Organizations, like the people that conform them, are fallible. They’re imperfect entities composed of imperfect individuals struggling to achieve a common goal. On the way to this goal, mistakes are made, however – and it’s the responsibility of every organization to allow for a grand margin of error that ensures that their endgame is achieved, no matter the mistakes made along the way. This includes understanding hybrid work schedules better.
The last two years presented a change in values for companies and industries as a whole. Workers and superiors alike had to learn a new set of skills altogether as said idea of hybrid work schedules became the norm. What was once a rarity was now commonplace, and people have become used to living in a world where this is the preferred type of labor.
Despite the precautions taken, this hybrid method has faced some backlash and challenges in the last two years or so. Organizations, after all, are only as efficient as the people that conform them. Several patterns have emerged and have been noted across many types of industries, putting a dent in the hybrid work mentality.
There is a silver lining to this, though. Not only are organizations imperfect by nature: they are also quite similar to one another. Just like a normal person will behave similar to many others no matter how much uniqueness they attribute to themselves, organizations repeat trends and behave in known patterns. This makes understanding them a much simpler task, as challenges that affect one industry probably affect another one in some form.
As such, if we take all of the above into account, we can pinpoint four types of challenges that we can solve in the coming months. CEOs, industry leaders, web developers and the like can find solace in knowing they aren’t alone. They just need to look closer.
Lack of a Clear Direction
There are many reasons why people resist hybrid work. One of them being the fact that, despite already possessing the tools to effectively work from a distance (smartphones, messaging apps, Zoom meetings), people as a whole were forced to implement these tools due to the pandemic. Instead of being able to get accustomed to this type of environment, workers and superiors alike were forced en masse to adopt these new techniques without due training.
Also, a lot of our work culture ensures that bosses and superiors develop a lack of trust in their direct employees. Harassing web developers, micromanaging engineers, and forcing crunch hours to get an API running ahead of the time-to-market goals are some of the regrettable actions we’ve seen in the tech world, for example. An environment like this was always doomed to stagnate the minute a sliver of instability slipped past the radar. The pandemic just exacerbated that fact.
The consequences of these behaviors is that workers are left without a clear direction, as orders are changed on the fly, and superiors demand more and more of them without a clear gameplan to serve as a driving force that motivates them at crucial moments.
Truth is, leaders need to evaluate whether their weak points lie in the management department. Just like with every other challenge on this list, there comes a point when companies need to assess what aspects of their work culture need more attention before implementing a solution – in this case, a call to action to come to terms with their management skills is necessary.
Technical Issues
Problems inherent with the technology being used are rampant. Workers will not always have access to the best internet services, or even decent equipment. The situation becomes more complex when one considers the office rent aspect; given that not many employees will be using the office space at the same time, the question remains on whether to keep the spaces open five days a week or just for special occasions.
Unfortunately, opting out of hybrid work schedules is almost a non-option. Despite the numerous technical issues that have plagued workers,(especially when 99% of their work relies on web app development, cloud computing, etc) the floodgates have already been opened. Many companies are offering hybrid work schedules as a bonus or incentive to attract professionals in order to close the talent gap. By not adapting to the current trend, companies are setting themselves up for failure.
One solution for this trend is to keep a close eye on which employees or sectors demand the most resources, and plan accordingly. Some companies opt for supplying their employees with special equipment, which could be a cheaper option than opening the office doors all day long. In any case, an effective distribution of resources must be considered.
Personal Problems Impact Work Performance
While personal issues – from mental health, relationship troubles, and family responsibilities – have always been present, it’s also true that our work lives generally try to separate those two worlds. This is no longer an option regarding hybrid work, as people have to juggle their home responsibilities with their work lives simultaneously.
This relates to the above problem, as many companies are giving leeway to their employees to handle their own responsibilities in a healthy manner so as to allow for a more productive and positive work schedule. By not allowing for these spaces to foster, resentment, mistrust and burnout will increase. This is doubly true in case of creative or performance-driven jobs.
Perhaps writing a report can be done under heavy stress, but creating an article or a new website requires a smoother approach. Making use of individual meetings to check on your employees’ general wellbeing, respecting their boundaries, as well as implementing programs to create a welcoming atmosphere are some small steps to consider.
Reframing The Corporate Culture
Understanding and properly engaging with your staff is crucial to ensuring good workflow. Still, increasing productivity as a result of bettering the inner work culture is even more important in the long run.
By Culture, one has to properly define the term before actually referring to terms such as a “toxic work culture” (more on that later). A work culture can refer to the values on which a company or organization has built its environment and reputation – the cornerstone of their business. Just like societal cultures, leaders have a big influence (though it’s not the only one) on how this phenomenon develops.
Rather than focusing on “toxic” culture, it’s best to see what areas are simply not conducive to a productive environment. For example, many companies tend to focus on simply presence and input performance rather than actual output. It’s not uncommon for companies like these to be filled with web developers, engineers and everything in between who feel overworked and with a tendency to pretend to work instead. When employees become afraid of their bosses, they worry more about the performance instead of actual results.
This is just one example of how corporate culture can be adjusted. Focusing on bolstering productivity through different office politics and programs in order to curb the lack of motivation. This all depends on how willing we are to engage with our own misgivings and which steps are we prepared to take in order to correct them. Just like previous challenges.
A New Direction for Hybrid Work
Hybrid work, like every adjustment, brings complexity. It demands a great allocation of resources and strategic planning. Plus, the high level of variables and lack of sufficient data (this is still a developing trend, after all) can make it seem as a very risky proposition.
But, at the same time, it’s the one way to ensure that employees from all walks of life feel comfortable and operate efficiently. Hybrid work schedules have led to new perspectives and ways to engage with difficult tasks, after all. It’s true that not every worker will experience this new normal in the same manner, but it’s also a certainty that there is much to learn and much to gain from implementing these changes – but we all need to take note of our shortcomings.
Of course, no one’s born an expert. It’s all part of a learning curve. If you’ve ever felt like you’re aware of your areas of improvement and yet can’t fathom the correct solution, you’re not alone. We’ve helped countless clients who are also trying to achieve growth through chaotic times while facing their own personal challenges. If you need help, contact us: we have over 18 years of experience launching numerous projects and turning them into success cases.
