Post Secret- holidays (Part 4)/ Post Secret (Part 19)/ "Meek Mill posts bail for 20 women to bring them home for the holidays"

Nov. 27, 2022:

Classic secrets:

Dec. 4, 2022 Post Secret:

On one side:

If you are needing a sign, this is it!

Use what's left of 2022 to light up your soul!

On the other side are a picture of poinsettias: "Christmas Greetings!"

Dec. 9, 2022:

On one side: "Every year I write a letter to Santa.

(I'm 37 years old)."

On the other side:

"HE ALWAYS REPLIES TOO!

Those postal elves at Canada Post rock! :)"

Classic secrets:

Dec. 18, 2022 Classic secrets:

Dec. 25, 2022 Holiday secrets:

PostSecret Holiday Story

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Dear PostSecret,
To the person who feels horrible for telling their child there is no Santa. My son just wrote Santa last night asking for that special present. And I didn’t have the heart to tell him that “Santa’s” back injury has kept her from waiting tables these past two weeks, and with no child support check these past 7 months, all the other bills are adding up too. And the local charity is saying the application deadline is past, and they can’t guarantee anything specific. My secret: I wish Santa Claus was real, so on Christmas, no child would have to go without, and no parent would have to feel like they failed their child.
-Amber

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Hey PostSecret,
I just read the response the woman wrote about not being able to get the “special present” for her son. I know I can’t do this for every child out there, but if you’d tell her that there’s someone out there willing to try and buy their son that gift, then I’d appreciate it very much. I’d have to know what the gift is I’m a college student with a limited budget, but I don’t want her to feel like a failure for having an injury. It would be a lovely Christmas present for me if I were able to put a smile on the faces of two strangers on Christmas morning.
-Thanks,
Molly

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Hi Amber,
If you set up a PayPal account, I’ll contribute to it, and invite others to also.
thanks,
-Frank

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Frank,
First off let me tell you how thankful I am to you and your wonderful offer. I was not in any way expecting any sort of help. I just wanted to let this person know that they’re not alone. I did set up a PayPal account under this email address.
Gratefully yours,
-Amber

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Hi Amber,
Thanks for providing us with a way to help you give your son the Christmas all children deserve. I just made a contribution for you and expect that you might get a few more from other PostSecret visitors.
Happy Holidays,
-Frank

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Hey Molly,
Check the website again. You can help,
-Frank

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Dear PostSecret,
I made a donation and I was surprised at how good it felt. You don’t have to be a millionaire to feel the joy of being generous.
-Molly

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Frank,
Santa Claus is real and alive and well. He lives in you and others like you all over the world. I’m overwhelmed by the love and generosity strangers have shown my family today. I never would have imagined it would get as large a response in such little time as it has. Not only will I be able to afford the present he asked for, but clothes and other necessities I’ve been putting off. I’ve got what I need, so please remove my PayPal account from PostSecret and I urge anyone who wants to help someone in need to get in touch with their local charities. Thank you for making my wish come true,
-Amber

[from a series of social media posts, later presented in ‘PostSecret The Show’.]

Here are the other 2 blog posts:

"Hybrid work could transform the labour market and the economy, but employers can't go it alone"/ "Why 'hybrid work' is a meaningless phrase"

Tracy's blog: "Hybrid work could transform the labour market and the economy, but employers can't go it alone"/ "Why 'hybrid work' is a meaningless phrase" (badcb.blogspot.com)

"Our newfound hybrid work freedoms will come with a heavy price — more hot-desking"/ "Hybrid work enters a third dimension as co-working spaces take off"

Tracy's blog: "Our newfound hybrid work freedoms will come with a heavy price — more hot-desking"/ "Hybrid work enters a third dimension as co-working spaces take off" (badcb.blogspot.com)

My week:

Fri. Dec. 23, 2022 "81% of Canadians are worried about a recession in 2023: survey": Today I found this article by John Shmuel on BNN Bloomberg: 

A recent Leger survey, conducted on behalf of BNN Bloomberg and RATESDOTCA, studied Canadians’ general attitudes toward an oncoming downturn and found that 81 per cent are worried about the possibility of a recession — and more than half are actively preparing for one. 

