Hybrid work – why do we need a more flexible mindset

A hybrid work is in contrast to the traditional work model. Nonetheless, the crucial questions are what hybrid works and how it has altered through time? Be it hybrid work, flexible, or distributed—whatever name you give it, work will never again be the same as it looked like previously. It is a shape-shifting, modern, method of working for years around the working world. However, this strategy isn’t appropriate for everyone, even though an increasing number of multinational organizations are adopting it. It is available in several variants for each firm and its employees, thus it is not the same for them all. Following, we will define a hybrid work model and why we need a more flexible mindset. Here’s what we’ll cover:

• What is hybrid work?
• How does hybrid work benefit?
• Flexibility of mindsets in Hybrid Work
• Old vs new mindsets
• How to make flexible mindsets work?
• Why do we need a more flexible mindset?

What is hybrid work?

Hybrid work refers to a flexible process of working that includes working at the office and working at home. With hybrid work, the level of flexibility can vary and suit multiple types of schedules as well. A hybrid work model will lead to a more well-balanced work life for employees who work for the organizations. It enhances productivity and employee engagement on the job. Working becomes not only rewarding but also the most effective.

How does hybrid work benefit?

Hybrid work not only benefits individual employees but also the companies that implement it and the environment by calling for less commuting. It promises to provide employees with more options, enhanced productivity as well as job satisfaction. For the enterprise, this results in an increase in the bottom line and expanding talent pool. Also, the fact that far less travel and office space leads to a sustainable future. Dimensional Research’s most recent study demonstrates:

1. While 99% of knowledge workers are aware of the benefits of working from home, such as having more flexibility, avoiding long commutes, and spending more time with friends and family while they can.
2. 95% of knowledge employees have already marked their wish to finish office tasks by concentrating on team building, collaboration, or networking with colleagues.
3. 53% of big organizations have a plan to shrink their building area, which leads to a reduction in expenditure.

Flexibility of mindsets in hybrid work

Adaptability…open mind, new patterns of behavior, and the office (where the term “office” may not necessarily imply the same meaning as it was previously). The resounding surge among the masses for the changes at work brought by Corona is overwhelming. Many people observed that working from home improves productivity and wellness more than most offices allow. We must not forget that the office however is also meant to accommodate the experiences not provided at home. Indeed, it is these experiences that many cannot secure at home and away from the office. As remote work is surely going to continue making up the workplace for many people in the future, having an opinion on when to be flexible is fundamental in devising a long-term evidence-based strategy.

Old vs new mindsets

Although flexibility at work is not so a new concept, nonetheless the majority of the organizations would only apply it as a formalized prerogative to those in specific circumstances. Think of a regular flexible work policy that states that employees can choose when they work (their workday times). Such policies are usually lengthy and full of arcane legal provisions, procedural elements, and detailed cases when it is reasonable to allow a person to work flexibly. The foreground situation is that the work is assumed to be happening in the office during standard work hours and it is left to employees to fight hard to have the privileged exceptions. It is about monitoring everything possible and controlling things, but close to putting in trust or thinking about the results. With the long-term transformation of employees doing the major part of their work away from an office without a manager in sight in such a situation, this conventional approach breaks down. And now we think about another approach to this issue. Workers are what we see as independent and trustworthy adults who are assigned the course of action to follow, the tasks, and the output. The final goal is achieved along with all the team members who support each other. 

How to make flexible mindsets work?

Flexible working is about striking a balance between the needs of individuals, teams, and the larger organization. It is most definitely not about lone individuals working toward their personal goals at the expense of the larger collective goals. However, it does require a change of perspective and a little bit of work. People primarily inclined to this way of thinking will start from a position of trust in others and will be more likely to provide them with the small benefit of the doubt. It operates an attain-goal system, as opposed to a traditional teacher-to-student dynamic. The outcome is rather loyalty to the team and thus all the decisions made are framed to suit both team and individual aspirations.  It is taught that our flexibility to find new patterns easily is the key and a new style of work might change us.

