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https://theconversation.com/can-office-culture-survive-the-work-from-home-revolution-yes-but-you-cant-force-the-fun-269702>
"Groaning your way back into the new work year? It’s an occupational hazard
after the holiday break, of course, but these days there is the consolation
(for some) of hybrid working.
For jobs that allow it, hybrid work is the new normal, allowing employees to
work both remotely, usually from home, and in the office.
But hybrid work is also creating cultural shifts, and workers and managers must
navigate ways to keep people connected, social and happy in the blended
workplace.
How to do that? Video calls can’t replicate real-world interactions, and the
kinds of activities companies organise to build culture and morale can fall
flat in a virtual format.
This is particularly relevant to me because my research interests cover the
social aspects of work life, with a specific focus on workplace fun, humour and
happiness.
So, to explore how we’re all adapting, I immersed myself in two local companies
to experience how they maintained a fun culture when some workers were online
and others worked in the office.
This allowed me to observe behaviour, talk to workers, interview people from
all levels of the business and interact with people online. I also interviewed
others from a variety of different workplaces. The research grew into my
recently released book
Hybrid Happiness: Fun and Freedom in Flexible Work.
What I found were fun, lively, vibrant cultures that the companies were proud
of and keen to maintain and develop. But fun is subjective, too, and forcing it
in a hybrid setting has its own pitfalls."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
