Work that works

So says PepsiCo with their new flexible working model, ‘work that works’... in this article

80,000 staff will never work a standard 9-5 working week again. 

“Instead, the business has empowered its managers to determine which of their team members are needed in the office and when, and what work can be completed remotely, on a project-by-project basis.”

Wow! It’s pretty big isn’t it. And yes, plenty of companies have been working like this for awhile (some for years) but for most leaders, this is new. 

This strategy has been 8 months in the planning and is rolling out across 200 locations. 

2.5 days in the office and it’s now all about ‘outputs’. 

Leaders will need to step up to higher levels of communication, engagement … and leadership! 

Good for employees? Yes, and PepsiCo says hybrid working is good for business too. 

As each company expresses publicly its hybrid strategy - or its ‘forever work from home’ strategy (hello Atlassian Twitter  Facebook  Unilever  Spotify  Square Microsoft Slack Google … and many more) - the competition for talent increases. And this could be some of the talent that’s currently working for you, with you. 

Don’t be complacent. What’s your ‘work that works’ strategy, PesioCo-style? 

I’ll work from under a palm tree, thanks. You?

That would be my ‘workcation’- somewhere where I could see the water, feel the sun, watch some boats sail by and paddle and splash in the sea. 

What about you? What’s your dreamy work location, because it could become one of those standard job perks that are today... standard, for many. 

Beyond the opportunity to ‘forever work from home’ that some of the big tech companies announced in recent months, Google is now up for the month-long remote-work-from-anywhere perk. 

This article in CNBC’s Global Traveller by Monica Pitrelli shows how the competitive advantage of employee flexibility is growing. 

I was pleased to provide some comment for the article. 

Imagine holidaying. Working. Then holidaying some more. Or enjoying the local cuisine and sights at night after remote work during the day. 

Or remote all night, party all day 😱

It could be just the holiday extender we need when borders open more, and our travel dreams move closer to reality. 

The lines are further blurring between here and there, this cocktail and that zoom meeting. 

Hello Hybrid - ebook

As many workplaces experience more hybrid ways of working - some people are here, some there, some on site, some working from home - the challenges of engaging and leading in this environment can be tricky. 

We don’t want the worst of online and face-to-face combining to create an awkward, disengaging and excluding hybrid world. 

No, let’s bring the best of both face-to-face and online together to create this new world of hybrid. 

Sadly, it’s easy for us - thanks to our biases - to forget or exclude people. And even more so in a hybrid world. 

Our Proximity Bias draws us to those who are nearer and more visible. 

And the complexities of building psychological safety are many. 

It’s a bit of a juggle to lead multiple people in multiple places. And it’s not static: it changes day by day, week by week!

How do you better lead a team to collaborate, plan, meet and work well together? 


‘HELLO HYBRID’ is a 40-page ebook - based on my keynote presentation and workshop of the same name - and includes 12 practical techniques to consider and apply. 

Get it here

Team Building is Booming

Ropes courses, race around the world games and traditional team building stuff has all but disappeared without the face to face work of the past year. 

But if all of your online gatherings are all work and no play, it’s not bringing the relaxation, connection and laughter potential that a more human, fun experience can bring. 

Many leaders are tapping the creativity that’s come from the online team building boom. 

Whether you run trivia or other games, send a pack of goodies for a themed gathering, make cocktails, learn a fun skill or have a comedy event, there are ideas aplenty. 

Yet these experiences don’t just happen. 

🎯 Here are 5 quick tips: 

1. Schedule it: get the date in the diary so you build towards it. 
2. Shortlist ideas: identify what’s a cultural fit. 
3. Test it out: sample the proposed experiences. 
4. Try it with a team: have a few more people experience it and get their views. 
5. Roll it out wider: press ‘go’. 

You don’t need corny games ... but even those can be fun and break the zoom fatigue of always being online for work.

💡How could you better build team
in virtual times?

▶️ Read more in this Fortune article about booming businesses in team building

Psychological safety in a hybrid world

The mix of some people here, some people there, some people anywhere, is creating this hybrid world of work. 

And it requires some subtle responses. 

Psychological safety is still psychological safety. No matter where people are working from. 

Amy Edmondson’s work is extended here in collaboration with Mark Mortensen in this Harvard Business Review article that’s a must read for leaders and managers. 

Navigating the hybrid world of work requires a step by step process.