I see (and read) dozens of reports, surveys, and white papers every week. As I mentioned recently, these can say one thing or the complete opposite. I tend to be a bit sceptical though and will, where possible, look to the source data.

This is where digging down and looking at the stories behind the data is essential.

A report the other week suggested 3 days in the office was optimal for hybrid work. A quick dive through the data and it is, of course, more complex than that. The report is based on the full time employees – how does hybrid work for part time workers? There is an age differentiator – younger people feel lonelier while 45+ are less lonely working away from the office.

Here’s the kicker though:

Women who work remotely are more likely to get practical advice and support from their manager and feel they have enough opportunities to grow the skills they need for the future.

MAKING THE CASE FOR THE OFFICE – Ipsos Karian and Box

When you’re designing your working, and more importantly learning strategies, you NEED to know this stuff. If you asked your colleagues how supported they were, what would they say?

It’s REALLY easy to take the headline and assume this is the way things will be. But life, work, and learning are not as simplistic as this and complex problems require heavy thinking (creative and critical) to solve them.