1. Establish explicit expectations and procedures for accountability; specify results, uphold responsibility, and recognize accomplishments. Clarity is crucial, regardless of whether this is about behaviors or outputs, and there may need to be a higher check-in frequency.
2. Encourage regular communication – determine a common communication schedule and one or more channels to ensure that folks remain connected and well-informed. Now, we refer to these gatherings as, “short, focused, but daily huddles“, and they have replaced long weekly or monthly team meetings that used to last for hours. Then some emails are meant to be long and hence can be exchanged via group chat channels.
3. F2F – see to it that people can sit down together and communicate to add virtuosity to their lives. Establishing a routine of team days every other week to chat, share ideas, and identify ways how to better work in the office will not only make a visit to the office an experience filled with enthusiasm but also bring results.

Flexibility is principally based on creating trust, but the establishment of rules beneficial to the organization, keeping people in touch, and getting the most out of the time available are other factors that show flexibility is not just a privilege but rather a method that ensures results and drives performance.

Why do we need a more flexible mindset?

The subsequent article discusses why the mindset of a flexible person is necessary for the world of cross-work to be dealt with utilizing complicated situations and exploiting the new opportunities.

Understanding hybrid work: The set work pattern is changing from a normal office routine of 9-5 at the office to a hybrid work that allows workers to distribute their work time between remote work and working from the office. It appreciates the various requirements and choices of the people working with it. It has technology to encourage unhindered collaboration among people irrespective of their location. A hybrid work is centered around the office where team members connect and come together to drive innovation and build culture while working at home provides autonomy and work-life balance. However, hybrid work can be effective or ineffective depending on both the technological infrastructure and the frame of mind of employees and the whole organization. The concept of flexible-mindedness is closely related to adaptability—the openness and ability to change, pick up new skills, and modify one’s way of acting as circumstances are in constant flux. 

Adaptability: It is one of the factors that become more important when the hybrid work environment is concerned. Employees have to convert to new work conditions by moving between the remote and in-office setups smoothly and more importantly should be able to restructure communication and cooperation techniques in a more agile manner. To some extent, organizations themselves have to fine-tune the policies, procedures, and leading styles to suit a hybrid workforce. 

Autonomy and accountability: Hybrid working divests authority over your working hours and environment to some degree to employees. While it might be independence, accountability has to be demonstrated nevertheless. With a flexible mindset, you embrace the idea of taking ownership of what you do, setting clear goals that are understandable by everyone around you, and meeting your commitments even though you’re operating away from the traditional setup. Trust between employers and employees is essential, and the attention has to be on the results; not more management. Building a fold of responsibility promotes productivity and likewise guarantees the effectiveness and longevity of remote work in the future.

Communication and collaboration: Probably, seamless communication serves as the core of the highly productive ecosystem of hybrid work models. The importance of open and transparent communication is more obvious in a collective team as in this case distance is a factor and an environment of inclusion should be established. It leads towards the establishment of the channels of communication that will help in leading to the exploitation of multiple opportunities, from various tools and through open platforms that enable immediate collaboration. The process comprises listening actively, empathizing, as well as adapting to different styles of communication that address contrasting preferences and working approaches.

Embracing Diversity and Inclusion: Technology-enabled hybrid work has the special ability to promote multiculturalism and equal opportunities with the transformations that broke the place boundaries and encouraged the expression of various preferences. Notwithstanding, the objectives have got to be fronted all along with fairness and equality. A flexible attitude recognizes diversity in all of its manifestations, welcomes dissenting viewpoints, and guarantees that every worker has an equal chance to develop professionally. It entails taking proactive steps to overcome prejudices, develop inclusive policies, and promote a feeling of community among teams that work remotely and in person.

Closing remarks

Finally, the hybrid work in actuality leads us to recognition of the fact that the modern approach to working has been profoundly and deeply modified. Success in a changing environment depends on adjustments of either single or organizational attitudes that emphasize maximum flexibility, autonomy, responsibility, proper communication, ability to integrate work and personal life, resilience, and inclusive approach. A flexible hybrid work environment is based on such a thought. No other approach could yield true hybrid work innovation and combine work productivity and aid in the success of the workplace of the future but this one.