For creating competitive advantage in the new normal, forward-looking leaders need to let go of their preferences for in-office work. They need to adopt a hybrid-first model for most staff, and support full-time remote work for a minority. …

Employers must recognize the challenges from the initial COVID outbreak and avoid mental blindspots as Delta and other variants emerge. That’s the key take-away message of this episode of the Wise Decision Maker Show, which describes the dangers of denying reality in returning to the office during the Delta surge.

Video: “Denying Reality in Returning to the Office With the Delta Surge”

“Our software engineers and product designers need to go back to the office full-time. Otherwise, we’re going to lose our competitive advantage in innovation.” …

With vaccine efficacy against the Delta variant falling by 39%, normal return to office plans are pure folly. There is no denying the peril that lies in wait: the Delta surge is projected to escalate further in the months ahead. …

Employers must modify their hybrid office space to meet the changed needs of employees. They will do mostly collaborative work in the office while doing their individual tasks at home. …

The best practice on the return to office plan involves a team-led hybrid-first model with some fully remote options. That means empowering lower-level team leaders to choose the work arrangement that best serves their team’s needs. …

How should organizations reshape the hybrid office space to maximize productivity? What will the new workspace — inside the office and the home — look like in the future? We know it will be different from the spaces before the pandemic. …

In planning the return to the office, leaders can fall prey to dangerous judgment errors which can cause them to wrongly assess their employees’ needs. …