No going back(wards): reimagining our workplace at Synergy Vision

It’s September. The summer is gradually fading away, and you’ve got that ‘back-to-school’ feeling. Only this time, you’re an adult returning to the office after more than 18 months of remote working. Mixed feelings of excitement and trepidation emerge. That’s how many of us at Synergy Vision have been feeling.

 

For a mid-sized healthcare communications agency whose key purpose is to help educate and connect healthcare professionals across the world, we successfully rose to the challenge of continuing our operations and supporting our clients amid a global pandemic.

 

We did this by swiftly adopting technologies and ways of working that would normally have taken years to organically integrate. This allowed us to continue delivering great work for our clients while following COVID-19 government guidelines and keeping our team safe.

 

So, given the success of our remote working policy, why are we adopting a hybrid working model? Why not stick with what has served us so well and ditch the office for good?

 

We know that our teams, our clients, and our business have missed out on opportunities. Whether it’s junior members shadowing colleagues on the job, teams connecting to brainstorm a new idea, or simply people being together under one roof and feeling part of something bigger.

 

We need to make this happen again. We need to rekindle these aspects, so we can continue to grow as individuals and as a company.

 

The benefits of our hybrid working model are numerous, and here are a few that are most important to us, our teams, and our company:

 

To connect

 

It enables us to onboard new starters, embed them into the business, and build strong relationships with  colleagues from Day one. It allows us to have more informal interactions, grab a coffee with a colleague, or ask someone you bump into in the kitchen for advice about a project.

 

To create

 

Zoom and Microsoft Teams have enabled virtual working in a way none of us could have imagined before the pandemic, but nothing beats the buzz of being in a room with a group of people bouncing ideas around with a mass of Post-it Notes and coloured pens. Getting back to face-to-face brainstorming sessions will help us deliver greater innovation and exciting solutions for our clients.

 

To collaborate

 

Kicking off a new project or working on a pitch often requires a multi-team approach. Having everyone in the same room allows us to collaborate more effectively and improves team participation by drawing on the experience and expertise of all relevant people across the business.

 

To grow

 

By sitting next to each, we’re able to hear what’s going on within and across teams, shadow team members, and learn how they do things. It means we can all pick up new skills to help progress our careers as well as pass our knowledge on to more junior members.

 

However, for this hybrid approach to work, there will be a need for guidance, modelling, and trialling. Coming into the office should be a worthwhile experience for everyone, and we know it’s unlikely we’ll get everything right first time. We need to listen, consistently check how things are going, and make sure we’re getting the best outcomes for us and our clients.

 

This is not about going ‘back’ to the office, it’s about forging a new way of working for the future.

 

Ultimately, it’s about our people, our culture, and making Synergy Vision a place where trust, flexibility, and interaction are key.

Continue reading

No items found.