Photo by Julia M Cameron
Leaders thought everything would go back to normal. They were wrong.
A pandemic of two years changed our ways of working forever. Employees look for flexibility.
Many teams still struggle to find a balance between WFH and WFO. Leaders have tolerated special circumstances but have lost touch with their teams. To fix it, your teams are forced to come to the office 2-4 days a week.
Yet, a presence in the office does not address everyday team challenges. If you do not ensure continuity of communication in the hybrid model, your collaboration is under enormous pressure.
Change the way you perceive hybrid work and improve team collaboration instantly.
A hybrid team is still a team
How would you treat your team if you took out the location? Not much different from what you would normally do. You manage everyday activities, find solutions to problems, find innovation, or deal with conflicts.
Hybrid teams work like any other team. The only exception is that this team has a flexible location.
Adapt your communication and expectations as the goal is:
Ensure teams and work continuity.
You do not have to wait until everyone is in the office to discuss something. You may find delivering bad news or difficult feedback in person. Yet, that is not always possible. So, do not rely on in-person contact since there is no difference between remote or office work.
Blocked communication
One of the biggest challenges hybrid teams deal with is communication. The in-and-out mode can slow down processes. You can’t always reach everyone online. Likewise, they also do not arrive regularly at the office.
Delays and missed deadlines are common in hybrid teams.
Set expectations and explore what is too much communication vs. too little. Some colleagues like to build a communication wall when they work from home. They put on “do not disturb mode” for the whole day.
Sit with your team and find out what is working vs. not working.
Discover all the communication channels and tools you can utilize and create a system of updates for collaborative work as well as a transparent availability schedule to see when members run personal errands (e.g., picking up children, heading to a doctor, etc.).
Encourage your team to speak more at the beginning than to speak less. Too much communication might feel like micromanagement. But too little feels like you do not care.
When you find a sweet spot, you will see whether in the office or online plays no role.
Disconnection from company culture
Remote or hybrid workers often feel like independent contractors. They perform individual tasks but are not linked to a company.
A once-a-month visit to the office might not help hybrid workers feel part of the team. Keeping their work aligned with the organization's mission and their team is a leadership challenge.
Everyone enjoys free lunches and team-building activities. Yet, team-building does not happen at these single events. Leaders should encourage teams to spend time together online or offline. Let them experience working together but also hanging out.
I like to combine both online (e.g., raising money for a charity) and offline (e.g., sports) activities.
Team spirit is a feeling, not a fancy office.
Lack of trust and poor relationships
Many teams struggle to talk together, deliver feedback, and rely on one another.
It can be challenging to build trust in a dispersed hybrid team. Generally, people tend to work alone when they work remotely.
To break this cycle, encourage collaboration and set continuous improvement processes in your team. It should not be the case that your team members are exclusive. They should know what others do and how.
Sharing is understanding.
You cannot trust people if you do not communicate with them. Do not assume that being on one team makes you friends with others. Give them the opportunity to connect via work, share virtual coffee, and watch hockey together. Options are endless!
Rotate activities and roles. Teamwork cannot be formed without trust, and trust builds quality relationships.
Lack of feedback
Leaders of hybrid teams often complain about how difficult it is to handle feedback.
They say:
There is no time for meetings.
They have to wait to be in the office.
Team members are rather grumpy while talking together.
Hybrid work stretches communication abilities and makes feedback difficult.
Lack of feedback shows you have trouble communicating and building trust. If team members trust each other, they will not hesitate to hold each other accountable. As they are aligned on goals they work together.
Yet, it is rarely the case. Partially as many employees are not mature enough to speak openly.
The role of a leader is to create a platform for feedback. You can start with an in-person feedback round when you meet in the office. When people get comfortable talking about mistakes and failures, you can take it online.
Your hybrid team needs to learn to deliver feedback quickly. Not waiting and letting frustration grow.
What worked for my team was to speak with individuals. Explain why feedback is important in hybrid work. Then start “knowledge failure stand-ups”. Eventually, let project management teams handle feedback within their mini-teams.
Do not let feedback disappear from your radar when you work in hybrid mode.
So what now?
Communication and expectations are key to leading hybrid teams. Many companies force their teams to come to the office. The downside is that when you only have online calls, you find it a waste of time.
A leader ensures continuity of communication and relationships in hybrid teams. WFH does not mean you work alone. But still, people often feel like they bother others when they reach out or set up an online call.
Speak with your team to find out how to make hybrid work seamless for them and what they truly need.
Involving them in the process will make them feel like a team. It shows you care about their work-life balance.
Did you enjoy the tips? Continue reading about how to lead hybrid teams in the new management guide. It answers, for instance, these questions:
What are the advantages and challenges of hybrid teams?
What investment should you consider?
What leadership mindset and values are critical?
What strategies help team building?
What are common mistakes in leading hybrid teams?