How can you make better decisions in a hybrid work environment?

You should check the project tasks and categorize them based on which ones can be effectively done from home and which ones require in-person collaboration. Additionally, it would be helpful to consult with your colleagues to understand their experiences and challenges in a hybrid work environment. You can also compare productivity levels and overall project performance while working in a hybrid arrangement. Moreover, it is important to consider your team members' perspectives and their overall well-being. Happy reading :)

I think allowing each employee the flexibility to discuss their remote and in office time, other than mandated times for professional development, training & strategy, meetings, etc. I have worked in remote settings since 2014 and have seen multiple versions of hybrid work. In 2023, we have tools and resources that allow us to monitor, conduct observations, see virtually, access to work routine, etc. We can reach each other thousands of miles away.

To communicate effectively in a hybrid work environment, use digital collaboration tools available in the market, establish clear communication groups, encourage active participation, and foster trust and respect. Remember, listening is part of communication. Do not just listen to reply but analyze and understand others point of views. It's important to consider the background, knowledge, interests, and preferences of your audience to tailor your communication effectively and ensure that your message is understood and received positively. Happy reading :)

Perhaps the most important thing in communicating digitally across the world is that we should be aware of things like cultural differences in ways of communicating. The way Dutch people communicate is VERY different from the way an American would communicate. Very direct and not afraid to criticize (constructively) vs indirect and hiding criticisms in a load of compliments can lead to a lot of misunderstandings. But it's also the more lighthearted things we should be mindful of. Just the use of certain emojis can be interpreted differently around the world, for example. Not everything is about the tools, a lot of miscommunication comes from how we say (or don't) say things. Reading tip: The Culture Map by Erin Meyers.

Embracing uncertainty is part of Agile Project Management. You should be open to the unpredictable nature of certain situations and being willing to navigate through them with adaptability and resilience. Thinking agile means, you are open to: - Welcome change - Focus on short, value driven deliveries - Learn through discovery - Empower customers and teams - Encourage others to do the same. This mindset allows growth, innovation, and the ability to seize opportunities even in uncertain circumstances. Happy reading :)

Embracing uncertainty doesn't mean that you can just assume things will get messy and you'll have to trust your and your team's gut once the proverbial sh*t hits the fan. It does mean that you realize there is a chance that it's not smooth sailing to get you from A to B and accepting you might have to take a different route Think about it as a long car journey. When you set off, traffic was good, no road closures, and it would only take you 2 hours to get there. You checked the highway service's website: no planned road closures. All good. But 1.5hr in there is a big accident leading to a road closure... Instead of waiting for 3 hours of course you take or find a detour. Why wouldn't you do the same in a solution development journey?

While your intuition can be valuable, it's important to validate it with analysis. Use available data, trends, and relevant tools to assess the feasibility, risks, and potential outcomes of your decisions. Analysis is important before making decisions because it helps uncover biases, such as unconscious bias, that you may not be aware of. You can always work on your emotional intelligence to refine your decisions based on new information and feedback. Happy reading :)

Intuition is a great starting point, as long as you realize that there is a good chance you might be wrong... And that is where it often goes downhill. If you're anything like me, when I see challenges, my mind goes directly into solution-mode, of which the first step is to think of why we encounter this challenge. What got us here? What or who is to blame? Even the most righteous' first guess could be a singular person or fault, but what separates good from bad leaders is that they don't stop at that first gut instinct. Good leaders continue to come up with potential options, listen to others' ideas, and use data to triangulate and research a bigger picture: there's seldom one single thing or person at fault.

Decide how to decide. Create a framework that clearly outlines when a leader should be pulled into a decision. Define when can team members move autonomously. Identify decisions as low risk or high risk & low urgency or high urgency helps to clarify expectations. Test the framework with scenarios before you roll it out through the org. Here’s an example: I had to order a custom neck support to add to my chair. It was prescribed by my doctor, approved by the ergo team & the return to work program as part of my STD claim. It took 6 weeks to achieve because the AVP who had to approve was on vacation. There was no delegation procedure. P.S. it’s a good for hybrid, remote & in person. You like vacation, right? #HybridRemoteExcellence

By delegating effectively, you can distribute workload, leverage the skills of your team members, and promote growth and development within the team. Empowered team members are more engaged, motivated, and capable of making independent decisions. You should grant your team members the autonomy, resources, and decision-making authority they need to take ownership of their work and contribute effectively. Happy reading :)

Our life is just a series of decision outcomes. From the most mundane thing like deciding what's for dinner, or picking a subject in college. Things might have turned out differently because of one single choice. For better or worse. The same goes for work. Whether it is prioritizing our individual workload, developing a strategy, having a retrospective... The difference at work is that it's not just your responsibility or even yours to decide! The 21st century problem, however, is that we still are encouraged to just look up when we need to check or validate our decisions. Instead, let's look down l, sideways and diagonally more. The person who can tell you more about the ramifications or potential of decisions seldomly is your boss.

As business leaders, we are called upon to make decisions continuously. Unless we take the time to evaluate our decisions, we will never grow, improve, and learn. That is why self-reflection is so critical. It allows us to assess our experiences and decisions and consider what we could do differently. It is an essential skill for development, growth, and improvement. Your leadership and executive mindset will only improve when you consider how you came to make a decision, the result obtained from your action, and then take the time to evaluate the outcome and learn.

Learning from your past decisions and the related outcome is an integral part of continuous improvement. You can also get valuable insights by gathering feedback from various stakeholders. You should learn from both successes and failures, identify patterns, and refine your decision-making process. We all learn by reflecting on what we have done. Happy reading :)