Fast Company – “The term “hybrid work” has come to mean more flexibility around working both remotely and in the office. But perhaps we could be applying the same term to the speed of work as well. Post-pandemic, are our work lives slowing down or speeding up? There seem to be conflicting answers. On the one hand, NPR recently reported that unemployment is down and job growth is up. In addition, earlier this year the Federal Reserve forecasted rampant economic growth, while Forrester predicted 6% growth in business and government spending on tech goods, software, services, and staff in 2021 (and 6.5% growth in 2022). From this perspective, work life sure seems like it’s speeding up. But hang on a minute. Millennials are quitting their jobs (even six-figure jobs) to prioritize their mental health, travel the world, and pursue more fulfilling, flexible careers. Offices are opening back up, but employees are revolting: Apple staff is conflicted about Tim Cook’s return to work policy; Amazon employees disagree with the company’s policy and are calling for permanent remote work; and when forced with the decision, are just opting to quit instead.  Sounds like we’re slowing down. How do we measure progress in a world where success is defined in two radically different ways? Or, said differently: what should work feel like? And who decides?…

What if hybrid means…Some days you work quickly and sprint, and other days you take things slow and focus more on the process and deep work…”