“The hybrid way of working […] is the bridge between digital and analog collaboration and is thus neither fish nor fowl. It requires special cutlery.” (Quote from Holger Nauheimer)
For some months now, it has actually been a lived reality in very many companies, the “new” hybrid world. Even companies that could not have imagined mobile work or home office for their employees before the Corona pandemic have now launched 2+3 models or other regulations that underscore this (still new) form of collaboration. The hybrid working world offers the great opportunity to combine the advantages of mobile working with the benefits of the presence culture and is definitely also expected and necessary mode in the context of the great megatrends of our time (#digitalization, g#lobalization, #individualization, …).
But it is also clear: This does not “just happen”. This new form of collaboration must be actively shaped in companies. In addition to regulations and structures, technical equipment, digital tools and sensible space and workstation concepts, it also requires first and foremost the right culture and the people who are willing to actively help shape this process.
And this is also creating a new requirement for managers in companies to manage this process very actively and very consciously. The good news is that we don’t have to reinvent leadership for the hybrid setting. On the contrary. The central elements that have already emerged in recent years and in the context of the New Work and New Leadership themes as essential for modern leadership still hold true. They are only gaining in importance! Psychological security, trust and personal responsibility, participation, a focus on conveying meaning, an open learning and error culture, and an agile mindset with a high degree of flexibility on the part of all players remain the guiding leadership principles.
However, the environment in which this leadership takes place continues to increase in complexity due to hybrid settings and becomes a bit more “V.U.C.A.”: The different needs and contexts of the employees want to be taken into account in the hybrid setting. The coordination and coordination effort for information and organization in the team increases enormously. Digital tools are springing up like mushrooms, evolving at breathtaking speed and requiring constant learning. New structures and processes must be created in the team to ensure efficient collaboration, even in hybrid settings. And last but not least, alternative ways must be found very consciously and systematically to ensure team cohesion, personal contact and employee retention, which have suffered greatly under the Corona pandemic.
There is no one right way here, but only one “right for our team at this time” way. What is central is that we think about HOW to design this path now.
Have you already worked out your journey plan to the hybrid working world together with your teams?
Author:
Johanna van Staa, Senior Consultant CEVEYCONSULTING GmbH
#modernleadership #newleadership #newwork #hybridleadership #VUCA #CEVEYGROUP
