25 June 2024
5 January 2022
exo: Preparing for the shift to hybrid work
About the project
Sector
Public transit organization
Duration
6 months
Participants
600
Focus areas
Hybrid work transition, kindness, autonomy
The situation
As part of its health and well-being action plan, exo, a public transit agency, wanted to empower all 600 of its employees and managers to take charge of their workplace well-being and get ready for both the return to the office and the transition to hybrid work.
Two parallel transitions
While 20% of the organization—those on the front lines—remained on-site, 80% shifted to remote work. At the same time, exo was also working to support the recovery of public transit services. The organization found itself navigating two overlapping change processes—different, but closely connected. Like many, they were moving through a period filled with change and uncertainty.
What we delivered
- A transition workshop for 80 managers
- A kindness-centred webinar for all 600 employees
Equipping managers for a smooth transition
exo began by consulting a group of managers to present and test its transition plan. The session made one thing clear: team realities varied widely, and both managers and employees needed better tools to adapt.
To support their 80 managers through this shift, we led a two-hour workshop exploring key elements of a successful transition. We focused on three drivers of success:
- Questioning assumptions
- Focusing on three key drivers of engagement—autonomy, competence, and social connection
- Strengthening kindness in day-to-day leadership
Managers welcomed the experience. The return to office became a real opportunity to reconnect with their teams, address concerns, and in some cases, rethink their original game plans. Some operational units even rebalanced in-office and remote work to provide more flexibility.
Kindness as a key to hybrid work
A successful transition depends on preparing everyone—not just leaders.
exo launched a series of webinars on kindness to help employees adapt to the changes hybrid work brings.
Hybrid work isn’t just a new schedule—it’s a new way of collaborating. It calls for different management practices and sometimes challenges old assumptions.
In the webinars, employees were invited to reflect on how they show kindness and practice “bounce-back listening”—a form of active listening that helps conversations move forward. The activity was well received across the board.
From the start, we wanted our return to the office and our hybrid shift to be led with kindness and flexibility. Right away, we could tell the Boostalab team truly understood our needs, our context, and the internal challenges we were facing. Nous avons ainsi développé avec leur collaboration un atelier de préparation pour nos gestionnaires, qui valorisait une approche consultative et de proximité entre le gestionnaire et son équipe. Pour venir appuyer cette importante phase de transition, une série de webinaires sur la bienveillance dans un contexte de retour, animé par l'équipe de Boostalab, a également été déployée dans l'ensemble de l'organisation. Nous sommes aujourd'hui étonnés à quel point cette importante transition s'est faite dans la douceur. Il reste certainement du défi à l'horizon, mais l'apport de Boostalab nous a permis d'entreprendre cette démarche du bon pied.
Creating long-term value
The move to hybrid work was more than a logistical change—it kickstarted a shift toward a culture rooted in ownership, kindness, and performance. exo, like us, is working to create a more human and appealing workplace. As they like to say, “It’s all in the how—and the complexity is in the how!” And that’s exactly where we come in.
For managers, this was a chance to make a real impact by preparing for change, staying connected, and supporting their teams along the way.
And employees we met at exo’s offices? They were genuinely appreciative of the choice and flexibility they were given.
By putting workshop and webinar learnings into practice—and by actively looking for ways to support their people—exo is building a strong, standout employer brand for today and tomorrow.
Realisations
