Blaire Palmer, a business consultant, argues the need for a fundamental shift in understanding hybrid working.
- Palmer believes traditional leadership models are outdated, lingering from the industrial age.
- There is a rising tension between employee expectations and business needs, Palmer notes.
- The Covid-19 pandemic exposed deep-rooted dissatisfaction among employees regarding work-life balance.
- Palmer proposes that the focus should shift towards creating environments conducive to effective work.
Business consultant Blaire Palmer calls for a significant change in how hybrid working is perceived, suggesting that many misunderstandings stem from outdated industrial-age leadership principles. She is set to discuss this at the upcoming Travel Convention, highlighting that workplaces require a reformation to bridge the gap between current operational models and employee expectations.
Palmer points out that traditional ways of managing workplaces no longer align with modern employee expectations, stating, ‘We talk about mental health, wellbeing, and workplace culture, but we operate very much on an industrial age model at work.’ This disconnect has led to a growing frustration among employees who are increasingly questioning the value of their work commitments.
The Covid-19 pandemic, Palmer suggests, has laid bare the dissatisfaction many workers feel, challenging whether their employment sacrifices are justifiable. Moreover, a new generation of workers is prioritising work-life balance and no longer willing to work beyond their contracted hours. This shift has forced business leaders to reconsider their leadership approaches to meet evolving employee needs.
According to Palmer, the core issue lies in the misconception of hybrid working as merely a tool for balancing work and personal life. Instead, she argues, it should focus on enabling employees to perform their best work. This includes recognising tasks that benefit from office-based collaboration and those better suited to remote, contemplative environments.
A prevalent challenge, as Palmer identifies, is the lack of trust leaders have in their teams. Despite the apparent desire for employees to take ownership, businesses remain stuck in a command-and-control framework. Palmer asserts that decision-making should be distributed, allowing those closest to issues to propose solutions, thus fostering a more empowered workforce.
She clarifies that the aim is not to overhaul established systems entirely but to reform them to foster better decision-making and autonomy. She explains, ‘You don’t have to rip everything up and start again. I call it a workplace reformation, not a revolution.’ Palmer emphasises the need for leaders to question the current systems and trust their teams in order to retain talent and thrive in the future.
Palmer’s insights call for a proactive change in leadership strategies to ensure sustainable business practices.
