the greater flexibility that hybrid working offers. Organizations that do not support flexible forms of working may risk losing key talent to organizations that do (read our article on the Great Resignation). As organizations confront new realities, a hybrid working model is the most popular compromise. It's critical to get this transition right, and the best place to start is with leaders.
Every Hybrid Model Will Be Different
What hybrid working will look like for each organization is just beginning to take shape. One of the most significant insights leaders have gained from the pandemic is that there is no such thing as normal, especially when it comes to business models and ways of working. However, 'hybrid' is a broad concept that can be executed in many different ways. Leaders have to ask themselves several questions: What should a hybrid business model look like? How can we implement a hybrid working model that suits organizational goals and individual employees' needs? How do we create and maintain company culture and values if employees work from different locations and have limited in-person interactions?
These are some of the questions we address in our Hybrid Leadership Quest. This Quest is based on hybrid organizational experiences gained from our clients as well as our own. We aim to challenge leaders and managers to activate new ways of working in a hybrid setting that will empower them and their teams. We cover themes such as productivity, collaboration, connection, trust, flexibility, and, most importantly, inclusivity, which is the glue that holds hybrid teams together. We help leaders and managers balance organizational goals and employee needs to reduce attrition and increase productivity and overall job satisfaction.
Activate New Ways of Working with Cognician
Although hybrid working is not new, it requires a culture shift and new ways of working. Even though many people adapted to flexible working during the pandemic, a long-term hybrid working model requires different capabilities.
Individuals face the prospect of significant changes in their daily work lives as some return to the office, some remain remote, and others shuffle back and forth. And leaders of hybrid teams might be in the most daunting position of all. Leading a team in a hybrid workplace creates many new demands on leadership.
Let Cognician help your organization define its new normal and equip leaders for the challenges of leading in this new era of hybrid working. Sign up for a free trial of our Hybrid Leadership Quest today.
