By Taylor Borowiec

Despite the difficulty of working from home for the last eighteen months during the pandemic, returning to the office and existing in a hybrid environment may be even harder for most of us to get used to. It appears that the flexibility of working from home and in the office is here to stay. With co-workers working in different places, expectations from your supervisor, and constant company changes, here are a few tips to help you succeed and find balance in your day-to-day work life. 

Work With Your Supervisor

An important step in entering this hybrid world is to have a blunt conversation with your supervisor about expectations. It may be confusing to know when you should or should not be in the office. Nailing down specifics with your boss will help you create a more structured, personalised plan. If your supervisor would prefer to see you in-office three days a week and home the other two (or vice versa), this will give you the chance to plan meetings and reviews at the appropriate times. This will even allow you to plan activities outside of work; if it’s easier working out near your office or booking a doctor’s appointment on days that you are home, you’ll be able to structure this ahead of time to maximise your free hours. You could even set up recurring check-ins with your supervisor to make sure that their plan hasn’t changed and that you are still meeting any expectations they are setting. Staying ahead of any updates will allow you to transition seamlessly rather than getting caught off guard. 

Use Status Tools

A lack of communication around where team members are each day could become a problem. Using instant messaging tools or Outlook will allow you and your co-workers to note if you are home or in-office that day and will cut down on unnecessary emailing each morning. If you need more warning for collaboration purposes, using a sign-in sheet or online calendar that can be filled in the week before can also be helpful. Your co-workers will appreciate the transparency and scheduling ease, and you’ll know exactly how to reach each person.

Be Flexible

The hybrid work environment is great when we are able to hand-select the days we will stay home and everything goes to plan. However, meetings pop up, co-workers need help, and new employees have to be trained. All of this requires you to change plans. Make sure to keep yourself flexible and prepared for anything as this will help you stay calm when you need to go into the office three days one week rather than your usual two. One way to make this easier is to avoid scheduling your meetings too early or too late in the day. If you need to run into the office last minute, you won’t feel pressed for time. Flexibility is a strong work trait, especially during these times, and will be a positive addition to your annual review.

Maintain Your Participation

Now is an important time to keep up your participation in networking events, happy hours, and training sessions held within your office or industry. Many companies are adopting this flexible work schedule, and most employees are facing similar challenges. Attending events and connecting with others in your field will offer additional support and even new ideas on how to tackle day-to-day challenges. If these events aren’t being held in your industry, this may be a need you could fill! Hold happy hours or check-ins within your own office, providing a cheap and efficient way to keep people connected and even find mentorship opportunities for yourself or others. 

Stay Positive

Work is stressful, especially when policies and plans keep changing. While working both in the office and at home, make sure you stay positive. This mindset will help you remain ready for anything and prepared to make changes, as necessary, to stay productive. Since this may be our new normal for some time, it’s important to find the silver lining in the situation. If you are ever feeling overwhelmed, remember you can always talk to your supervisor, co-workers, or therapist to discuss changes you can make to stay successful, and more importantly, happy.