As companies map out plans for hybrid work, it turns out that technology may be an easier part of the equation than the people, policy, and organizational change.
Making a companywide shift to hybrid work models requires leadership to tackle an array of challenging issues, from employee requests for location flexibility and better work/life balance to wellness and health policies for a safe return to the office.
“When everyone was remote, it was a level playing field — now it’s harder to get everyone on the same page in terms of when and why to go to the office, how to work, and how to collaborate. Organizations need to build new muscles to figure this out in a way that serves the business and the employees,” says Connie Dudum, Cisco’s director of people and communities, who also leads the company’s hybrid strategy.
“Employee expectations are different, lack of flexibility is a deal breaker, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution,” she continues. “We’re all trying to figure out what works, with multiple variables at play.”
Cisco’s path to hybrid work
What is working for Cisco’s own hybrid work future is an emphasis on inclusivity and choice — delivering a parity experience for employees wherever they are, whether in the office or at a remote location.
Doing so requires a solid technology foundation for secure connectivity and collaboration, including capabilities that help deliver a seamless, immersive employee experience regardless of location. To ensure work-from-wherever productivity, Cisco employs an array of novel collaboration capabilities. Among them: intelligent audio and video, noise suppression, and real-time transcription along with telemetry insights used to shape better employee experiences.
In addition to technology, Cisco has instituted new policies and programs to empower its workforce and move the needle on cultivating a hybrid work-oriented culture. Leaders are empowered to establish work patterns that fit their team and to be thoughtful about types of work so they can map policies and environments accordingly.
“It’s a huge change management exercise to get people to think about why they should come into the office,” Dudum explains. “If you’re team-building, whiteboarding a new product, or onboarding or mentoring new hires, in-office makes sense. We have to be more thoughtful about constructing these activities in-office from a space standpoint and a team norm standpoint.”
Building up empathy in its leadership capacity is another top priority at Cisco to get the people aspect of hybrid work right. In addition to creating awareness of emotional intelligence (EQ) among managers and employees, Cisco is leaning into EQ principles to make inclusivity a core tenet of its hybrid work strategy and enabling technology platforms. For example, there is now a guideline to integrate a hybrid component into everything that’s done as a team. That means that for every scheduled onsite team meeting, intelligent video and collaboration capabilities should be at the ready in case someone is unable to attend in person.
“We have to encourage empathy for each other and build empathy up in our leadership capabilities,” Dudum says. “Shifting the frontline midlevel leadership mindset is one of the biggest challenges of this new way of working.”
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