The Proximity Principle: People tend to serve people they see, touch, and spend time with.
What you don’t see seems easy. You assume others have it easy. People who aren’t seen often feel undervalued.
Hybrid work makes detachment easy.
Potential expands when you connect to real people doing real work.
Hybrid Work isn’t Working*
#1. New hires struggle. They can’t watch others or ask quick questions.
#2. Collaboration suffers. People focus on their own deliverables and delay helping others.
#3. Meetings fail. They grow too big, engagement drops, and after-meeting follow-ups waste time.
#4. The wrong people get promoted. Individual contributors rise. Team players don’t get noticed.
#5. Culture weakens. Norms aren’t observed. Pre- and post-pandemic hires don’t align.
#6. Commitment fades. Loyalty is fueled by seeing the people you work with.
#7. Isolation grows. Fewer friendships equal poorer performance.
Make Hybrid Work
#1. Set and enforce anchor days. Everyone comes to the office on the same day(s).
#2. Redesign meetings. Keep them small, purpose-driven, with cameras-on.
#3. Rewrite the rules. Define urgency, for example. How quickly should people respond to urgent requests? When should they be available?
#4. Rebuild culture. Pair new hires with mentors. Host in-person off-sites. Share stories in a team setting.
#5. Reward team players. Track and recognize teamwork, not just output. Promote using co-worker feedback and 360-degree assessments.
#6. Rehumanize management. Equip managers to spot isolation and connect with empathy. Teach virtual EQ: reading tone, noticing silence, asking better questions.
#7. Prioritize connection. Make it part of everyone’s job. Allocate connection-time across functions.
Hybrid work isn’t doomed, but it won’t thrive on autopilot. If you want connection, collaboration, and culture, build them with intention. The silent killers of hybrid work are isolation, assumption, and invisibility. The goal isn’t just flexibility, it’s productivity with vitality.
What unspoken values are lost without in-person modeling?
How can leaders reward collaboration?
Still curious: 7 Reasons Returning to the Office is a Good Idea
*This post is adapted from: Hybrid Still Isn’t Working HBR
