Bobbi Thomason and Jennifer Franczak Describe 3 Tensions Leaders Need to Manage in the Hybrid Workplace in Harvard Business Review

As hybrid work transitions from a temporary pandemic-era band-aid to the normal way of working, many leaders are wondering how they build an inclusive hybrid culture. In Harvard Business Review, Bobbi Thomason, assistant professor of applied behavioral science, and Jennifer Franczak, assistant professor of organizational theory and management, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, described the three tensions that leaders should address to manage a hybrid workforce. First: Working Anytime vs. Working All the Time, which is when employees choose when they work without feeling expected to work all the time. Second: Isolation vs. Invasion, which describes the need to connect and interact without feeling their home spaces and personal lives are invaded. Third: Possible vs. Preferred, which describes the future workplace not only offering flexible working hours and flexible working locations but also making sure employees can use these options and succeed. Thomason and Franczak encourage organizations to experiment with different practices until employees appreciate one another’s contributions and collaboration, even when they work virtually and asynchronously; feel connected to one another, even when they are physically apart; and believe they can thrive and succeed in their organizations, even when there are multiple ways of structuring work.

The full article is available on Harvard Business Review.