As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, one of the most common things we hear now is, “We’re going to have a hybrid working arrangement from now on.” A lot of people believe this, but it’s not necessarily true. A true hybrid is not just a mashup of other things; it’s something entirely new. For example, a mule is neither a horse nor a donkey (despite having similarities to both). It is a whole new animal.
Many people confuse the word “hybrid” with “blend.” Even before so many of us got sent home to work, we were in blended work environments. Some people worked from home full-time, some worked in the office, and some worked wherever they wanted, depending on the day. We made it work and continue to do so.
While that was new and stressful for many people, it was really a blended approach. In most cases, the default performance management systems, the times people worked, and the way work got done were office-centric. Basically, it was the way we’ve always worked but with webcams and a lot more email.