Redesigning Work and Employee Productivity

How will post-pandemic work and productivity look? That is the big question. Business as usual will not be the same; it will need to be better as organizations build a work culture where employee productivity, focus, engagement, and collaboration are the four pillars for the organization's success, whether remote or in person.

With vaccines readily available, organizations are restructuring work arrangements. COVID-19 has brought many challenges, such as lack of social contact and the adoption of online working. On the opposite side, it has created flexibility and extended opportunities for employees to arrange the time to train and learn, relate to one another with empathy, cooperate for the organization's better good, and many more. Employee engagement, coordination, and cooperation have increased productivity in the last year. Executives and teams have adopted a new perspective towards the advantages of technology. Platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams provided the space for team meetings, calls, and chats for continuous collaboration.

Traditional work from 9-5 at the office is no longer the norm as flexibility options have broadened. Drives such as energy, engagement, coordination, and collaboration play an essential part in the organization's success. Executives are learning to understand the work preferences of their employees to identify the work arrangements that make them efficient and productive.

Through this blog, I intend to offer four scenarios organizations can adopt going forward to reset their work. These are hybrid models based on a study by Lynda Gratton in her article 'How to do hybrid right.' These scenarios center on focus, engagement, coordination, and collaboration.

Scenario 1 – At the office from 9 am to 5 pm

Remote work may not always be possible or optimal for specific positions or teams. Their tasks could be highly hands-on or require more collaboration emphasizing the importance of face-to-face and synchronized meetings. This team may be more productive in a designed location and specific times.

Scenario 2 – Anywhere and anytime

Organizations have adopted this kind of work during the pandemic. This scenario benefits employees who have a well-equipped home office to focus on long hours without interruption. These jobs fit managers with tasks and processes such as strategic managers and marketing planners. They can do the work anywhere, and their time is not constrained.

Scenario 3 – 9am to 5pm anywhere

Both time and place can play a role; however, traveling to work is not a full-time requirement. This type of work requires energy. Workers may prefer the flexibility of working from home and under a specific schedule. This arrangement allows them to coordinate meetings using the effective platforms of zoom and Microsoft teams without going into the office.

Scenario 4 – Anytime at the office

The benefit of this arrangement is that executives and employees work independently. Many of their tasks take creativity and collaboration, requiring focus and agile work. Meetings can be coordinated at the office and work completed together in shared spaces and hubs. Teams bring their ideas to the table and brainstorm together to produce new products and services.

These hybrid scenarios summarize work settings where employees can be more productive. Some tasks need teamwork and cooperation, collaboration on innovation and agility, focus and discipline to drive specific results, and energy to perform better. Employees' preferences and tasks play a crucial role in determining which workstyle to use. Hybrid work, done successfully, improves productivity, agility, and flexibility in a space where employees can work with purpose and collaborate better for the organization's greater good.

How do you assign your team's hybrid work policies, and how will those policies look as work returns to normal in a post-pandemic world?