IN THIS STORY<\/div>As leaders, we should be more inspirational and less hierarchical<\/a>Foster informal interactions with your team<\/a>Be crystal clear with your expectations as a leader<\/a>Seize the moment and embrace innovation in the workplace<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article originally appeared on <\/em>Mexico Business News<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Company culture is one of those things we don’t discuss often but is paramount for a company to thrive. Google is a global example of a company that has built a strong culture. It is widely known for its efforts to foster a specific culture through its work environment—basically a playground for adults in which employees can literally immerse themselves in the culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we may have neither the desire nor the capacity to imitate Google’s main office complex, we should give serious thought to how our people feel<\/a> when they are working, whether that’s in our office premises or at a remote site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though normalcy as we once knew it<\/a> will likely never return to the workplace, the fact is that the worst part of this crisis may well be behind us, leaving businesses, and especially HR professionals, with the task of figuring out what company culture is going to look like in a hybrid world. A recent study<\/a> commissioned by Microsoft confirmed that ‘while maintaining productivity hasn’t been an issue with remote working, a strain on team culture seems to be hampering innovation’, among other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a hybrid world<\/a>, human connections are vital to our mental health, our feeling of inclusion, and a company’s ability to maintain culture and engagement. As we move towards a new normal, being intentional about how, where, and when we work will be more critical than ever to maintaining and strengthening our company culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

$\"\"$
WeWork Gotham Center<\/a> in Long Island City, NY.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
During the crisis, we’ve all experienced incredible amounts of anxiety and loss<\/a>. Among other things, we’ve lost the ability to connect with friends and family in meaningful ways. Working from home has brought us tremendous opportunities to engage with others and keep up the good work, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle. The blended experience of working and living in a virtual world has taught us that we can be much more flexible in the way we think about work. We don’t need to gather together every day to be productive, but we can also see very clearly that working virtually will never replace the experience of gathering together, brainstorming, and deeply connecting with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So the question is, how can we build and maintain culture in a hybrid workplace<\/a>? The answer can be very simple or extremely complicated. Our conversations about the future of work should be around people, how we prioritise their health and safety, how we build on their wellness, and how we can provide a safe and flexible workplace that fosters productivity, engagement, and general well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this point in history, leaders have a tremendous opportunity to fashion a hybrid model<\/a> that best fits their companies; however, interactions between leaders and their teams will be essential in maintaining a unified culture that thrives through the transition. These are some actions that leaders can take to facilitate culture and connection in a hybrid workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n