For years, the argument about working from home versus
working onsite for office workers was quite polarised. People were adamantly
for or against.
It seems the COVID pandemic has decided for us: we will go
hybrid.
Hybrid work is a fluid mix of working remotely and working
onsite. Fluid, because it depends on the company and industry, and also because
it depends on employees’ different preferences and changing needs.
How to manage your wellbeing in a hybrid workplace
Leader of Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, Jared Spataro,
has outlined six “common sense principles” for his teams, to help them manage
their wellbeing in a hybrid workplace:
1. Make OKRs your friend
By embracing a framework that ties together clear objectives
and key results (OKRs), you are creating a personal framework that makes it
clear which work is most important to yourself and others. You can then say
‘no’ more often.
2. Get comfortable with imperfection
“To be crystal clear,” says Spataro, “this is not about
lowering the quality threshold for customers. It’s about managing priorities,
energy, and expectations for each step along the path toward an outcome.
“Ask yourself, ‘Does this need to be good, better, or best?’
And encourage your team to discuss it.”
3. Own your boundaries
Each of us needs to define our boundaries based on what we
can and cannot do.
In practice, this means deciding what time you start work,
deciding what time you finish work, and sticking to those commitments while
communicating them to your team, whether you are working remotely or in person.
4. Plan meetings with purpose
“Showing up to a meeting has become the signal of doing
work. It’s the 21st-century version of punching the clock,” Spataro
says.
First ask the most basic question: ‘Do you have to have this
meeting? No, really, do you have to?’ If the answer is yes, determine whether
the meeting is to disclose, discuss or decide.
5. Follow the science
Spataro says, “Science tells us what the world’s best athletes
have known for years: Peak performance requires cycles of rest and recovery.
More and longer hours don’t equal higher impact. Create a culture where taking
breaks is a mark of intelligence, not of laziness.”
6. Lead with empathy
If ever there were a time to give one another grace, it is
now, says Spataro. Help ensure that the quietest voices are heard. Make space
for fun. Make space for moments of sadness, and moments of joy.