Latest news with #hybridWork
Fast Company
3 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
This is the process that lets managers get the best out of their team
What does it mean to be a manager? In today's world, managers need to wear many hats. They have to be a mentor, mediator, communicator, coach, and numerous other roles simultaneously. But at its core, management is about matchmaking. You need to map the talents of your team to the needs of your business. That means making the most of your team's combined talents and unlocking the diversity in your team. Unfortunately, as managers struggle with limited time and resources, they overlook this critical component. All too often, managers end up assigning tasks on autopilot, matching business challenges to job titles rather than thinking creatively about how to leverage people's hidden talents or offer growth opportunities. The shift to hybrid and remote work has also reduced opportunities for the spontaneous discovery of people's hidden talents. This can end up shrouding people's true strengths. Collaboration and engagement can also suffer. Fortunately, unlocking your team's strengths doesn't need to be time-consuming. Over the past three years, I've helped dozens of teams unlock talents they didn't even know they had—and match those talents to the most pressing challenges they faced—through this simple, three-step exercise: Step 1: Self-reflection Gather your team together—ideally in person —and ask everyone to write down their talents and strengths on a flip chart. Emphasize that this isn't a competition to see who can list the most strengths, but rather about identifying the talents that people might take for granted or struggle to recognize in themselves. Sometimes, we're so used to our strengths that we don't even notice them. Encourage them to think about what they find easy to do, or what people come to them for. This short 15-minute period of self-reflection lays the foundation for using the hidden talents for the benefit of the team. Step 2: Team input Next, go around the room and ask each person to read their strengths aloud. Resist the urge to discuss or critique the strengths each team member identifies. Simply ask the rest of the team, 'What talent or strength do you see in this person that they didn't mention themselves?', and have the person write each additional talent on their list. And before moving over to your next team member, ask the team, what's the number-one strength of this colleague that at this moment we should use much more as a team? As you go around the room, each person will be surprised by the strengths their team sees in them. As their manager, you're likely to be surprised as well at the number of hidden, untapped talents that may surface. This step is often particularly powerful for more introverted or less confident employees, who might generally be more hesitant to talk about their strengths. I've found that while teams always have something to add for everyone, it's often the quieter members who receive the most additions from their colleagues. The step uncovers underutilized talents and lays the groundwork for deeper appreciation and trust within the team. Step 3: Match strengths to challenges The final step is to connect the strengths they've revealed to the challenges your team currently faces. For example, I worked with a biotech company that struggled to collaborate with another department. The team had identified that Georgina was highly collaborative, and so she became the natural choice to lead cross-functional projects. Paul's talent, on the other hand, was structuring information that could be used to address the challenge of distilling insights from complex data. And Tim's talent for visual storytelling could help address challenges in communicating with investors and other stakeholders. In this way, teams can collaboratively move beyond asking, 'Whose job is this?' Instead, they can ask, 'What talent could help us address this challenge?' It dynamically redefines roles, making full use of often overlooked talents such as: Spotting talent: The ability to recognize potential in oneself and others. Offloading: Knowing which initiatives or activities they need to stop (or simplify). Finishing: The drive to see projects through to completion. These are not always the talents you see on a résumé. But when you face a challenge, knowing the specific strengths that each team member possesses can be extremely helpful. Make your matches stick By design, this 90–120 minute exercise is short and simple. However, to drive lasting impact, it's important to ensure that your team members continue to have opportunities to flex their talents. For example, Michael often clashed with senior leader Frank over project approaches, stalling progress. The team recognized that Anna, who excelled in stakeholder management, could bridge the gap. Anna began mentoring Michael, helping him engage Frank's input early in the process instead of letting conflicts fester. Michael's projects then moved faster. Both Michael and Frank came to appreciate Anna's mentorship, and she continued to assist the team with similar stakeholder challenges. Embedding this practice into your management style can be as simple as revisiting the exercise during weekly stand-ups, monthly team meetings, or even as part of onboarding new employees. The key is to commit to ongoing self-reflection and feedback. Regularly measure progress, share successful matches, and be willing to adjust the approach as your team evolves. Being an effective manager today means stepping back from the daily firefight to invest in your people. When you act as a talent matchmaker, connecting individual strengths and organizational challenges, you unlock a powerful resource that drives both team performance and engagement.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Canada's RBC asks staff to return to office four days a week
