The well-known Beatles song I was listening to recently put me in mind of what we have had to deal with and come through over the past 18 months personally and professionally. All be it I can state I did not get “high” nor am I encouraging anyone to do so as per the lyrics of the song!

Help (another a Beatles song!) was brought to the fore in my mind more so given the unexpected help afforded by strangers. I read with pleasure the incident relating to the gold winning Jamaican 110m hurdler, Hansle Parchment, who having jumped on the wrong bus ahead of his semi-finals, had the good fortune to meet a volunteer, Tiana, who paid for his taxi to the right stadium and the rest is now history.

Now we are in an age of office based, hybrid or fully remote, the importance of help afforded by leaders, colleagues, mentors and advisors has never been more paramount. Personally, I enjoy the hybrid setting given the opportunity it has provided my colleagues and I to maintain our productivity yet gain a number of hours each month to deploy on clients, and or, simply to relax in social pursuits.

The working model adopted by organisations and individuals does require clear recognition and respect to the needs of both the employer and employee. We are potentially on the cusp of a revolution in the workplace certainly in the UK, but do not underestimate the added level of responsibility, support in a variety of guises required to make it a success. Equally, the accountability it places on individuals. It is not a recipe for an “easier life” in fact anything but as I consider my own experiences.

The WFH model is here whether you like it or not, the implications for marginal improvements and deterioration in performance are significant – in a different setting but worth noting one only needs to look at the British rowing and cycling teams at the Tokyo Olympics. Given the lesser performances if measured in medals, the rowers commented although falling short of their historic high standards for medal winners, they had only been marginally ahead in the past and this series not. Jason Kenny, the UK’s ultimate Olympian, commented similarly. In both cases “management” and the “workplace” had changed, and the questions arises did the Brits respond as well as the other countries. The recipe for success is largely in our hands.  Get it right, then we can expect positive fine margins.

Rej Abraham, Sarah Torrington, Matt Byrne, Alex Handford