According to the survey results, 56 per cent of respondents are preparing for a recession in some way. In order to do that, 38 per cent are cutting down their expenditures. 

Other ways respondents say they’re preparing for a recession include 

paying down debt (18 per cent), 

keeping their savings liquid instead of in investments (14 per cent), 

and asking for a raise or taking on more work (six per cent). 

On the other hand, 39 per cent say they are not preparing for a recession, with 22 per cent believing that there is nothing they can do to prepare. Whereas others don’t feel the need to prepare (seven per cent) or haven’t thought about it (10 per cent). Notably, those with an annual income of at least $60,000 are also more likely to prepare (63 per cent) as compared to only 47 per cent of those who earn less than $60,000.

81% of Canadians are worried about a recession in 2023: survey - BNN Bloomberg

My opinion: I'm always saving money.  I'm frugal.  I am mentally and emotionally prepared for a recession of if or when it happens.  I won't be surprised. 

Sat. Dec. 24, 2022 Christmas Eve: We had a roast beef for dinner with some roasted veggies.  There was gravy.

S came over for dinner.  We don't exchange gifts.  This is about quality time and eating good food.

Sun. Dec. 25, 2022 Christmas: We didn't really do anything on this day.

Mon. Dec. 26, 2022 Boxing Day: I went to City Centre mall because they had 2 Shoppers Drug Mart.  I looked around at all the stores, and then I decided to buy all 3 President Choice's Sour Cream and Onion chips for $1.99 each.  I ate Sour Cream and Onion chips from No Name and Lays, but they're not as good as President Choice's.

I also bought President Choice's Mint Thins.  They're from the holidays.  A box of 300 grams for $2.39.  They're good.

Christmas tin cans: I was talking to S from the Personality Meetup group.  She is this 40 something yr old East Indian woman.

S: I buy these cookies and candy that come in these nice decorative tin cans during the Christmas time.  I usually give the food to my friends and co-workers to eat, and keep the tin can for myself.

Last Boxing Day 2021, I bought the President's Choice Luxury Biscuits.  They were biscuits dipped in chocolate.  After I ate it, I kept the black tin can.  I have mainly put scrap paper in it to recycle for later.

Dec. 28, 2022 Capilano: This is Boxing week, so I decided to go here.  All the stores are selling the Christmas season products like chocolate, cookies, and decor on sale.

Shoppers Drug Mart: They moved from 101 Ave to Capilano.  The clerk told me that this location is bigger than the previous one.  They sell frozen food here unlike the last one.

Dollarama: I checked this store.  They don't sell snack cakes, but Wagon Wheels.

Wal- mart: I see they had a small section of snack cakes, and I tried nearly all of them.  

Dec. 27, 2022 Holiday job search: In Dec. 2021, the last 2 weeks of my Call Centre #7/ Work from Home job was closed due to lack of work.  That's ok, because I was getting EI.

In Oct. 2022, I passed out my resumes to 2 malls for the holiday season.  I also went on the store's websites to apply.  I got 1 call back from Clothing Store #3 over in the west end and a skin care company also in the west end.

I did get interviews at 2 restaurants and a bakery.  I was focused on retail because I thought I would get hired there.

It's ok I didn't get hired, because there was work at Call Centre #7.  The place is closed for the last week of Dec.

Dec. 23, 2022 "Hiring for holiday season 'chaotic' as applicants ghost retailers in tight labour market": Today I found this article by Bianca Bharti on the Financial Post:

Hiring this holiday season has been 'chaotic' for retailers | Financial Post

Dec. 27, 2022 "Wisconsin waitress gets $1,000 tip from Christmas customer": Today I found this on Yahoo.  I like this article because it's about charity and good deeds: 

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin waitress got a Christmas morning surprise from a customer — a $1,000 tip.

