Pre-2020, for many of us working from home was a relatively new and unexplored concept. A work perk that we dreamed of slotting into the normal 9 to 5, 38 hour work week. Fast forward to 2022, and there’s a new way of working.
Splitting our work week between home and the office, aka hybrid working, is widely accepted as the ‘new normal’ across many industries - including ours. And it looks like a welcome part of our post-pandemic lives that’s here to stay.
With benefits of hybrid working including increased job satisfaction, an improved work-life balance and positive impacts on mental and physical health, it’s easy to see why a hybrid workplace model has been embraced by employees and employers alike.
So having dabbled in hybrid work in 2021 and then really sunk our teeth into it in 2022, what has the Bravo team learnt about what it takes to live your best hybrid work life?
1. Organisation is key
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail - or so the saying goes. We’re all aware that sometimes things are simply out of our control. But planning ahead where possible can minimise the chances of those sticky situations popping up. Take a leaf out of the Bravo book by:
- Planning your schedule
- Try to have a rough idea of which days you’ll be in the office and which days you’ll be at home for the next 2 weeks.
- This not only keeps you more organised and structured, but also helps to plan ahead for booking out office space and arranging in-person meetings.
- Communicating often and effectively
- When juggling different work environments, it’s easy for information to get lost in transition. It’s so important to have the right technology in place to keep the lines of communication open.
- At Bravo, we were fortunately already set up well for this, using Slack as a key communication channel. Other collaborative tools we use include Google Meet, Figma, Jira and Trello.
- Digitising your notes
- As a creative digital agency, we’re all about harnessing the power of digital. For a few of us, the trusty written notepad is a friend we’re not quite ready to say goodbye to though.
- If that sounds like you, we’d recommend making sure that your key notes are digitised. Use a tool like Google Docs, Confluence or Evernote, and store your notes in a shared online space. This will help to avoid any awkward “I’ve left all my notes at home” scenarios when you need them the most!
2. Make the most of your office days
Once you know what days you’ll be in the office, plan accordingly to make the most of your time there.
Think about the following:
- Do you need to coordinate your office days with another team member?
- Are there any in-person meetings that you can organise, either internal or with a client?
- Can you pre-arrange lunch or a coffee catch-up with your work mates?
- If you’re a manager, are there any 1-1 chats that you should book in with your team?
- Do you need to book a desk or a meeting room?
Making a conscious effort to consider how best to use your office time will only make your life easier. And can add a welcome boost in productivity to your week!
3. Keep it social
With Winter fast approaching, we’re all going to be guilty of wanting to spend the cooler (and if you’re in Melbourne - rainy!) evenings curled up on the sofa with your favourite Deliveroo order. Here at Bravo, we’re all about embracing #selfcare, striking a great work-life balance and prioritising down-time to recharge your batteries.
Sometimes though, it’s just as important to say no to the sofa and get out there to enjoy all that your city has to offer. Whether it’s with friends, family or colleagues, broaden your horizons, let your hair down and try something new!
Not only will you be armed with fresh Monday morning water-cooler chat (virtual or otherwise), but social connectedness is shown to lead to lower levels of stress, higher levels of empathy and an all round boost in wellbeing. All of which can translate into a more balanced mind - both in and out of work. Bravo!
