Make being intentional your superpower
As we continue to navigate a post-covid landscape, the not so new ‘new normal’ continues to unfold. The high-street will never be the same, AI has shifted us into a whole new realm of communication, and the rise of hybrid working is challenging businesses to adapt faster than ever.
We know that one of the biggest challenges our clients face, across all sectors, is how to create and maintain a thriving team culture in a hybrid workplace. So, how do we stay connected when physically we’re not? How can we help leaders better trust their teams? And how can we make this new way of work, really work? Our Senior Relationship Consultant, Amy Nicol explores how.
Embrace new ways of working
On a recent webinar, Kira van Niekerk from Thomas International explained working in the pandemic brilliantly: ‘we weren’t working from home; we were living at work’. Now, post-pandemic, working from home is sticking around. This shift has a huge impact on company culture.
If we compare traditional ways of working to the hybrid structure, the key differences are:
Traditional:
- Culture was visible in the office
- Colleagues work together in the same office daily, having natural conversations that feed into a culture
- Conversations and meetings are held spontaneously as leaders could share announcements at any time
- Connections were made and nurtured as we spent more time at work, than with our families and friends.
Hybrid:
- Culture is no longer visible
- There’s a disjointed structure to the day
- Meetings can’t be as spontaneous, there’s lots of planning required to pin down everyone at the right time
- Personal life is blended with professional life
- Individual needs have changed
- A need to create safety and inclusivity with hybrid working, while not losing trust.
One common way to try and resolve hybrid working challenges has been ‘let’s jump on a call’. But how many of you are feeling meeting fatigue? I know I am. So how do we strike a balance between staying connected whilst maintaining focus?
I’ve been doing a bit of research, chatting to clients and attending various webinars to try and find a solution. The truth is, there isn’t one size fits all, but I can share some insights that will help you navigate hybrid working and maintain a thriving culture.
01. A meeting fast
Lisette Sutherland suggested ‘a meeting fast’ on a recent webinar. And I loved the idea. A ‘meeting fast’ is where you challenge your team to remove a whole week of meetings. After, discuss what meetings you really missed and reintroduce them. And those you didn’t? Cut them!
02. Meeting energy measure
Another great suggestion was to measure them. Here’s how: After each meeting, mark them with red (drained your energy and not proactive), yellow (indifferent) and green (great meeting, high energy). You guessed it! Remove the red and continue with the green and keep an eye on the yellow.
03. Communication is key
It’s true, communication is everything. As a leader, it’s your duty to keep everyone in the know. In a traditional work environment, you can speak to your whole company at once, any time. But with hybrid, you need to plan how to communicate to your colleagues and when. Whether you choose an internal newsletter, a monthly meeting (in person or online), or use social channels – it’s time to be more intentional with our comms roadmaps.
04. Collaboration first
Two occasions are common with hybrid working; the first is turning up to an empty office and being alone all day on zoom calls. And the second is turning up to a busy office, but not having time to have those natural water-cooler conversations that create culture – as you’re in back-to-back meetings. How can we avoid this? I spoke to Paul Owen, Engagement and Recognition at Principality Building Society who gave fantastic advice, ‘When going into the office, we have to ensure we stay flexible and allow time for collaboration as that’s what powerful. The purpose of going into the office has to be more than a meeting – it should be about build the culture and the conversations.’
05. Being intentional
Sounds so simple, but intentional communication and action is the most important thing to remember. Whether it’s a meeting, a workshop, a PDP, a client session, a pitch, a conversation – we have to be intentional with our time, our colleagues’ time and most importantly, share that intent. Remember to always have a clearly defined ‘why?' Otherwise, you’ll be faced with a ‘so what?’
If you’d like to find out more about how you can make being intentional your superpower, send Amy a message on hello@six.agency.
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