Callie Blue, 29, was waiting tables at Gus's Diner in Sun Prairie, just outside Madison, at 6 a.m. Sunday when she started chatting with one of the few customers in the restaurant at that hour, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. He left her a $1,000 tip.

The customer was Michael Johnson, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County. He told the newspaper he was looking for people in need as part of the club’s Pay It Forward campaign. Two donors had given about $5,000 for tip money.

He said his Christmas Day schedule was booked with families he planned to help starting at 7:30 a.m. so he searched the internet for restaurants open at 6 a.m. and learned about Gus's Diner. He also had gotten an email about Blue and wanted to measure her customer service skills and demeanor.

He was impressed enough to pull $1,000 from the $5,000 tip money. He said about 12 servers got big tips but Blue got the biggest one because it was Christmas morning and she was the last recipient.

Blue called the tip amazing and said she'll use it to help feed her four horses.

Wisconsin waitress gets $1,000 tip from Christmas customer (yahoo.com)

Dec. 28, 2022 "Buffalo woman saves life of disabled man with severe frostbite": Today I found this article by Anna Lazarus Caplan on People.   I like this article because it's about charity and good deeds: 

A Buffalo man is in the ICU with fourth-degree frostbite after two strangers saved him during the city's "once in a lifetime" blizzard over the weekend.

Sha'Kyra Aughtry and her boyfriend Trent were at home on Christmas Eve when they heard Joe White, 64, calling for help during the epic snowstorm, reported CNN.

Aughtry's boyfriend quickly brought White inside and discovered his clothes frozen to his body and ice covering his exposed hands, the outlet added.

The mother of three then used a blow dryer to melt the ice that had caked his body and started a Facebook Livestream for medical advice after calling 911 and not being able to get a response.

"I've called the National Guard. I've called 911. I've called everybody – they just keep telling me I'm on a list. I don't want to be on a list," Aughtry said on her live stream about treating White, who is developmentally disabled and believed to have ventured out in the sub-zero conditions to work his job at a nearby movie theater.

"I don't care about nothing else," Aughtry added. "This man is not about to die over here."

Fortunately, a group of men — also strangers — saw Aughtry's videos and arrived at her home to help, reported local outlet Sweet Buffalo. They then carried White outside wrapped in a blanket to their truck and drove him to the hospital, where he is recovering from his injuries.

The movie theater has since raised more than $50,000 for White's recovery.

Joe's sister, Yvonne White, is also indebted to Aughtry and her boyfriend. "We were all trying to help each other and it was wonderful," she told CNN. "And now I feel like I have a sister and three nephews," she added, regarding Sha'Kyra and her three sons.

Buffalo Woman Saves Life of Disabled Man with Severe Frostbite (people.com)

"Meek Mill posts bail for 20 women to bring them home for the holidays: 'I'm grateful' to help": Today I found this article by Sydney Bucksbaum on Yahoo:

Meek Mill is making sure some Philadelphia families can be home for the holidays together.

The rapper's nonprofit, REFORM Alliance, announced over the weekend that he had paid the bail for 20 women currently incarcerated at the Riverside Correctional Facility in Philadelphia so they could be home for the holidays.

"The women, who were unable to afford bail, will now be able to spend the holiday season with their families and loved ones," the official Instagram account for REFORM Alliance said on Saturday. "Five women were released today and will be reunited with their families, with the goal of 15 more women being released in the coming week. The women will also each receive a gift card to purchase groceries or gifts for the holidays."

"For families impacted by the criminal justice system, the holidays can be an extremely challenging time," Mill (real name Robert Rihmeek Williams) said. "No one should have to spend the holidays in jail simply because they can't afford bail, and no child should be without their parents during this time if we can do something about it. I'm grateful for the opportunity to help these women be with their families and loved ones during this special time of year."

Meek Mill posts bail for 20 women to bring them home for the holidays: 'I'm grateful' to help (yahoo.com)

"High inflation is coming for the beaver on your money. How long can the nickel last?": Today I found this article by Dan Pittis on CBC:

In 2023, it will be 10 years since we lost the penny. With inflation hovering just below seven per cent, can the nickel be far behind?

