The pandemic ushered in a new era of work. Many workplaces went fully remote, with some employers giving up their office space altogether. In the post-pandemic era, a number of workplaces are hybrid and have no plans to get back to full-time, in-office work. According to the Pew Research Center, 35 percent of workers with jobs that can be done remotely are working from home full time, and 41 percent of those with positions that can be remote are working a hybrid schedule.

However, now that COVID-19 is better managed, employers are attempting to bring workers back into the office, with somelike Zoom and Metarequiring in-person work at least a few days per week. Additionally, new research from KPMG's Global CEO Outlook showed that 63 percent of CEOs predict a full return to in-office work by the end of 2026, while only 7 percent believe that full-time remote work will continue in the long term.

The article above discussed the new norm of work--hybrid work. The hybrid work model is top of mind for executives. Now assume you are the head of YOUR organization (e.g., CEO of a company, governor of a state, president of a school). If you are currently not employed or self-employed, please assume you are the president of Lehman College. How would you lead your employees under the new norm, if it exists? Please write a memo, starting it with, "Dear Colleagues......".

Hint:

We discussed many leadership theories in this chapter. The behavioral theories narrow leadership into task behaviors and people behaviors. Contingency theories highlight the importance of the situation in understanding leadership effectiveness.

Please answer the following about the company AutoZone:

Task behaviors: What is the most important task of your organization at this moment? How would you redesign work in your organizations?

People behaviors: What would you do to support hybrid work? What conflicts may arise due to the hybrid model? How would you handle legal issues such as OSHA, NLRA rights, paid sick leave, and travel restrictions? What would you do to help your employees to cope with stress?

Situation: How does the turbulent environment create uncertainty in your department? (Could it be an opportunity for your department as well?) To what extent can you make discretionary operational decisions?