Think Before Transitioning to a Hybrid Model

Like it or not, the future of work is going to be hybrid. According to the 2021 Microsoft Work Trend Index, 73 percent of employees don’t want to go back to the office full-time, and there are plenty of companies willing to accommodate this desire. The truth is that organizations unwilling to stay ahead of this curve will be struggling to catch up in the talent marketplace. But implementing a hybrid work model—where employees work remotely part of the time and traditionally the other—requires strategic thinking and intentionality. Start by clarifying the organization’s vision for the future of work. Identify what needs to change and why and what the current challenges are to implementing a hybrid model. Next, decide how you will foster virtual leadership. Leading in a virtual world requires different tactics and training might be required for managers who are used to in-person interaction. Finally, decide on the types of work that can be done remotely and how that work will change. Do your team members have the technological tools necessary to perform this work successfully from remote locations? How will success be measured, and how will workflows change when they become more asynchronous? Hybrid models will work, they just take some planning.