As recently as 2009 more than half of all transactions were in cash. By 2017 that had fallen to one-third. Over the same period, all money transactions, a figure that includes larger block transfers, declined from about one-quarter cash to 15 per cent. An outbreak of germophobia early in the pandemic only increased non-cash payments.

High inflation is coming for the beaver on your money. How long can the nickel last? | CBC News

My opinion: I wanted to keep the penny in circulation.  I wanted things to be accurate to the cent.  It's okay that it's not in circulation.

"Our newfound hybrid work freedoms will come with a heavy price — more hot-desking"/ "Hybrid work enters a third dimension as co-working spaces take off"

Feb. 3, 2022 "Our newfound hybrid work freedoms will come with a heavy price — more hot-desking": Today I found this article Pilita Clark on the Financial Post: 

In Spain it has triggered legal action. In Canada it has riled office workers. In Australia it has rattled civil servants and in Britain it is irking union leaders.

The cause of this far-flung frustration? The steady spread of hot-desking in a pandemic that threatens to turn the personal, assigned desk into an ever rarer commodity.

Hot or shared desks have been high on worker hate lists ever since they began their insidious slide into corporate life more than 20 years ago.

Unsurprisingly, people disliked the tedium of racing their colleagues to find a desk that needed adjusting and made you feel like a worthless cog.

Not much has changed. Last week, when a LinkedIn poll asked if people enjoyed hot-desking at work, 75 per cent of respondents clicked on “no.”

An even larger share of British office workers expressed the same view last year in a university study that also suggested the idea that people grow to like hot-desking over time is rubbish.

Yet demand for “flexible working spaces” is on a roll. A report this month from the JLL property group says 37 per cent of organizations globally have post-pandemic plans to increase their use of co-working or flexible space.

Some have already started. Envoy, a software group that makes an app you can use to book a hot desk, says desk reservations jumped by as much as 60 per cent a month last year.

You might ask why employers would introduce such a proven agent of misery at a time of chronic worker shortages from San Francisco to Sydney. Yet even a life-long loather of the hot desk like me can see why it is happening.

Before COVID, office property in big cities was so expensive that underused space cost companies an estimated £4 billion a year in London alone.

Now, those same businesses are introducing hybrid working so people can work some days at home and some in the office, which is precisely what most employees say they want.

But if much of a workforce is only coming into the office two or three days a week, it makes for a lot of underused space. Enter the hot desk, with predictable results.

A Spanish company that tried desk-sharing ended up in court last year after unions objected to what they argued was a serious change in working conditions.

That claim was rejected but it may not be the last.

Employees in Canada are reportedly miffed about returning to work to find they have to use an app to book a hot desk in hybrid work set-ups. The same prospect has upset government workers in Canberra. In London, union bosses say hot-desking has undermined ministers’ edicts for civil servants to go back to the office because there are now fewer desks than staff.

I sympathize. Pre-pandemic, too much hot-desking was done by mindless cost-cutters who ignored the price of alienating and wasting the time of staff.

But COVID has made me think again. First, because the rise of remote working makes the cost of unused office space a bigger problem.

Also, when I have returned to my old, assigned Financial Times desk between lockdowns, the experience has not always been ideal.

My area has sometimes been so devoid of bodies I may as well have stayed home. At times I voluntarily hot-desked, just to be closer to colleagues who were the main reason I was there. Admittedly, my desk is in an especially distant wing of the building. But in a hybrid set-up, I can see this could be a common dilemma.

There is an answer, of sorts. If shared desks, and chairs, 

are easily adjustable,

 simple to reserve, 

close to generous storage space 

and generally better organized, 

hot-desking might become more popular.

But it won’t be cost-free. A desk of one’s own is not merely more convenient and ergonomically sound. It is a sign that you are valued by, and belong to, an organization. Once it goes, so does a measure of loyalty to the business.

