The Frankie Goes to Hollywood Pitfall
This Autumn, are you heading for the Frankie Goes to Hollywood Pitfall? Or maybe, that is that you – running to the ‘finish line’ so you can get back to normal?
Back to Normal
McKinsey reports that 68% of Leaders have not thought through a Hybrid Workforce properly. In their enthusiasm for the return from remote working to spending at least sometime in the office many Leaders run the risk of an even a bigger disconnect between themselves and their people. 68% seem to think it will all fall magically into place. It won’t.
Recent surveys report that 40 percent of workers globally are considering leaving their current employers by the end of the year. Here’s why.
When your people go back to the office they may find that they aren’t motivated to be there because they don’t see the point. They may still have anxieties and issues about the commute even a couple of days a week.
If you haven’t gone through the right steps with your workforce – some will start to disconnect emotionally from your organisation. We predict that retention will become an issue for the 68% by January 2022.
Or are you headed for the Frankie Goes to Hollywood pitfall?
Will people who put the effort to work from your office get better treatment? They will definitely be much more visible, won’t they. So how will your Leaders avoid bias?
There are many burning questions about Hybrid Workforces, including:
1. Will you allow your people to choose where they work or dictate a certain amount of days in the office?
2. How will you avoid presenteeism being rewarded with the plum projects or promotions?
3. How will you create the right culture -if you have some in the office and some at home?
How managers lead in this new way of working will take some learning. Have you planned what is really feasible for your business yet?
Your Leaders will want to learn how to do things as effectively as possible, so that your business doesn’t wind up with a two-tiered system or begin to treat remote workers as second-class citizens.
Two Tribes
It is what our friend, Nicola Millard, the BT Futurist, calls Frankie Goes to Hollywood factor – Two Tribes – and it may lead to challenges – even attrition.
Thing is, done badly, hybrid working can set back advances in workplace equality, cause tribes, cliques and disconnected workforces. Done well, it will lead to growth of individuals and organisations.
If you haven’t thought this through, if you haven’t engaged with employees, if you haven’t got a plan that considers a fairly uncertain 18 months of change – then you too are heading for a pitfall.
Stop and think carefully about investing in the skills of your management team so that they have a fighting chance of making your Smarter Working model a success.
Alternatively, the Revolution Team can help you put the building blocks of plan for the future of work that your people buy into. Contact us here. Then you can safely join the 32% of Leaders who can concentrate on their future growth, this Autumn.
Meanwhile, how young do these guys look? This was 1984 – my heyday – love ’em!
