Five Ways to Manage a Hybrid Workforce

?1.????Emphasize inclusion. The biggest risk in a hybrid working model is that one group feels increasingly isolated. You need to consciously plan how you’ll interact with each of your teams.

?·???????Schedule regular check-ins and make sure you include the entire team in meetings.

·???????Establish the basic ground rule that all-team meetings take place over a digital platform.

·???????Avoid impromptu meetings and decisions that leave out remote staff.

2.????Focus on communication. Communication is another thing that can suffer in a nontraditional work environment. In-person or video meetings are more difficult to coordinate.

?·???????Have an explicit discussion about how and when you’re going to communicate, who has access to what information, who needs to be in which meetings, and who needs to be in on which decisions.

·???????Take advantage of communication tools like collaboration software that features videoconferencing, instant messaging and automated notifications so you and your team can contact each other at any time and place necessary.

·???????Come to an agreement on norms for communicating — Should people always include the entire team? Must recipients acknowledge every message? — and set guidelines for when to use what channel — email, Slack, phone, etc.

?3.????Foster a remote-first culture. Being remote-first requires a mindset and behavioral shift. It means that the employee experience should be the same, whether they’re in an office one day a week, five days a week, or never.

?·???????Position remote work as something you encourage, not just something you allow.

·???????Include video links in meeting invites so team members can choose where to participate.

·???????Focus on results based on key performance indicators and objectives and key results instead of hours worked.

·???????Set some guidelines but, within reason, allow for flexible schedules.

·???????Allow team members the freedom to work wherever they feel most productive.

·???????Create a digital space where all employees can come together and collaborate so they have the same access to the same information at all times.

?4.????Make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Trust and productivity are built on?shared expectations and goals. When everyone on your team is on the same page in terms of projects, next steps, roadblocks and deadlines, they can all work together to achieve anything that needs to be done.

?·???????Have detailed projects, tasks and deadlines to minimize misunderstanding and foster quick turnaround times.

·???????Provide clear directions and expectations so team members know exactly what outcomes are expected.

·???????Assign reasonable deadlines, with reminders to check their progress.

·???????Use a system that allows for regular updates with your team and clients.

·???????Have the team document their accomplishments, to keep them focused and hold them accountable.

?5.????Build trust. Trust is an integral part of any business's operations and is formed based on two important beliefs: first, that others will deliver a high quality of work, and second, that others have integrity and good intentions.

?·???????Give team members regular opportunities to connect through video meetings and calls.

·???????Help them get to know each other and see the steps everyone is taking to get their work done every day.

·???????Encourage your team members to have more conversations with each other, which will increase their mutual trust.

Based on information in:

8 Ways to Manage Your Hybrid Team, by John Hall https://www.calendar.com/blog/8-ways-to-manage-your-hybrid-team/

How to Manage a Hybrid Team, by Rebecca Knight https://hbr.org/2020/10/how-to-manage-a-hybrid-team

Excellent additional information:

5 New Rules for Leading a Hybrid Team, by Laszlo Bock https://hbr.org/2021/11/5-new-rules-for-leading-a-hybrid-team?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=dailyalert_notactsubs&deliveryName=DM161285

?Making Hybrid Work More Permanent, by Matt Cain https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/making-hybrid-work-more-permanent-set-some-ground-rules

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