The current relationship between manager and employee can sometimes seem like a conflict between two cartoon-like adversaries. On one side, you have the bullish leader saying – some would say rather forlornly – that people should return to the office or they can pack their bags and go. Whilst on the other side, there is the slippery remote worker, expecting all of the autonomy in the world and are confidently bolstered by the myriad of opportunity elsewhere.

Such caricatures may be overly simplistic, but all caricatures start with a grain of truth – think of Elon Musk, demanding that Tesla staff come into the office at least 40 hours a week. Think of the one[1]in-five UK workers who, according to recent research by PwC, are now thinking of moving on in search of more flexibility. To find a workable middle ground there are some key questions that now need to be answered: Are there limits to what employees should expect when it comes to autonomy and flexibility at work? How can managers and leaders balance authority with inclusion? How do we align the thinking between employees and managers better? Plus, what actions should organisations be considering now to make sure hybrid working is a permanent success? The truth is, currently there is no blueprint and no rule book for how organisations should be managing employees and working patterns right now, but it is becoming increasingly clear that certain things need to happen if businesses want to reach an arrangement that is productive for all concerned. By now, almost every leader and manager will have an idea of the flexible working practices that work for the organisation and colleagues and those that don’t. Whether those practices have evolved organically or by design, the first action for leaders is to work out what boundaries still need to be there so they can continue to build a culture of teamwork and collaboration. This requires setting guardrails for how people behave, especially in terms of responsiveness, communication, the way work is briefed, appearance and ‘camera on’ presence on calls. They also need to set rules for time in the office and the mandatory requirement for attendance at certain meetings or stand-ups. Autonomy is important, but it can’t be limitless.

Organisations need to both define the need for and respect flexibility if the concept is going to work long-term. Needs will be different for people; for example, a carer or parent with young children will have very different requirements to someone who wants to do an exercise class three times a week. Whatever people’s situation, the line is burring between work and home life for many who are also now carrying the burden of a cost-of-living crisis, along with the baggage of pandemic-related stresses and fallout. A critical third area for leaders is therefore to balance authority and rules with understanding the needs of individuals and teams. Organisations should be taking the time to listen to employees and generate understanding of these needs on an individual and team level. This will enable line managers to have a true picture of what the situation is and so empower them to respond with empathy and planning that is relevant to helping people to both flex and work at their best. A one-size-fits all approach is never going to work and is only likely to breed resentment and suspicion, especially when workloads ramp up for certain projects or to meet seasonal demand. For their part, employees need to be transparent about what their real needs are. What is also clear though is that this kind of insight is not going to be forthcoming from employees, unless organisations develop new styles of inclusive and holistic leadership.

In particular, they need to pay more attention to the idea of psychological safety, or in other words, the creation of an environment where employees feel they can talk up and be themselves, without fear of negative impact on their status or career – even when they have made a mistake. Over the years, this concept first developed by Professor Amy Edmondson at Harvard Business School has been proven to encourage creativity and improve employee productivity and performance. In a post-pandemic world, it will also be important in creating a climate of trust and transparency that will prove fruitful in the future. More psychological safety in the workplace will also be of particular benefit as organisations strive to retain as many employees as possible amid the current skills shortage – not least because it is an inclusive approach that helps people to feel more like they are part of a culture that is empathetic. Organisations also need to promote not just individual psychological safety but also team psychological safety.

It’s important to say that managers can’t be expected to have all the skills. This will require a greater investment in management training that, for example, should focus on improving the way managers brief tasks and provide better support to ensure that those tasks are completed – so that people never feel as though they are being hung out to dry or feel isolated by physical separation from their team. Training should also be focused on shifting the emphasis to a more ‘positive psychology’ approach, moving on from ‘what is wrong with people’ to ‘what is right with people’. A leadership style grounded in positive psychology will focus on strengths, capabilities and possibilities rather than problems, deficits and weaknesses often falsely associated with remote workers. As well as listening, leaders also need guidance to help them think in practical terms about what they can do to identify and remove barriers that impact on flexibility, autonomy and the ability to focus on work. This will help to address the growing problem of ‘work intensification’ in the UK. Many studies have suggested this trend is growing despite, or perhaps because of, the growth of new technology designed to promote better productivity and collaboration. The point is that organisations and managers need to do more to understand what may be in the way of performance and help people to be more productive in the new environment.

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