At a time when the pandemic has stretched organizational ties to once unthinkable lengths, I suspect it will still be best to keep the idea of the hot desk on ice for as long as possible.

Our newfound hybrid work freedoms will come with a heavy price — more hot-desking | Financial Post

Feb. 28, 2022 "Hybrid work enters a third dimension as co-working spaces take off": Today I found this article by Janina Conboye in the Financial Post:

After two years in my spare bedroom, I decided to switch things up and went to work in a café in my east London neighbourhood. As I settled in, I realized the WiFi was so slow that I could not even send emails. Long black coffee barely finished, I was forced back home.

I love my flat, but in this hybrid world the homeworking days of my partner and I don’t coincide, and the quiet does not suit me (frankly, I hate it).

Plenty of others also find themselves in a situation where working from home is boring, not productive, or simply impossible. But there is a solution. The “third space” is not the office and not home, but somewhere in between: a flexible, affordable, professional space on your doorstep.

Everyone knows the cautionary tale of WeWork and its rapid overexpansion into shared workspaces that also seemed to promise a cool lifestyle (as well as free beer). 

But post-pandemic, the company now offers a more flexible “on demand” service at more than 250 locations, offering individual workers the chance to use its offices with no monthly commitment. And an increase in sign ups to its “all access” membership, which gives entry to more than 700 offices, is being driven by both individuals, and companies that want to give their employees more flexibility.

Dan Cable, professor of organizational behaviour at London Business School, sees how the third space concept “solves a bunch of problems.”

In the context of what he calls “new worker expectations” — where people want more flexibility around not just how, but where they work — the fact that third spaces are near our homes is key. “Ten minutes from your house, that’s a really important piece of this. We’re getting rid of an hour [commute] each way each day, 10 hours of wasted time.”

He adds that third spaces could be part of the long-term revolution in our ways of working. “It’s a specific, practical, affordable solution.”

Arc Club is one of a number of startups offering co-working spaces close to where office workers live. Hannah Philp and Caro Lundin opened the first site in Homerton, north-east London, in 2020 and have just opened a second in Camberwell Green in the south, with 10 more in the pipeline.

Facilities include individual desks, private call booths and meeting rooms. There is coffee, networking with local professionals and WiFi that works. It costs £25 ($42.60) a day or £150 ($255.50) a month.

Who uses these spaces? Beyond obvious candidates such as freelancers and solo business founders, some people want to have a couple of days off from their commute or they may want access to a professional space to escape their children or housemates.

Third spaces seem to fit neatly into how hybrid work is evolving and shaping the new office landscape in major cities. When I talk to those in the commercial property sector, centralization seems to be their key aim. 

To lure workers back, businesses are opting for high-end, centrally located office spaces with, or near, gyms, cafés and restaurants. But as the return to the office gains pace, it looks like many workers will only be there for part of the working week.

Many employees are currently paying for their own third space visits, but this is a cost that could become part of employee benefits packages as organizations focus on retaining staff in 2022 and beyond.

That such a service could be offered as a perk, “that to me resonates,” Cable adds. “To me that feels like a value add, like a benefit, it feels like ‘you’re trusting me and liberating me to do my best work’.”

Philp believes offering flexible workspace as a perk “is a pretty low investment [for employers] in terms of what you’re getting.”

Working somewhere new can boost motivation and productivity as it breaks the routine. 

Research suggests that the part of our brain that regulates motivation responds better to novelty than to the familiar, so even a glitzy head office could potentially sap productivity if you spend too much time there (not to mention the commute).

A third space offers fresh perspectives and if it specifically caters to workers then you will be able to focus in a quiet area or talk to the people you meet there, you may end up collaborating.

I only have a 30-minute walk to the office, but if there was a cool flexible workspace on my doorstep I would be tempted — especially if the coffee was good and my employer was paying.

