Good morning and happy Friday.
As we get (hopefully) closer to the end of the pandemic and the return to “normal,” it’s pretty clear that many aspects of distributed or remote work are here to stay.
Among the big tech giants, Facebook and Twitter have said employees can live remotely and telecommute permanently, while Google is planning for a “hybrid” environment where employees are in the office two or three days a week.
I’ve started to notice the term “hybrid” pop up more and more in these kinds of discussions. Furthermore, as evidenced anecdotally among our customers, it appears hybrid work environments will become the new normal.
So I found this article from HBR, Designing the Hybrid Office, engaging, and I think you will too. Because going to work was never just about meetings and desks for innovative companies. The office was really for fostering an environment for the random encounters and social relationships that are the bedrock of creativity and progress.
So now that we’ve spent a year validating async work and virtual meetings, perhaps the physical office we return to will only consist of kitchens, coffee makers, and water coolers.
Have a great weekend,
Henry