Leading for a Better Future of Work for Aotearoa this Labour Day

This Labour Day let’s take a moment to think about leading for a better future of work. 

Growth of Hybrid

We’ve had the work-from-home revolution with 40 years of change squeezed into just three short years. That change has left us reeling with speed wobbles and questions about whether we need to get everyone back in the office. The research shows that working from home is plateauing, not dropping away, and here in Aotearoa we are leading the way with more kiwis hybrid working than other parts of the globe. 

I put that lead down to two factors. The first was the shock we experienced from the Kaikoura earthquake in 2016. It stressed our business continuity plans and many of us upgraded our technology so we were in a better position to work from home if our offices were suddenly inaccessible.

We also had a different covid experience to the rest of the world. We were able to go back into offices, albeit socially distanced for much of the time, but it meant we experimented with working from home and the office while a lot of the rest of the world was in lengthier lockdowns.

How do we take this competitive advantage we’ve got with a higher uptake of hybrid work and shift our workforce into a future that lifts productivity and choice for everyone?

Include Frontline Flex

We now have a divided workforce; those who can work from home versus those who can’t. There’s been a tolerance from the in-person workforce that is now, understandably, wearing thin. Those early warning signs are apparent, as I hear from people in operational roles every day. A recent message from one frustrated operational leader sums it up perfectly:

“…Operations are not able to be as flexible. We often rely on people being available outside of normal working hours. Operating a process which runs 24 hours a day doesn’t lend itself to working from home arrangements leading to a disparity in our workforce between those who need to come to work, and those who “work” from home. Those of us in operations who rely on the support of our office staff are tired of finding empty offices and darkened hallways during normal working hours.”

One option is to drag everyone back into the physical workplace, in the name of fairness. That’s going to be an uphill struggle and pushes against what the data show is the future of work, not just here in Aotearoa, but globally too.

What action to take?

This Labour Day, if you’re interested in leading for a better future of work, here’s what I suggest you do:

1. Train managers for productive hybrid teams

Hybrid is here in a big way and it’s arrived at speed. That means most of us haven’t cracked it yet. 

If you only do one thing, train your managers. They are exhausted with trying to put the puzzle together, grant everyone’s wish list, and still get high quality work delivered.

The old way doesn’t fit our new context, so give them the support they need to upgrade their flexible work management skills. 

2. Invest in frontline flex

Let’s not leave our frontline behind in this flexible work revolution. Let’s bring them into the conversation and put them in the spotlight. It’s time they had access to more choices too, even if it feels harder to achieve.

To get you started, think about how you can offer more choices in hours and days of work. Allow teams to test their ideas in practice and experiment with alternatives, just like the rest of the workforce got to over the last three years. The teams are closest to the work and will know what’s possible, guided by clear and measurable work outcomes.

Secondly, have a think about how to tweak the design of the jobs so that there are opportunities to work from home, even if it’s once a fortnight or so.

3. Create a cohesive and inclusive culture

Leading for a better future of work has to be in the spirit of creating a cohesive and inclusive culture. When you put the first two actions into play, frame them in the context of creating the kind of culture we all want to be a part of. One that has a place for everyone and drives high quality work.

This Labour Day, let’s lead for a better future of work. Invest in productivity of our hybrid teams and turn our attention to flex for our frontline.