In the Faculty of Science, find out why managers are required to complete the 平特五不中 Healthy Hybrid Attestation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the global workforce struggled to adapt to fully remote work, the Faculty of Science included.
The transition back to in-person work was equally challenging. Managers had to rely on seat-of-the-pants instincts as the University as a whole adjusted to a new model of hybrid work.
While there are many benefits to working in a hybrid setting, we found that it can also pose some challenges -- especially to managers who are required to take the lead and properly train employees in this new way of working. Staying connected, productive, and mastering the proper tools to work effectively can also sometimes be difficult when teams transition to a hybrid model of work.
In the Faculty of Science, we take health and wellness seriously. During the pandemic, we launched Healthy is the New Happy, a program that aimed to help staff and faculty improve their workplace wellbeing and foster a culture that embraces positive change. Still, many of our managers were never fully trained on the specific challenges posed by managing teams in a hybrid environment, especially when it came to multi-generational teams, workload and work distribution, dealing with evolving priorities, and ensuring effective communication.
When the University recently launched new guidelines regarding flexible work arrangements, we felt the timing was right for a skills update. To support our managers and equip them to manage expectations and ensure productivity, we decided to require that they complete the Healthy Hybrid Attestation offered through Organizational Development. New managers will also be required to complete the program as part of their onboarding.
I feel very passionate about lifelong learning, and so with full support from my Director of Administration and Operations (Maria Babiak), we held an administrative Town Hall where we presented the benefits and importance of the Healthy Hybrid Attestation, which included: acquiring new skills and enhancing existing ones; reinforcing best practices in team communication; adopting tools to manage time at home and in the office; leading with purpose; and making our time in the office more meaningful. Just as importantly, it allows staff to connect with colleagues from different faculties and learn from one another. 听
The Healthy Hybrid Attestation for supervisors requires managers to complete 5 workshops, at their own pace but within 1 year of their attestation start date. We concluded that the benefits of the training outweighed the small time commitment: when you break it down, it's only around 7 to 10 hours over the course of 12 months! This is very feasible and not only do you walk away with a certification but also with a growth mindset.
We value our managers鈥� time and to better support them, my HR team assisted with the logistics in helping to coordinate schedules, preparing step-by-step instructions, and sending email reminders. We were very pleased to see full participation by our management team, and the anecdotal feedback we have received so far has been very positive. We鈥檙e grateful that Organizational Development created this training program, which allows us to ensure our managers 鈥� both new and established 鈥� have the tools they need to succeed in leading teams in this new hybrid era at 平特五不中.