As part of Future Ways of Working, the Communications Division moved into Pankhurst House in May 2022. Hear from Office Co-ordinator and Executive Assistant to the Co-Directors of Communications – Sophie Whitehorn – about the moving process.
Tell us about how you and your team started moving towards new ways of working.
We are a team that relocated out of a leased building to an LSE-owned building so there was an easily visible line in the sand, as it were, that marked the transition from remote working to a presence on campus. As per School guidelines, we were told by our Directors that we should be working on campus two days per week and the rest remotely – but if we wanted to be on campus more regularly or full-time this would be fine too. I think that we migrated to this pattern fairly easily with a few colleagues delaying embarking on this pattern for local/personal issues. The sentiment has been from the start that issues should be discussed with your manager – I have certainly done this myself. For instance, in the hot weather, I didn't come onto campus, nor during and around rail strikes. This is the benefit of remote working – there's flexibility.
What tech, space, and behavioural changes happened to accommodate blended working?
Firstly, the necessary tech was installed at the time of our office move. I think this has worked very well although our Mac users in the Design Unit have had some difficulty – spec of monitors/correct docking stations – and more generally monitors, docking, power being inconsistent. I haven't experienced any problems myself and not having to transport the power lead into the office each time has been a benefit. We are slowly getting used to the space we have as a division. Inevitably, people adjust to change at a different speed and in a different way but on the whole it has been a smooth transition and our new space is clean and comfortable. I think most people have been pleasantly surprised.
An issue that has arisen is that teams within the division have chosen particular days to be present in the office together – with Tuesday/Thursday being the busiest days and I think there have been capacity issues on these days. People seem to be coy about finding alternative spaces across the School and in Pankhurst House generally – but that's nothing new! I avoid the busy days and there are other colleagues who choose to do the same.
Did new work patterns emerge to accommodate School need and individual preferences?
We are not a student-facing division with face to face contact apart from our Internal Comms/Events colleagues who have to be on campus for Welcome/Graduation/Events so we can be a bit more flexible. The line from our Directors is policy states we need to be on campus twice a week to collaborate and maintain relationships, but if there's a personal issue then this can be discussed with managers and a discretionary decision made. Mostly as a division we are coming on to campus two or more days a week and working the rest at home.
If there's a day with heavy meetings people tend to work at home rather than monopolising a meeting room or pod. I think people are fairly intelligent and logical about their working patterns. There's a high level of trust from our Directors so people get on with it. If the office gets too crowded when whole teams are in, then team days can be swapped around to accommodate. This is a process. It would be a good idea to run a poll in a years time when blended working has embedded.
What have you learned from working in a blended way?
Human nature doesn’t change! Although this is an opportunity to sit by colleagues you don’t know very well or amongst different teams and get a sense of their dynamic, teams are already sitting together in the same seats! Lost opportunity. Frustrating as I'm not like that at all. I have to deal with my frustration about this. Some people understand clear desk policy and other people leave their empty cup on the desk with a coffee ring.
It's more complicated arranging deliveries/checking on works etc if you're not in the office 100% of the time, but there are ways around that and I have to adjust my mindset. It's true that if you're sitting next to a colleague and there is a work issue it can be sorted immediately and this saves masses of emails to and fro but it is all a balance – because being able to work from home if you have a medical appointment that day is a huge benefit.
What advice or best practice would you share with colleagues about the challenges and successes of blended working?
Not sure – this is not a one-size fits all. Some people can adapt quicker to change and others don’t like it and therefore attitude/motivation/energy is different. It’s probably about knowing yourself/being realistic about difficulties and having an approachable and supportive manager to discuss with.
We are all supposed to be adults but it is surprising how change makes us regress to childhood! Not really an answer to the question but my advice would change to whoever I was talking to! It's an opportunity. A gift. One good thing to come out of the pandemic. It's an adjustment, some things are easier, some things need a bit more thought – rather like life!