TORONTO, May 29 (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Canada ( opens new tab has asked employees to be in office four times a week starting in September, according to a memo seen by Reuters, prompting disapproval among some staff discussing the changes in internal chat groups. The memos from various business heads were sent to staff on Thursday shortly after the bank reported second-quarter earnings that were lower than analysts' expectations due to a rise in loan loss provisions to prepare for uncertain times. The memo said the rule does not apply for roles that are fully remote or are already in full-time office arrangements. "RBC is a relationship-driven bank and in-person, human connection is core to our winning culture. We set the expectation in 2023 that we'd come together in the office for the majority of the time, with the flexibility to work remotely one to two days a week," a spokesperson said. A company-wide internal chat group that discussed the change in policy raised questions such as additional travel time and expenses related to transport, a source told Reuters. The Canadian lender's decision comes shortly after U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), opens new tab, in January asked its employees who are on hybrid work schedules to return to the office five days a week starting in March. RBC has over 94,000 full-time employees across global offices, as of April 30.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Productivity Commission backs hybrid work from home model
A major new report by the Productivity Commission has found working from home, in moderation, is actually more productive than being in the office full-time, debunking claims that the national shift to remote work is dragging down Australia's economy. The landmark report, released this week, concludes hybrid arrangements, where employees split time between home and the office, tend to benefit both productivity and job satisfaction, especially by cutting down on lengthy commutes. 'Allowing workers to work from home some days can improve worker satisfaction and allows people to benefit by avoiding the commute to work, meaning they have additional time for other purposes,' the Commission said. It found the rise in working from home since the Covid-19 pandemic is not to blame for Australia's recent productivity slump. 'Remote work also reduces breaks and sick days, and results in less distractions, all of which are typically found to be beneficial for productivity,' the report said. By August 2024, 36 per cent of Australians with a job reported they usually worked from home, up from just 12 per cent before the pandemic. During peak lockdowns in 2020, more than 30 per cent worked from home on most days. Despite fears that staff would be less productive at home, the Commission found hybrid work (working some days remotely and some days in the office) tends to be beneficial to productivity, or at least, not detrimental to productivity. However, the report noted not all workers benefit equally. While working from home is especially popular with women, many who juggle childcare responsibilities, less experienced workers may lose out. 'For less experienced workers, in-person interactions may be an important avenue for skill development as there may be a greater knowledge transfer from senior workers and junior workers through informal in-person interactions,' it said. 'A key reason for this is that in-person interactions may be better for collaborative tasks and idea generation.' The Commission cited evidence from engineering firms showing in-person meetings sparked more creative ideas, although remote and hybrid teams were just as effective when it came to evaluating and selecting those ideas. The broader productivity crisis, which saw national labour productivity fall by 1.2 per cent in 2024, is instead being driven by a lack of new investment in technology. 'Capital matters for productivity because more capital (the machines, equipment and other durable goods that are used as inputs in production) means workers can produce more goods and services,' the Commission said. Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy, speaking to the Australian Business Economists this week, said boosting productivity growth would be a key challenge for the Albanese Government. 'Australia's 20-year average productivity growth has declined from 1.8 per cent to 0.8 per cent over that period,' Mr Kennedy said. While some employers, including the Commonwealth Bank, ANZ and Woolworths, are pushing staff back into the office three days a week, the report suggests a flexible hybrid model could be the best long-term solution. Politically, the issue remains sensitive after former Liberal leader Peter Dutton lost his seat following his support for a plan to force Canberra-based public servants back to their desks, a move that sparked widespread backlash from remote workers. The Commission said that although the evidence on working from home is still evolving, most studies find hybrid work to be either neutral or positive for labour productivity. 'There is no evidence to suggest that the trend towards hybrid working has contributed to the productivity loss phase of the productivity bubble,' the report said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Logitech is Flipping the Script on Complex Meetings with Rally Board 65
