This Is How IBM and Slack Are Approaching Hybrid Work | Fast Company

This article, written by Nickle LaMoreaux (CHRO IBM) and Brian Elliott (Executive Lead at Future Forum and VP at Slack), provides three key steps their firms are taking to enable hybrid work. It starts with the premise that new Future Forum data suggest that most knowledge workers (63%) globally expect a hybrid work arrangement. Among the three recommended steps are: 1) New design principles for how work gets done. Rather than dictate the specifics of what the workweek looks like for workers, the authors recommend leaders need to focus on the outcomes they expect to see and then empower teams to determine the best path for achieving their objectives. 2) Flexible hours to support employees to thrive personally and professionally. As one example, teams at Slack have both “sync hours” when people are available and fully present and dedicated “maker hours” when individuals have time and space for deep, focused work. Other ideas are provided, including five questions that firms can ask as they move towards hybrid work (e.g., how do we apply technology to create digital and physical workplaces that maximize both structured and unstructured collaboration?)