Hybrid versus 100% remote working

[northernladuk]

Everyone else will have spotted that and know what type of club it was don't worry

[edison]

When even the CEO of Zoom orders staff to come back to the office then I think the writing is on the wall for largely remote roles in the long term, especially at large companies. I saw a graph the other day for office attendance rates (can't remember if it was US or UK) but it showed a very steady upward increase in office attendance over the last 12-18 months.

I do like the nickname coined for workers who do Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the office though. T-W-A-Ts

[dsc]

I love the fact that when everyone was going remote it was the best decision ever, productivity was through the roof, anything and everything was possible and it was 100% good. Now a few years later, they suddenly decide, nah actually we figured out it's better to be in the office...

[ladymuck]

I love the fact that when everyone was going remote it was the best decision ever, productivity was through the roof, anything and everything was possible and it was 100% good. Now a few years later, they suddenly decide, nah actually we figured out it's better to be in the office...

gov'mint propaganda innit

[northernladuk]

I love the fact that when everyone was going remote it was the best decision ever, productivity was through the roof, anything and everything was possible and it was 100% good. Now a few years later, they suddenly decide, nah actually we figured out it's better to be in the office...

To be fair many people didn't agree. It's mainly the workers that thought that. In the last two gigs I was in, one during covid and one straight after we came out many senior managers were sceptical at best. So to say 'everyone' is completely wrong but LM nails it.

[edison]

To be fair many people didn't agree. It's mainly the workers that thought that. In the last two gigs I was in, one during covid and one straight after we came out many senior managers were sceptical at best. So to say 'everyone' is completely wrong but LM nails it.

And mainly non-managers I think.

At one large client I worked at during 2020-21, they did a staff survey and a key finding was that a lot of middle managers were struggling to adapt to managing a remote team. Some organisations have had remote teams for donkeys years but I suspect a lot of managers, even now, have had relatively little guidance or training on the nuances of remote teams.

[dsc]

And mainly non-managers I think.

At one large client I worked at during 2020-21, they did a staff survey and a key finding was that a lot of middle managers were struggling to adapt to managing a remote team. Some organisations have had remote teams for donkeys years but I suspect a lot of managers, even now, have had relatively little guidance or training on the nuances of remote teams.

How is managing a team in the office different from managing a remote team? are we talking capable managers, or those who believe any crap you tell them and have absolutely no idea how long tasks take and on top of this don't really care until their budgets go out the windows and nothing is delivered?

[northernladuk]

How is managing a team in the office different from managing a remote team? are we talking capable managers, or those who believe any crap you tell them and have absolutely no idea how long tasks take and on top of this don't really care until their budgets go out the windows and nothing is delivered?

It's very different becase the team you manage act differently in a different environment. The managers have to focus on a different set of criteria/competancies due to the change to home. Different location isn't the same as WFH.

Throw in a team that is willing to slack at any opportunity, get distracted, not have a proper work set up and it actually becomes difficult to do if you are aiming on getting max productivity out of people. I mean, look at the number of contractors trying to/or have second gigs purely because they are out of the clients eyes. Yes you get the something similar but it's looks different to the manager so needs treating differently.

The fact you don't know what the differences are is probably why you are struggling to get your head around this.

We are talking every manager that has anyone under them so a vast majority will be work supervisors and not trained managers. You've got such a narrow, blinkered view on this we can never give you a straight, useful answer.

[edison]

It's very different because the team you manage act differently in a different environment. The managers have to focus on a different set of criteria/competancies due to the change to home. Different location isn't the same as WFH.

Throw in a team that is willing to slack at any opportunity, get distracted, not have a proper work set up and it actually becomes difficult to do if you are aiming on getting max productivity out of people. I mean, look at the number of contractors trying to/or have second gigs purely because they are out of the clients eyes. Yes you get the something similar but it's looks different to the manager so needs treating differently.

The fact you don't know what the differences are is probably why you are struggling to get your head around this.

We are talking every manager that has anyone under them so a vast majority will be work supervisors and not trained managers. You've got such a narrow, blinkered view on this we can never give you a straight, useful answer.

One of the big differences is many managers find it harder to keep tabs on their teams. Remote work lends itself more to managing by outcomes, a lot of typical management is very task focused and in worst cases micro-management focused. A lot of managers and organisations are not great at being outcome focused.

There is a significant difference between a supervisor, manager and leader and these differences get magnified for remote teams in my opinion.

In successful remote teams there is a greater emphasis on building trust. As a manager/leader, that means proportionately more of your time is spent on building relationships, ensuring the team and individuals have a clear strategy, goals etc that they get behind and then getting out of the way and letting them get on with it.

[Snooky]

You've got such a narrow, blinkered view on this

You also have a very clear preference and, to me, it shows a real bias in your answers. I hesitate to say "pot, meet kettle", but it smacks of that.