Hybrid work enters a third dimension as co-working spaces take off | Financial Post

"Hybrid work could transform the labour market and the economy, but employers can't go it alone"/ "Why 'hybrid work' is a meaningless phrase"

Feb. 22, 2022 "Hybrid work could transform the labour market and the economy, but employers can't go it alone": Today I found this article by Victoria Wells in the Financial Post:

Hybrid work is here to stay and if done right, it could usher Canada into a new era of equity and flexibility in the labour market that could strengthen the economy. But it would be a mistake to assume those benefits will happen on their own, and employers will need government support, according to a new report from Deloitte Canada.

Some 40 per cent of the labour force worked from home in January, according to Statistics Canada’s latest monthly hiring report. 

Making hybrid work more accessible will expand that number, unlocking more people currently left out of the labour force. 

That would create a bigger pool of workers at a time when employers are coping with severe labour shortages.

“If you imagine a Canadian economy of the future, where more people can work, when and where they want to, you could arguably open up opportunities for people who have been left out of the kind of economic growth we’ve seen over the last decade,” said Stephen Harrington, a partner at Deloitte and author of the report, Getting Hybrid Work Right: Creating and Sustaining Inclusive Economic Growth in Canada.

“The inclusion aspect is incredibly important.”

Harrington’s report points to flexibility as one way to encourage more participation in the workforce. For example, companies are potentially missing out on valuable contributions from primary caregivers who would like to work, but need a set of hours that suit their personal schedules.

At the same time, employers will need to guard against potential discrimination arising from flexibility in hybrid work arrangements. Research suggests that women and the disabled are most likely to opt to work from home. 

That could fuel bias. For example, people who come into the office more regularly may be offered more opportunities for advancement, including promotions.

Employers need not grapple with such issues alone. Governments could play a role in helping to craft equitable policies by strengthening human rights codes to apply to hybrid work arrangements, the report said. Governments could also offer improved guidance on an employer’s duty to accommodate people, “making sure leaders know their job is to make sure they build an equal playing field for all employees, regardless of the type of work arrangement,” Harrington said.

Governments also could use their clout as some of the largest employers in the country to set the tone for the private sector, without having to create actual laws.

“Their example can encourage other employers to adopt best practices, without necessarily codifying regulatory requirements,” Harrington wrote in the report. “Such measures can serve to promote equity, well-being and flexibility for hybrid workers while expanding access to this form of work.”

Breaking down barriers so that people in locations across Canada can participate in the workforce is also key, Harrington said. 

Governments should work to remove inter-provincial roadblocks, such as place-based tax rules, that prevent people from working remotely in other provinces.

Investment in high-speed internet access is another critical way to get more people working.

In Canada, only 46 per cent of households in rural areas have access to high-speed internet. It’s even worse in Indigenous communities where only 24 per cent of households have access. Meanwhile, internet prices in cities is also a problem, as affordability issues prevent low-income Canadians from getting the services they need.

“If we do nothing, rural and remote Canadians, including Aboriginal communities, will not be able to participate (in this new labour market) in fair ways,” Harrington said.

The report offers additional suggestions to make hybrid work more equitable, including modernizing child care and caregiving systems, improving funding so people can upgrade digital skills, and providing money to help downtown cores transition from an over reliance on office workers’ dollars. Combined, such initiatives could help create better work arrangements for more Canadians and put the country on a more “prosperous path,” Harrington said.

But even as governments and employers hammer out hybrid work policies, there is more work to be done on the political level, Harrington said. The conversation around this new way of working needs to shift to one between politicians and Canadians. What’s more, that conversation needs to happen now, while the country is at an inflection point in deciding what the future of work will look like as pandemic restrictions end.

“If we do nothing, as we sometimes do as a country, because we like to wait and see how it’s going to turn out, then I think a lot of those choices are going to be made for us,” Harrington said. “And that would be a shame.”

Hybrid work could transform the labour market and the economy | Financial Post

FEBRUARY 27, 2022

As with IT, Net Zero, Entrepreneur, Gig (economy), Big Tech, Fintech the word Hybrid is a misnomer. The English language, in Canada, is being destroyed by its poor usage by ignorant Canadians.

