Leading a Hybrid Team? Here Are 3 Must-Dos

Think back to 2019. Who could have predicted the evolution of how, when, and, most of all, where we work? 2020 was an accelerator no one saw coming as companies and their employees figured out how to make working remotely work.

Now, here we are, 18+ months later, and we’re collectively adapting again, blending the old normal with the new normal. The solution for many companies is to adopt a hybrid work model, which offers the flexibility of working from home combined with the benefits of an in-person, in-office environment. Hybrid work, where some employees work remotely, either all or part of the time, brings new challenges to leaders looking to optimize their team’s capabilities while also managing and developing each employee equitably.

Just like the shift to working remotely at the start of the pandemic, this phase will take some getting used to. As you adapt to what hybrid work looks like for you and your team, apply these three must-dos.

Do: Create a hybrid work culture.

Like all leadership success stories, company and team culture will be at the center of a hybrid work environment. But it can’t be culture-as-usual. It will take thoughtful re-definition and execution to create a hybrid work culture that provides a consistent employee experience whether an employee is in the office five days a week or zero.

Processes must be reimagined to ensure they’re accessible to all. And sometimes, that may mean eliminating past practices and starting from scratch. After all, establishing and nurturing connections between coworkers is the purpose of workplace culture. The question you have to answer is, how can we do that in a way that’s accessible and meaningful to both virtual and in-office employees?

For example, if your team’s pre-pandemic approach was to recognize achievements, collaborate to solve issues, and have a little fun at a monthly all-hands meeting, you can’t just lift and shift the meeting’s format to a Zoom meeting. (You probably found that out the first time you tried it during the pandemic!) In a hybrid work environment, re-think how to make all hands meetings both effective and equitable. For example, have all employees (remote and in-office) join the monthly meetings virtually and then host in-person meetings for all once per quarter.  

Related: Tackling the Back-to-Work Challenge

Do: Trust your employees, even when you can’t see them.

Managing a hybrid team must rely on trust between leaders and employees as well as coworkers. Managers must recognize and combat unconscious bias, such as assuming in-office employees are working harder just because they see them on a daily basis. Instead, the focus needs to be on establishing clear objectives for the team and each employee, along with the communication practices and collaborative tools to succeed.

Rather than monitoring things like time logged, look at engagement, productivity, and the quality of the outcome. High-performing teams happen when managers are able to adapt their skills to empower the individual members of the team, rather than relying on telling people what to do or how to do it.

To create this type of environment, companies must enable front-line leaders and managers to confidently coach their highly individualized teams, so they’re able to build trust and optimize performance. That’s not always an easy task, especially in today’s complex, evolving, and hybrid workplaces. Our Manager as Coach program recognizes that front-line managers have a lot on their plates and provides accessible, focused resources in streamlined sessions that make it easy for managers to engage and implement what they learn in real life.

Do: Adapt, personalize, and empower development.  

One of the biggest challenges for leaders of hybrid teams is ensuring the development of each employee and nurturing future leadership talent. It’s imperative that companies level the playing field to make sure that remote workers don’t get penalized from a career development perspective.

By empowering managers to coach employees and tailor development opportunities, leaders are in a better position to identify talent and address opportunities for individual development. In the current dynamic environment with heightened diversity, equity, and inclusion focus, and women bearing a disproportionate share of the caregiving balance, the right tools and support are essential. Coaching can play a vital role in both developing leadership talent and helping individual employees – whether remote or in-person – enhance their skills and achieve their career goals.

At Coaching Works NYC, we make coaching more accessible to more employees – and more scalable, cost-efficient, and sustainable for organizations. As you adapt and lead in a hybrid workplace, we’re here to help empower your front-line managers and extend the benefits of coaching deeper within your organization – in a smart, cost-effective way. Contact me to explore the opportunities.