Leading Hybrid Organisations

Book excerpt: Hybrid working on a large scale arrived suddenly with the COVID-19 pandemic. And it’s here to stay. Going beyond the quick-fix solutions that emerged during the transition, this book takes a deeper, systems approach to leading a hybrid organisation to help managers understand the real, ‘beneath the surface’ issues in hybrid working. Established ways of managing everyday problems, such as workflow, communication and performance management, now seem inadequate when some members of staff are in the office and others are working remotely. In addition to day-to-day management tasks, there are also more complex challenges such as developing a cohesive team and organisational culture and a strong attachment to the organisation. Drawing on contemporary management theory, behavioural science, psychoanalysis and social psychology, the book explains the impacts and how to address areas such as: team and organisational identity; recruitment and retention of talent; personality and hybrid working; team dynamics; performance management; security and insider risk; well-being, burnout and engagement; diversity equality and inclusion; ESG; and handling conflict. This engaging book empowers leaders and managers by enabling them to understand the dynamics of hybrid working, and giving them the tools to influence these processes to improve their effectiveness in the organisation.