Whether the pandemic changed the dynamic of your workspace, or you were already adopting that strategy, the hybrid workspace is here to stay.  Historically, companies required everyone to commute to a central office.  Cubicles, offices, and conference rooms were gathering places of ideas, and working lunches were the norm.  There were exceptions, with some working from home one or two days a week or situations where one person worked in a different city, a home office, or a central location.  These early hybrid work situations had their challenges, and provisions were made to handle them. 

Suddenly, most of us were sent home with phones and laptops, and Zoom calls became the norm.  In the event you had never worked outside the office, the struggles you faced were real.  In 2017, I felt this first hand while working on a change management project for an academic client – the IT department was my constant companion!  

Outfitting virtual workers with the equipment needed became an IT department’s challenge.  Developing space at home (especially when our families and children were also on a virtual schedule) had its hiccups.  Eventually, we settled into a routine, and the work still got done, meetings still happened, and some teams even thrived in a remote environment.