FEBRUARY 22, 2022

What a laugh. “Public support?” From a bankrupt government? How will that workout?

Feb. 24, 2022 "Why 'hybrid work' is a meaningless phrase": Today I found this article by David Oliver on the Financial Post:

Instead of being back at the office five days a week, many of us are instead living the dream of a “hybrid” style of work: two to three days spent on site, in-person, and the other days spent virtually at home. Most companies are now wrestling with the question of how to define their view of “hybrid” so they can give direction to current and future employees.

Cue an army of self-appointed experts telling us how this will all need to work, and how important it will be to fall back on company culture. Expect to see manuals including 

No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention, by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyers, 

and Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail, by Ray Dalio, 

dusted off and morphed into a new “How to do hybrid!” arriving in your inbox any minute now. You’ve probably had several missives already.

The problem is that “radical candour,” as Dalio calls it, and having no expense or vacation policy, as laid out in No Rules Rules, tells you very little about how to unleash your most precious and dynamic resource: your people. 

While studying others’ opinions on the vast topic of leadership and culture might be interesting and could even provide some useful tips, these books were written about their company culture, not yours.

There’s a simpler and, to use that dreadfully corrupted phrase, more authentic starting point. It’s your own business strategy, combined with a healthy dose of grown-up common sense.

The one thing leaders really learned during the pandemic was that it’s possible to run an organization almost completely virtually, without the need for most people to be physically present in the office.

But that doesn’t mean it’s the best or most optimal way to run an organization.

We also learned that life and the world are highly dynamic and none of us actually know what might happen the week after next, let alone in six months’ time.

We don’t know what new external demands are going to be placed on us. We still don’t know if the pandemic is actually over (even if we’re praying for it to be), or whether there will be a long tail of infections and occasional response measures.

What we do know, also confirmed by the pandemic, is that human beings are social creatures. 

Much of the joy in life is found in 

interacting with each other in a common pursuit, 

shared interest 

or an old-fashioned argument (even in conflict-shy Canada).

Of course people’s expectations of work-life balance have changed. In the so called war for talent, the talent is demanding to know a company’s hybrid work culture or policy as a way of differentiating between other potential employers.

Some of the most successful people seamlessly blend life and work so it’s not always clear when they are on or off the clock. But many others seek clear boundaries between the two, especially those with children or others to care for, or for those whose work isn’t their only life’s pursuit. 

They want to be their best selves when earning a living, and also know they can have sufficient downtime to recharge and do something else that brings joy and meaning to their lives.

Not many people want to go back to pre-2020, when, for example, Torontonians spent their lives commuting on a GO Train or stuck on the 401 at rush hour. But these same people likely also want some in-person interaction in their work lives.

The rich diversity of life comes from the fact that we’re all different, and those differences play out among individuals and teams. The sales team might have very different needs and demands compared to the finance team, for example.

We now live in a knowledge-based, information age economy. 

A leader who knows how to create physically and psychologically safe environments where people can bring their whole selves to work and be their most productive, will stand out as a success over the dinosaur still demanding total physical presence in a command-and-control environment, just because that’s what used to work.

Organizations also need to get things done, and they need their people to work effectively together as intelligent adults in a place of individual and collective accountability.

If a leader, team or organization cannot create an environment where this conversation can happen in a grown-up way, it’s got bigger problems than trying to figure out a return to work policy.

So when asked what my hybrid policy is, I would tell them there isn’t one, but rather an expectation for leaders and teams to work out what’s right for them and then get on with it.

David Oliver is the founder of Minerva Wisdom Group.

David Oliver: Why 'hybrid work' is a meaningless phrase | Financial Post

FEBRUARY 25, 2022

Let's stop using hybrid, IT, gig economy, big tech, entrepreneur as all of these silly terms are nothing more than meaningless mumbo jumbo. Whilst we are at it stop with the "you know" and "like" ignorance and start to learn the English language as it is meant to be used.