Insights and solutions to the challenges of hybrid working.

Insights and solutions to the challenges of hybrid working.

Hybrid work has emerged as a prominent working model, especially for knowledge and wisdom workers in recent times. This comes as organisations strive to strike a balance between flexibility and productivity.

The primary objective of hybrid work is to enable employees to do their work from any location. However, there is often confusion with a broader, flexible working model that enables flexibility beyond location and includes aspects of working hours, availability, and more. This misunderstanding has become a source of conflict that creates a trust deficit within teams
and organisations.

According to a study by Gallup, 62% of workers in a nationwide sample mentioned the flexibility to choose “where and when to work” as a top advantage of hybrid working. This represents a general mismatch in expectations with employers who are on board with flexibility with regards to the location (where) but expect agreed working hours (when) to be adhered to – resulting in a significant negative impact on relationships and culture.

How would this play out in the real world?

How would this play out in the real world?

A typical scenario occurs when an employee steps away from their work desk to run a personal errand such as picking kids up from school or grocery shopping.

When the errand runs longer than anticipated, this results in the employee being unavailable to colleagues and clients at critical moments.
This typically causes frustration and mistrust with line managers and colleagues who require a certain level of responsiveness during “working hours”.

In this example, the employee’s intentions are not necessarily about working fewer hours or slacking on their work. Their perspective is that in practice the implications of hybrid work have meant that they are working longer hours with very little boundaries on
their time.

WhatsApps and emails generally continue way beyond traditional working hours. So, there is an expectation that stepping out for “a little while” should not be an issue given their perceived sacrifice for the team and organisation. The sense is a lack of appreciation for their extra time and effort invested in work beyond traditional working hours.

Therefore, what emerges are legitimate, heightened emotions fueled by a lack of trust and ultimately resulting in micromanagement from leaders who are frustrated with employee absence at critical moments. On the side of employees, there is legitimate resentment, anxiety, and an erosion in mental and physical well-being due to micromanagement and a lack of boundaries.

For many employees, the micromanagement response from leaders triggers a historical context of a toxic organisational culture that reveals itself in the staunch resistance to return to the office. It also plays out in behaviours of cameras off during meetings and a resistance to in-person engagements.

Ultimately this conundrum results in short-term organisational productivity gains based on immediate tasks. Specifically, people get more things done in a shorter space of time by working extra hours all the time. However, there are significant losses in collaborative and strategic long-term efforts that require connection, trust, and collaboration. Also, there is a lack of sustainability as fatigue and wellness challenges come to the fore in the context of extended working hours.

So, what can leaders do to optimise hybrid work?

So, what can leaders do to optimise hybrid work?

The mood of anxiety generally stems from uncertainty. Intentional communication and renegotiation of the psychological contract – especially in the team context, is critical. This means aligning expectations, practices, and desires for mutually beneficial experiences and outcomes.

Creating a range of authentic connections and relationships is required to build cultures of collaboration and co-creation. The onus is on leaders to build their competence in creating psychological safety and belonging in their teams. In essence, creating a space where employees feel safe to express themselves especially where they disagree with the norm.

Suspend judgment and ask questions from a mood of wonder and curiosity. Don’t jump to negative conclusions without engaging with colleagues to test assumptions.

Demonstrate vulnerability and engage on a human-to-human level with your colleagues.

Enrol your team (through conversations of clarity and possibilities) in co-creating an optimal hybrid working model.

Agree and implement accountability and appreciation measures to sustain the optimal culture.

Invite employees to articulate and express their boundaries. Leaders must be open to negotiating and respecting the agreed boundaries.

Written by
Phephile Simelane
CEO: Nabantu

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