8 Questions Leaders Need to Answer to Have a Successful Hybrid Team

The hybrid team may be the most common new way of working, and one that will prove the largest cultural hurdle. While working remotely may be a desirable option for some, we must recognize that not all employees will be able to work off-site. There is a potential for this difference in working location to cause team relationship difficulties.

Different Locations

It is not uncommon to have one member move away but stay on the team. Usually, this works fine because the only change is work location. We do know that such a transition impacts relationships. However, the team is able to function mostly as normal because they have past personal relationships built by having worked in the same location.

• What happens when you onboard a remote employee with no past relationships with the team?
• What happens when there are 2-3 remote employees or a majority of employees are remote and others are co-located?
• How do we build personal relationships on these hybrid teams?

Work Hours

If you work in a global organization, you are used to working at different times. Usually, it is the remote employees that must adjust their schedule to meet with the co-located majority.

• How will you structure work hour expectations when a majority of employees are remote?
• What will be the impact of flexible hours for some and not for others?

Sense of Fairness

Based on the type of work and seniority, it is often easier for managers than it is for their team members to freely choose their best work location.

• Will team members follow their manager’s preference or do what is best for their personal situation? 

There is still a bias that visible workers are more productive. Therefore, remote workers might have to advocate for themselves more than co-located workers. This is especially true for performance review time when extended leadership is involved.

• What biases about work will arise based on the location of the manager?

Communication Gaps

There are many advantages to co-located worksites including the ability to follow up after the meeting to get full clarity, frequent realignment on project execution, and building informal relationships that facilitate difficult interactions.

• How do we create those advantages in a remote or hybrid work setting?

Join Our Discussion Group

Leaders around the country are all trying to answer these questions, and I want to help. On Thursday, March 25th, I am facilitating a discussion group where leaders can come together to talk about the challenges they're facing and how they're preparing for the post-pandemic workplace. At Envision Partners, we're invested in supporting leaders like you, so this discussion group is completely free. Click here to register.

Jonathan partners with high-performing technical specialists to reach their full potential as people-leaders. Combining his science background, corporate experience, and teaching skills, he creates a knowing and trusting relationship necessary to ask clients to do the hard work of building new skills, using their time differently, and embracing values that bring them and the organization the greatest success. To learn how Jonathan can help your organization, visit envisionpartnersllc.com