Leading in a Hybrid World Sudish Panicker is a chartered accountant and cost accountant with experience in accounting, financial services management, commercial banking and retail. He is on the national council of the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) Global Capability Centers (GCC). He is the co-chair of the Pune chapter of NASSCOM GCC. Business organizations follow a variety of structures—a physical one that is usually static, and an organizational structure that is dynamic in nature. Moreover, businesses are either vertically or horizontally aligned to manage their projects. But today organizations need to think of yet another format—an “amoebic structure” with no definite shape but with sufficient agility, flexibility and assurance that the structure will determine the right course of action to manage projects and obtain the desired results. For instance, during the pandemic-related lockdown, businesses adopted alternative working patterns and consumers realized that they could get a variety of goods delivered at their doorstep. That, in turn, led businesses to reinvent their operating models and get closer to the consumers. With an “amoebic structure,” organizations can easily accommodate such change. Today, words like “hybrid”, “remote” and “new normal” have become common. But at the start of the pandemic, while some businesses struggled to work remotely, others did not take time to move to a virtual mode of work. Project managers need new competencies to address multiple challenges arising out of the new ways of working. They need to establish a sense of ownership, collaboration and inclusivity, and ensure that there is the right emotional connection within the team even if they are not at the same location. “No matter what we do in life, at the heart of it, we are all program managers. And, hence, instead of trying to turn the clock back to 2019, embrace the present and march ahead,” he said. Key Takeaways • Be prepared to address multiple challenges. • Develop a sense of collaboration to ensure project success. • Redesign organizational structure for agility and flexibility. • Develop an emotional connection with your team. • Work toward establishing a sense of ownership and leadership in team members.