The Peacemaker: Hybrid Work Structures Today

Published May 2021.

The Tesla Cybertruck needs no introduction. But for the purposes of this article, it does need some context…

The Peacemaker

This, err, vehicle is a modified Howe and Howe Ripsaw EV1 (Extreme Vehicle 1). It has been encased by the sheet metal body of a Chrysler Valiant Charger. Known as The Peacemaker, this car was piloted by a character called ‘The Bullet Farmer’ in the movie ‘Mad Max – Fury Road’ .

For the uninitiated, Mad Max is a movie series set in a post-apocalyptic future. In this movie, cars were created and sustained from various legacy parts cobbled together. These cars had to be force-fitted together with whatever was available; they were not just a means of travel but also tools of survival and war. If you happen to be one of the uninitiated, please stop reading and watch the movie… sheer entertainment awaits.

Remote & Hybrid Work Today…

The Peacemaker and its mind-bending siblings (pictured below) are a great analogy for the current state of remote work infrastructure.

Remote and hybrid work today is patchwork cobbled together to help tide-over the pandemic. That’s absolutely understandable; at that time, Remote Work worked better than most could have realistically wished for. Importantly, it helped prove that remote work, well, works.

The Gigahorse from Mad Max: Fury Road — two 1959 Cadillacs stacked one above the other on a monster-truck chassis, with twin superchargers and exposed exhaust stacks — Remote and hybrid work today, cobbled together from whatever was available.
^{Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures via https://www.endurancewarranty.com/}

Plymouth Rock from Mad Max: Fury Road — a dune buggy bristling with improvised spikes — Remote and hybrid work today, full of pain points.
^{Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures via https://www.endurancewarranty.com/}

Buggy #9 from Mad Max: Fury Road — a battered sports car with a weapon mounted behind the cabin — Remote and hybrid work today, full of half-suited solutions.
^{Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures via https://www.endurancewarranty.com/}

The War Rig from Mad Max: Fury Road — a heavy tanker truck assembled from mismatched parts — Remote and hybrid work, too many unproductive resources weighing organisations down.
^{Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures via https://www.endurancewarranty.com/}

Unfortunately (though understandably), Remote Work today continues as a set of short-term, costly and sub-par aspects force fit-together.

Remote and Hybrid Work Tomorrow…

Now think about the Tesla Cybertruck.

The Cybertruck is intricately engineered. It is beautifully flexible. Upgradeable OTA (over-the-air). Adaptive to people and equipment. All terrain. All weather. Cutting edge to fault (yes that’s a thing). Future proofed as you can get today. Highly cost-effective in the medium term. As self-sustaining as a vehicle can be. And it carries an ATV for quick and nimble forking in exploratory directions.

An angular modern electric pick-up on rough ground, designed as a single form rather than assembled from parts — Tomorrow’s Remote and Hybrid Workplaces should allow for quick and nimble forays.
^{Courtesy https://futurism.com/}

An electric pick-up parked beside a modular cabin, carrying a camper unit in its bed — Tomorrow’s Remote and Hybrid Workplaces should be flexible
.^{Courtesy https://cleantechnica.com/}

An electric pick-up climbing a rocky forest incline — Tomorrow’s Remote and Hybrid Workplaces should weather future challenges.
^{Courtesy https://interestingengineering.com}

An electric pick-up on snow, its bed covered by a full-length solar panel — Tomorrow’s Remote and Hybrid Workplaces should be sustainable.
^{Courtesy https://electrec.co}

It’s a great analogy for organisations aiming for remote and hybrid work enablement in the Right Way. It stands as an ideal for organisations that want to shift to Remote and/or Hybrid Work not just to survive but to thrive.

To create (to be) a Cybertruck, organisations will need to switch their mind-set. They will need to actively work at remote and hybrid work enablement in a comprehensive, calibrated and thoughtful manner, at times from the ground-up. These organisation may need to redesign much of what is considered the norm today. They will need to do this so they can evolve on their own terms instead of being eventually compelled by market forces.

As we look forward to the re-emergence of the post-pandemic ‘thrive’ era , ‘Cybertrucked’ organisations will coast past The Peacemaker.

(we now put that analogy to rest 🙂 )

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