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  • June 28, 2021
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review Digital Articles

4 Imperatives for Managing in a Hybrid World

By: Kalle Heikkinen, William R. Kerr, Mika Malin and Panu Routila
  • Format:Electronic
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Abstract

As more and more companies turn to a hybrid model of work more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, what challenges are leaders likely to face when managing people both in the office and remotely? Interviews with 38 executives in Nordic countries point to four main tensions. First, the virtual world does not treat roles and tasks equally, something that spans from how different levels of management experience hybrid work to who gets access to high-end video technology. Second, nuances between people matter even more, both in formal meetings and in everyday interactions. Third, strong central guidance is a must in holding a more nimble and dispersed organization together. And finally, crisis-proof processes must be revisited and adapted to take advantage of what a hybrid organization has to offer.

Keywords

Hybrid Organizations; Organizational Structure; Management; Leadership

Citation

Heikkinen, Kalle, William R. Kerr, Mika Malin, and Panu Routila. "4 Imperatives for Managing in a Hybrid World." Harvard Business Review Digital Articles (June 28, 2021).
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About The Author

William R. Kerr

Entrepreneurial Management
→More Publications

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More from the Authors
  • When Scenario Planning Fails By: Kalle Heikkinen, William R. Kerr, Mika Malin, Panu Routila and Eemil Rupponen
  • Independent Governance of Meta’s Social Spaces: The Oversight Board By: Jesse M. Shapiro, Natalia Rigol, Benjamin N. Roth and William R. Kerr
  • Migration Fear and Minority Crowd-Funding Success: Evidence from Kickstarter By: John (Jianqui) Bai, William R. Kerr, Chi Wan and Alptug Yorulmaz
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