Leadership Development in a Hybrid Work Model
Up until the last two decades, we followed the same model for learning as we had followed since the 19th century. School prepared us to fit into a work hierarchy. Employers slotted us into a position that fitted, and we worked there until we retired.
But none of that applies anymore.
The major disruptor to this pattern is the technology and it is not going to go away. Covid has sped the transition up by sending us home to work.
This change has led to a variety of work possibilities, and these will continue to change their form and shape for many years to come. They will probably settle on one variation or another of the hybrid work model.
We work in amazing times where it is normal for people to split work schedules between home and the office. If the office is a distance away, as many are, there is the great advantage in reducing commuting time to this arrangement.
This dramatic shift in the ecosystem of work has impacted leadership styles bringing about a more collaborative and interactive approach leaving the micro-manager having to adjust.
The World Economic Forum lists self-management as one of the key skills future employers will seek.
Without a physical manager responsible for ensuring that work is completed employees become their own managers. A leader’s responsibility is to ensure that he or she has prepared clear, concise guidelines for employees. These instructions will invariably be delivered in a written format. Therefore, writing well will be a key skill that connects every employee from the bottom up.
The hybrid work model is flexible and ensures the best minds are connected to take a project to its successful completion. It no longer matters where employees are located.
Workers in this new world will need to be flexible to accommodate different situations regardless of where in the world they are. Technology is the reason we can now consider the hybrid working model as a feasible alternative to going into the office from 9 to 5.
Every minute almost 150,000 emails are sent from one computer to another somewhere in the world. Email is like an umbilical cord connecting people everywhere. However, it is faceless (thank goodness for emoji’s) and easily misinterpreted if any ambiguity exists in the communication. Demand for writers who can produce clear concise copy will grow.
This is why Forbes lists communication as the number one soft skill for the future.
As the workplace increasingly automates, soft skills are what make the human contribution so irreplaceably unique.
With the rise of technology, some jobs will disappear. However, but other jobs are taking their place. For example, writers are increasingly in demand.
As the need to communicate grows we are experiencing growing demand for training.
Stylefit® is a technology that enables people to develop their writing skills. People, who once thought they could not write are finding they can with feedback. As a result, they are communicating effectively with colleagues and staff. This is critical when people are working remotely.
Writing is a key skill that sits across all the skills predicted to be essential for the future; skills such as problem-solving, creative thinking, leadership, and social influence.
A hybrid work model enables flexibility of time and place but without technology, it would not be possible.
Technology is disrupting the workplace in every way. While people worry that their jobs may disappear to a machine, this is also creating a new way to work and opening up other opportunities.
A commitment to life-long learning is critical. Realising that excellent writing is relevant to every discipline we developed Stylefit® which encourages people to constantly work on developing their writing skills. It is a key skill that sits across all the predicted required skills of the future enabling clear, communication. This will be key for leaders.
Technology makes mastering writing easier as there are tools that correct grammar and sentence structure. However, there is no tool that delivers immediate feedback to a writer giving him or her guidance so he or she can make changes, create, and put in place an ideal solution. Stylefit®, with its immediate feedback, assists that process.
Leadership in the hybrid workplace will be visionary, flexible, and able to communicate across all boundaries.
