Key to the hybrid model is understanding human motivation. There have been many misperceptions about hybrid work. Many view the practice as an existential threat to the culture and collaboration of a business.

At its core, the hybrid model is driven by a renewed understanding of worker needs and aspirations. Key aspects of that consumer approach involve flexibility, autonomy, and optionality. Hybrid work is a combination of traditional forms of office work, along with an ecosystem of places for people to focus and work effectively. Remember, “office” and “work” are now separate from each other. “Work”, as mentioned earlier, is a verb instead of a noun and therefore something people do, irrespective of place.

Here are some aspects of the hybrid model that people may find appealing:

Hybrid work: Flexibility

The modern worker values the ability to balance personal and professional commitments without being tethered to a desk from nine to five. The hybrid model offers this flexibility, allowing for improved work-life balance. In fact, the employee as consumer is actually looking for life-work balance in the post-pandemic era, as we touched on in the previous chapter.

Hybrid work: Collaboration and autonomy

While remote work provides autonomy, there’s an undeniable magic in face-to-face interactions¾the spontaneous brainstorming sessions, the coffee break chats, the team lunches. The hybrid model seeks to preserve this while also giving employees the freedom to choose where they work best.

So, what are some potential solutions and strategies that could enhance the hybrid model?

Hybrid work: Dynamic workspace design

Traditional fixed-desk and cubicle layouts are giving way to more dynamic designs. Modular furniture, collaborative spaces, and reservable desks could become the norm. Resimercial (a combination of “residential” and “commercial”) furniture has emerged where there was once only cubicles.

Here are some examples of resimercial designs from Walgreens’ Technology Center of Excellence in Chicago’s redeveloped Old Post Office.

Hybrid work: Choice architecture

We introduced choice architecture in Chapter 5. Hybrid work requires the integration of classical and choice architecture, the blend between physical and behavioral constraints and opportunities. At its core, choice architecture is about empowering employees through subtle environmental cues rather than mandates. Some examples include:

• Default options: Carefully choosing default settings around things like meetings, schedules, workspace reservations, and communication preferences can subtly encourage productive behavior. These things need to be curated.
• Simplify complex choices: With hybrid work comes increased complexity in coordinating teams. Reducing complexity and driving clarity in company, team, and individual purpose and contribution leads to effective outcomes, rather than general productivity.
• Autonomy and customization: Allowing employees to personalize remote setups and routines respects individual needs, leading to higher satisfaction. The key is to align around effectiveness. Are employees contributing to the outcomes needed to move the enterprise forward? Hybrid work is a privilege, not a right.

Hybrid work: Onboarding

Many companies are terrible at onboarding, which can have disastrous effects. Failure to effectively onboard from day one impacts employee retention, and can sour the attitudes and ambitions of otherwise enthusiastic newbies. Maybe the term “onboarding” is too clinical and sanitized. Clearly, companies want to curate a great first experience, which will lead to subsequent great experiences.

I read about a Toronto-based company called Klick Health, where each new hire starts on a Friday and therefore gets the weekend to decompress. Their first day starts with a meeting with the CEO who walks them through the company values. Then, in the afternoon, the new hire gets the honor of pushing an ice cream cart around the office (the company’s Friday tradition). The new hire is able to meet coworkers and engage with them in a fun, low-pressure setting. After all, who doesn’t like ice cream?!

Hybrid work: Tech integration

In workplaces where hot desking is the norm, advanced booking systems could allow employees to reserve desks on days they choose to come in. IoT devices could help in efficient energy management, ensuring areas not in use don’t consume resources unnecessarily.

Hybrid work: Community spaces

Parts of office buildings could transform into community spaces – areas for learning, collaboration, or even relaxation. Think in-house coffee shops, seminar areas, or wellness zones.

Hybrid work: New metrics

We are seeing a movement from KPIs (key performance indicators), a productivity construct, to OKRs (objectives and key results). OKRs help align teams and motivate people, and they make achieving the objective measurable. OKRs should be SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.

In summary

The rapid transition to hybrid work post-pandemic has significant implications for commercial real estate. As employees demand more flexibility, fixed cubicle layouts and rigid space allocation are giving way to dynamic designs with modular furniture and bookable areas. Building owners must revamp spaces to facilitate options for both focus and collaboration optimization. Leading companies are piloting advanced reservation systems, IoT integrations, and amenity reprograming to empower autonomous yet aligned remote/office workflows. These innovations will attract tenants seeking hybrid models supporting varied schedules and outcomes-driven culture.

As occupiers adjust goals and metrics to prioritize autonomy, mastery, and purpose over mere productivity, real estate partners must understand shifting motivations. Choice architecture, evolving default settings and simplified spaces, can subtly boost optimal behaviors for health, learning, and interactions. Onboardings also require reconfiguration to engage newcomers amid a now hybrid-native generation entering the workforce. Creative short-term space agreements may seed long-term commitments for agile organizations.

It’s important to remember that ribbon cuttings are the beginning, not the end. The real, curated work starts when the space opens and the employees use the space the way they want. It’s leadership’s responsibility to observe behavior and course correct for an optimal employee experience, which will ultimately lead to optimal business outcomes.