4 Ways to Make Hybrid Work Better for Everyone | The Way We Work, a TED series

People keep talking

Translator: Aubrey Cheng Reviewer: Thomas Tam

啲人一直講緊

about how remote work is part of the future of work.

遙距辦公係未來工作嘅一部分

Well, I have news: that future is here.

嗱，我有個好消息： 未來已經喺度！

Remote and hybrid work are the new reality.

混合同遙距辦公 係最新嘅工作模式

And now we have to figure out how to make them work for all of us.

而家我哋就要搵出一個 方便大家做嘢嘅方法

[The Way We Work]

〔我哋嘅辦公模式〕

In March 2020, when the COVID pandemic hit,

喺 2020 年 3 月 當新冠肺炎肆虐嗰陣

remote work went into hyperspeed.

遙距辦公迅速冒起

Work routines that were tied to commutes and buildings

以前日日返工 要分享交通時間

where people shared time and space went away.

又要喺商廈共用空間 都消失咗

Many people wondered

好多人會懷疑

what would become of teamwork, collaboration and productivity?

團隊合作、協同效應 同生產力會變成點樣？

They soon found that they could accomplish more at home

冇幾耐佢哋就發現 在家工作效率更高

and find the best work-life flexibility of their careers.

兼且能夠充分享受到 生活同工作之間嘅平衡

Today, the verdict is in.

所以今日得出呢個結論

Using surveys, polls and meta analyses,

透過調查、民意投票 同進行元分析

I found that over 70 percent of employees in most global surveys

喺大多數全球調查入面 超過七成員工

want a mix of in-person and remote formats moving forward.

都想將來有一個又返公司 同遙距辦公嘅工作模式

This makes us multimodal workers.

令我哋成為靈活百變嘅員工

又係咩意思呢？

What does this mean?

It means we have to be awesome in person.

即係話無論我哋喺公司

We have to be awesome remotely.

定係在家工作都表現卓越

And we have to be awesome when we’re in hybrid mode.

就算喺混合辦公模式都噉醒

While that might sound like a lot,

聽落好似好多要求

with some new thinking and new skills,

配合一啲新嘅諗法同技能

we can use the office as one of our many work tools.

我哋可以當辦公室 係眾多工具之一

I've been doing research and advisory work on distributed work

我一直做緊有關分佈式工作嘅研究同指導

for over 20 years

已經超過二十年喇

and have spoken with over 300 companies around the world.

亦同全球超過三百間公司交流過

Here are four things we know work well.

得出四點 行得通嘅方法

第一，統籌員工返公司嘅日子

First, coordinate anchor days.

When we go to the office,

當要返公司嗰陣

let's make sure we overlap with our colleagues and collaborators.

確認我哋會見到同事 或者合作夥伴

That’s why we call these “anchor” days.

所以我哋叫呢啲日子 做「錨定」日

Otherwise, we'll find ourselves in the office with no one around.

否則，我哋就會身處 一個冇人嘅辦公室

如果得你一個人喺度 喺飲水機度聚集都冇用

No use in gathering at the water cooler if we're the only ones there.

Second, plan spontaneity.

第二點，係自發性計劃

In my work,

喺我嘅工作度

I've heard over and over again

我聽得最多嘅係

that while people prize the flexibility of hybrid work,

雖然大家都稱讚 混合辦公係幾咁靈活

they long for informal and spontaneous interactions with their colleagues.

其實大家都想同啲同事 有日常嘅即時交流

This is a classic paradox,

呢個係好典型嘅矛盾

but it's quite solvable through what we call structuring unstructured time.

只要整理番冇規則嘅時間 噉就可以解決呢個矛盾

One thing to try is to set aside the initial six to seven minutes

可以試下喺開成個鐘頭長會前

of an hour-long meeting for informal chat about non-work matters,

俾六至七分鐘啲同事 傾下偈、講下無聊嘢

just to talk or even complain.

甚至乎發下牢騷

You can also ask people the one word

你亦都可以 叫大家講出一個單字

that describes how they're doing, verbally or in chat.

可以描述佢哋嘅近況

You can have informal contact by scheduling virtual

可以透過虛擬或面對面

or in-person lunches with your colleagues,

同同事食晏

飲咖啡或茶、食小食 嚟閒話家常

breaks for coffee, tea or a snack,

and even happy hour trivia challenge.

甚至乎搞個 Happy Hour 冷知識大考驗

If you're a leader,

如果你係領袖

you should demonstrate the value of informal talk

就自己發起

by initiating it yourself.

展示閒話家常嘅價值

Third, use the right tools to communicate.

第三點，運用合適嘅工具去溝通

The key here is to match our digital tools with our communication objectives,

重點就係要將我哋嘅溝通對象 夾番我哋嘅數碼工具

which means we have to mix it up.

我哋要撈埋幾種工具嚟用

If we have to solve a really complicated problem,

如果要解決啲辣手嘅問題

the best digital tool to use is one that allows real-time discussion.

最好嘅數碼工具 就係可以做到實時討論

If we need to process complex information,

如果我哋需要 去處理一啲複雜嘅資訊

sending an email might be the best option,

send email 就會係最佳選擇

giving people time to review and absorb the content.

等同事有時間 去斟酌、吸收內容

Video can be great

視像通話都係唔錯嘅方法

when we need our communication to include emotional cues.

當我哋需要喺溝通過程度 包含情緒線索：

It helps to see someone’s face when discussing tricky topics.

喺敏感話題時 睇到對方眉頭眼額係有幫助

It also increases immediacy and intimacy. But it can be exhausting.

亦都可以增加即時性同親密感 不過會令人筋疲力盡

Many people reporting tech exhaustion, but it doesn't have to be that way.

好多人投訴用數碼產品用到好攰 但其實唔一定會變成噉

We need to know when to take a break.

我哋需要知道幾時要休息

For one-on-ones,

以一對一來講

try audio and keep the cameras off.

可嘗試熄咗鏡頭 單用語音

This last takeaway is for management, but it affects all of us.

最後一點同管理層有關 但係影響到我哋每個人

Commit to the new culture.

投入呢種新文化

Top leaders have to avoid sending mixed messages.

高層領導人應該避免 發放混雜訊息

Too many are saying they're all for hybrid

太多高層講話支持混合辦公

while signaling that they prefer everyone to be in the office

但又表示佢哋希望 員工留喺公司做嘢

or saying, "This conversation is so important,

或者講「我哋要傾嘅嘢太緊要

we should have it in person."

應該要當面傾。」

領導層應該要確保 佢哋嘅言行同態度

Leaders need to make sure that their words, actions and attitudes

are aligned with the hybrid arrangements that they've chosen.

同佢哋揀咗嘅 混合辦公安排係一致

Consistency between hybrid policies and attitudes

混合辦公政策上與取態保持連貫性

is the only way to build an inclusive hybrid culture for everyone.

係唯一能夠為大家創造 包容性強嘅混合辦公文化