Ep. 035 - LIVE: Part 1: The Working From Home Conundrum with Ray McGrath, Kate Aldridge & Andy Lopata
There are so many nuances to the home/hybrid work discussion that are yet to come to light - we’ve only just scratched the surface…
The Company Doctor has gone LIVE, and we’re diving deep into the effects of working from home on culture, promotions, mental wellbeing, productivity, and why a WFH solution sinks or swims.
Join our specialist panel for part 1 of the inaugural live podcast episode, consisting of the wonderful Ray McGrath, Kate Aldridge and Andy Lopata.
Key takeaways from this episode:
Implementing hybrid solutions needs to be leader-led
Personal brand is essential when you’re mainly remote
Choosing an approach comes down to the ‘why’
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Highlights:
“I can honestly say there's been no consensus amongst leaders on the best approach. So we've very much gone to the people and taken the vote from them.” - 6:00 - Kate Aldridge
“We're painting with very broad brush strokes. Even that question of whether a manager should push to bring people back to the office - Yes, and no. That's the problem, everything's a broad brush stroke. One will say we have to get everyone back to increase collaboration and human interaction, and others say, we can save office space by keeping people away.” - 6:35 - Andy Lopata
“Going into the office is going to help you with networking with others and stakeholders, but having an agreement with your boss is critical. There's plenty of things you can do to get yourself noticed, even if you're not going into the office. I'm bound to say this because I'm a comms person, but think about your personal brand. ” - 11:30 - Kate Aldridge
“So many times, a conversation is going to take place in a room where you are not present, and you need other people in that room to champion and advocate for you. So you do lose out if you're not in the office in that environment. But I agree with Kate that you can do things to still build up your profile while working from home.” - 17:55 - Andy Lopata
“It needs to be leader-led, it needs to be ‘Right, this is exactly what's happening’. It can't be split. I don't know if you would agree with this, but I do think that it needs to be everyone doing the same thing, otherwise it falls to pieces.” - 24:50 - George Clode
“I am encountering a lot of very isolated leaders and contributors to a business. So I'm rather concerned about this sense of isolation, even when people are in the office.” - 34:35 - Ray McGrath
Links & References:
Gary Gamp: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garygamp
George Clode: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeclode
Andy Lopata: https://www.linkedin.com/in/networkingstrategy
Ray McGrath: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmcgrath
Kate Aldridge: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katealdridge
