How Leaders Can Fix Hybrid Before It Breaks Your Culture with Ranya Nehmeh Hybrid work was supposed to be the silver bullet. Instead, it turned into a rubber band—stretching teams thin, snapping collaboration, and leaving leaders holding the pieces. While organizations rushed into “flexibility,” they forgot to redesign the one thing holding their culture together: the office. 🛎 In this episode of Marc Haine Live, we sit down with Senior HR Strategist, author, and future-of-work powerhouse Ranya Nehmeh, whose newest book In Praise of the Office argues that the workplace isn’t dead—it’s just misunderstood. Ranya breaks down: • Why hybrid work still isn’t working (and no, it’s not because people “don’t want to come in”) • Why engagement is dropping even as flexibility rises • How the office—used intentionally—becomes the home base for trust, collaboration, and culture • The leadership blind spot that’s costing companies connection, creativity, and performance • The future of work models that actually support belonging You’ll walk away with practical tools to design a hybrid system that WORKS—one based on trust, purpose, and human connection rather than attendance tracking and hope. If you’re a leader struggling with disengaged teams… or wondering why your hybrid policy is producing meh results… this episode hands you clarity on a silver platter. Need to brainstorm aspects of your business? Book your complimentary 30-minute brainstorm with Marc. Schedule a time that works for you at https://meetwith.marchaine.com About Ranya Ranya Nehmeh is a senior HR strategist with expertise in people strategy, HR policy, leadership development, and talent management. She has held key HR roles at the OPEC Fund for International Development in Vienna and the European Central Bank in Frankfurt. She is a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences for Management & Communication in Vienna and the author of In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work (2025) and The Chameleon Leader: Connecting with Millennials (2019). Ranya holds a master’s in industrial relations and human resource management from the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) and a Doctor of Business Administration from the Swiss Management Center in Zug. Her recent articles, co-authored with Wharton professor Peter Cappelli, include “Hybrid Still Isn’t Working” (Harvard Business Review July/August 2025), “Sustainable Agility: How HR Can Survive the Rapid Pace of Change” (People + Strategy Journal, SHRM, July 2024), “It’s Time to Do Away with ‘Dry Promotions,’” (Harvard Business Review, July 2024) and “HR’s New Role” (Harvard Business Review, May/June 2024 magazine). Get her book: In Praise of the Office: The Limits to Hybrid and Remote Work. Connect with Ranya www.ranyanehmeh.com info@ranyanehmeh.com / ranyanehmeh / ranyanehmeh / ranya.nehmeh / @ranya.nehmeh ----more----About Your Host, Marc Haine Need to brainstorm aspects of your business or talk to Marc about speaking at your upcoming conference or staff retreat? Book your complimentary 30-minute brainstorm with Marc. Schedule a time that works for you on Marc's online calendar. Get your copy of Lights! Camera! Action! Business Operational Excellence Through the Lens of Live Theatre on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PFj8a2 or directly from the publisher Author, Speaker, Facilitator and Coach Marc Haine will help your teams ignite their passions. Working with him, you can support your leaders to recentre their focus and drive continuous improvement through connected and engaged employees. You will realize your competitive advantage with a connected purpose and consistent customer experience across your brand. Tap into Marc’s 35 years of operational excellence experience and imagine a world in which the majority of us put more love and care in being of service. Tap into Marc’s 35 years of operational excellence experience and imagine a world in which the majority of us put more love and care in being of service. Dare to be the exception™ Connect with Marc +1 (780) 729-4932 🗓️ https://meetwith.marchaine.com Marc@MarcHaine.com http://MarcHaine.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/marcjlhaine FB: https://www.facebook.com/MasterofExperiences IN: https://instagram.com/MarcJLHaine TW: https://twitter.com/MarcHaine2 LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marchaine/ YT: https://www.MarcHaineLive.com Looking for more quality content? Check out Marc's catalogue of video and audio podcasts here.