It comes as no surprise that as we come into the fourth quarter of 2022, many people are still working from home. As we navigated through the pandemic, companies were forced to find ways to keep their businesses going, while keeping their employees safe. A lot of the adaptation that has taken place in these companies is now known as the “Hybrid Model”.
What is the “Hybrid Model”?
The “Hybrid Model” is a term used by companies who allow their employees to split their working time between their homes and the office. For some this is a 50/50 split and for others it’s more of a 60/40. For most companies, each employee can decide on their split based on their needs. This includes mental health and of course other factors like workload, etc. There are even some companies who implemented a hoteling strategy within their hybrid model to decrease costs within their organization. This means that when you go to work you don’t always get the same workstation and need to travel with your work equipment. The hybrid model doesn’t work for all companies, but if you are with a company that does take part in this model, it’s important to know how to navigate it.
Setting Boundaries
No matter what type of work model you are currently involved in, it’s always important to set boundaries. This will help you ensure that you are able to maintain an appropriate level of work-life balance without the burnout. A boundary can be as simple as not working past a certain time when you are working from home because that’s the time you would typically leave the office. It also means that you need to be aware of the boundaries of others and communicate effectively to ensure that no one’s boundaries are crossed. The more you can communicate what you need and find out what someone else needs, the more harmonious your work life will be.
Get Focused
It’s important to figure out how you can stay focused. Every individual is different, which is why some people prefer to be in the office rather than at home because they can focus more. Whether in the office or at home find ways that work for you, keeping in mind that those ways may look different in each location. At home it’s easy to get distracted, so using a timer to stay focused may work best. At the office you may find people talk to you too much, so dedicated specific hours of the day to deep work will allow you to stay focused.
No matter what method you chose to use, just make sure that you are allocating time to do focused work to avoid crossing your own boundaries for work time.
Ask For Help
Working through a hybrid model can be tricky at first. You may have gone from always being in the office, to always at home and now a mix of both. Give yourself some compassion as you work through the different days and begin to learn what works best for you. You want to make sure that you are communicating with those who set your schedule, while staying open and honest about how it feels for you. If working in the office on Monday is affecting your mental health and you know working in the office on Tuesday is better than at home – ask for it! The more you ask for what you need and can clearly communicate how it’s impacting you, the better it will be. Again, it takes time to get used to a new routine and it’s okay to move things around until you find what works for you.