High-Five For Hybrid Work
What could hybrid look like for those who are in-house?
Last month, I emerged from 100% remote work caused by the pandemic and joined the great social experiment of hybrid work: some time in the office and some remote (and for me, this means at home). And while my opinion may be unpopular, especially because many of us subconsciously prefer the social construct of only binary choices (100% remote v. 100% in the office), I am firmly in the camp of “Why can’t we have both?”
And let me preface my support for hybrid work by first offering my candid experience as an employee, fully owning that it absolutely does have everything to do with the season of life that I’m in:
- I am a busy in-house counsel at a large company.
- I am Mom to a 6-year-old, a 4-year-old, and a 5-month-old.
- My husband works 100% in the office with a one-way commute that ranges from 45 to 90 minutes.
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Pro-Remote Work
Everyone already acknowledges the time saved when there is no commute. But let me add other “found” time that comes from: not having to plan an outfit to wear to work, not having to put on makeup and style my hair, not having to “pack” my workbag, workout bag, or pumping bag (note the 5-month-old mentioned above).
And my favorite “time-saver” for my unique situation is that I love not having to block time off and walk somewhere to pump. I can just discretely do what I need to do and proceed with business as usual.
Besides the “extra” time, I am more productive because I have fewer interruptions. I am able to focus for solid periods of time without someone stopping by with a quick question that often does not have a quick answer, or someone who “just wants to say hi,” which I enjoy but from a practical perspective, does take away 15 to 20 minutes at a time.
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Add to those advantages the flexibility of throwing laundry in or setting out dinner to defrost as I microwave my lunch. While not directly related to my work productivity, it indirectly makes me a less stressed and happier employee — being able to better integrate work and home life.
Pro-Office Work
My favorite thing from a productivity perspective about working in the office is the collaboration. It is a real thing. It is not made up, and despite all that technology offers, I don’t feel like the remote experience accurately replicates an in-person meeting. The brainstorming is so much richer in person. I think it’s because there isn’t as much pressure to get off the phone call as quickly as possible, and there’s less tendency for people to multitask in person so they are more present. And I can pull so much more from “reading a room” than trying to reading multiple screens.
My favorite thing from a personal perspective about working in the office is the connection to others — the relationship-building that comes from the face-to-face time that is also not replicated well over a video call. It’s the conversations made in passing one another in the hall that feels more organic than an intentional 1:1 coffee chat over Microsoft Teams.
Other perks of working in the office that I discovered when I was in the office for a full week:
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- I got so many more steps in — much better for my health!
- I really appreciated my office set up — the multiple screens, the standing desk, the natural lighting — all of it exponentially better than my kitchen counter (I recognize I could upgrade the home set up).
- As much as I don’t like the commute, it was helpful to create a clearer delineation between home and work, and I missed that mental transition time, or how I used it for Audible or a phone call to chat with my mom.
So back to my high-five for hybrid work, with all the advantages of both models, why can’t we have both? Why do we tend to gravitate toward an all-or-nothing approach or try to force uniformity for the sake of? Why can’t we have the flexibility to work remotely or from the office based on what’s on our “dockets”? I may need to work from home because I need a few solid hours to create a training, but I may want to be in the office to meet with clients to further the relationships or have office hours for the “quick questions.”
What could hybrid look like for those who are in-house?
- Certain days or weeks where everyone is in the office — such as a Tuesday through Thursday or second week of every month.
- Quarterly or every other month all-hands/team meetings with specific purpose for working on bigger projects that require more collaboration.
Of course, I’ve only been at this hybrid thing for a month. I’ll let you know if I change my mind.
Meyling “Mey” Ly Ortiz is in-house at Toyota Motor North America. Her passions include mentoring, championing belonging, and a personal blog: TheMeybe.com. At home, you can find her doing her best to be a “fun” mom to a toddler and preschooler and chasing her best self on her Peloton. You can follow her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meybe/). And you knew this was coming: her opinions are hers alone.