All-in-one video solution packs advanced capabilities into a simple, mobile conferencing device MANILA, Philippines and JAKARTA, Indonesia and BANGKOK, May 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI), today announced Rally Board 65, an all-in-one portable video conference solution that combines intelligent audio and video with a 65" touchscreen display. Rally Board 65 is simple enough to roll on a cart into satellite offices, yet sophisticated enough to pack a suite of AI-powered features, occupancy and environmental detection into traditional meeting rooms. Businesses face this dilemma every day: they want to provide modern video conferencing tools for their hybrid workforces, but IT teams are grappling with increasing workloads as their tech environments become more complicated. "Hybrid workers expect every workspace—open areas, huddle rooms, training zones—to be video‑ready at a moment's notice," said Michael Long, Head of Sales (Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia), Logitech for Business. "We set out to pair enterprise‑level intelligence with zero‑friction deployment. The result is Rally Board 65—a radically simple, yet supremely powerful conferencing system that shatters the cycle of tech complexity." The powerful, all-in-one video conferencing solution can be up and running within minutes in Android, PC, or BYOD mode, whether teams use Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet*. Simply roll Rally Board 65 on a cart into an open space and flip the device 180 degrees to orient the camera at eye level, or install it in a meeting room with the camera above or below the screen–all with very little IT support. Building on its exceptionally sharp 4K video, Rally Board 65 comes loaded with AI-powered audio visual tech RightSight 2 and RightSound 2 that have become hallmarks of Logitech's video bars. To further refine the experience, Camera Zone limits visual framing and Mic Zone minimizes sound pickup within a designated area. The new Depth Blur technique obscures surroundings, an effect similar to background blur people are accustomed to using on their desktops during video calls. "Think of this trio as a digital cocoon for meetings in open spaces," said Henry Levak, VP of Product, Logitech for Business. "Rally Board 65 uses 3D spatial mapping technology to focus on the action in the meeting, not outside distractions." Sensors within Rally Board 65 detect the presence of people so that IT teams can get accurate readings of how and when employees are using video spaces. These sensors also analyze environmental data like humidity, temperature, and CO2 levels, assign a room health and later, will provide a room energy score, then deliver recommendations to increase ventilation, take breaks, or reduce the number of seats in a room. Insights are fed into Logitech Sync, a centralized platform for IT teams to get a bird's eye view of their organization, drill down for details on specific room performance, and automatically book and release rooms. Approach to Sustainability Using our Design for Sustainability principles, Rally Board 65 was engineered to minimize its environmental impact, using up to 41%* next-life plastics, low-carbon aluminum, recycled fabrics, and FSC-certified packaging. Environmental benefits go beyond physical design. The radar system in Rally Board 65 allows the device to automatically switch to a lower power state when no one is in the space–a function that can significantly reduce the power consumption of customers' commercial buildings. Occupancy, room health, and energy sensing capabilities are also available in a standalone device, Logitech Spot. * Certification details here ** Graphite: 41%, Off-white: 27% About Logitech Logitech designs software-enabled hardware solutions that help businesses thrive and bring people together when working, creating, gaming and streaming. As the point of connection between people and the digital world, our mission is to extend human potential in work and play, in a way that is good for people and the planet. Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI). Find Logitech and more of its business products and enterprise solutions at the company blog, Logitech Business or @LogitechBiz. ### Logitech and other Logitech marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Logitech Europe S.A. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more information about Logitech and its products, visit the company's website at LOGIIR View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Logitech Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Midweek office work returns to pre-Covid levels, says major landlord
Workers in central London are coming into the office midweek just as much as before the pandemic, according to one of the city's biggest landlords. British Land said on Thursday that midweek occupancy across its office estate has returned to pre-Covid levels as its chief executive said the return to work is 'in full swing'. Remote working policies were introduced by most companies during Covid-19 lockdowns, with office employees the most affected by them. Recent official data showed that 28% of the UK workforce is in hybrid work, meaning spending some days at the office or at home. Meanwhile, 44% of people travel to work every day, while 13% of people are fully remote, according to an October survey by the Office for National Statistics. But the likes of Amazon, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan have recently issued return-to-office mandates after half a decade of hybrid working sparked by pandemic-era lockdowns. Bosses claim face-to-face contact is important for collaboration and say having employees in the office means they do more work. British Land owns some of the newest and biggest blocks in the capital, including a new campus at Broadgate, near Liverpool Street station. It said there is now an 'acute lack' of high-end space left in the market, which has pushed up rents and 'will translate into higher earnings growth' across its estate. Chief executive Simon Carter said: 'The continued occupational strength of our key markets and the resulting above inflation rental growth gives us confidence for the future and in our strategy, despite ongoing macro volatility. 'Return to the office is in full swing, with midweek occupancy back to pre-pandemic levels,' he said.
