How to Lead a Hybrid Team REALLY Successfully (Lessons from the past three years)

People, you are back in the workplace. Aren't you? No? Yes? A bit?

Well, whatever workplace policy your organisation has adopted, the likelihood is you're still working hybrid far more than you were pre-covid. (BTW, when I wrote an earlier article on this, I actually had to explain what hybrid was - ha!). Office rents are expensive, commutes waste time, brain work is better done without the disruptions of workmates, and it's great for many people's well-being to have less pressure to have to 'go in' to work. These are all extremely good reasons, people!

BUT: we've forgotten how hard it is.

What I mean is, in the early days, everyone was banging on about making hybrid work but, well, all that banging on got boring. The tech got a bit better, everyone got a bit more used to it, and so the training stopped and leaders were just expected to cope.

But it's still hard! Yes, we're better than we were, but there are still problems, such as:

• It’s hard to make people who are working at home, as opposed to in the office,?feel included .
• Technology isn't always good enough to make homeworkers feel included.
• Junior workers perceive a lack of trust from their managers , and feel anxious about the remote monitoring that may be taking place.
• Policies are still being figured out by many managers, and teams don't feel secure that what they have at the moment won't change in the future. They can't 'relax into' the hybrid way of working because it could all change tomorrow.

So I thought I'd offer up some updated advice, based on what leaders still seem to need to allow them to get hybrid right for their teams.

1. Building teams is everything

Team cohesiveness is much harder to build online. So, if you have an option to co-locate one day a week, a couple of days a month, or even for an offsite a year, take that opportunity. It can build a lot of group energy quickly; doing the same online would take longer and be harder.

When you are working online, remember things like 'remote coffee hours', or taking the first five minutes of the weekly meeting to hear what everyone's been up to in their own lives over the weekend.

Making sure team members really get to know each other will help them to find what they have in common, which in turn raises trust (we are much more likely to trust people we perceive to be similar to us) and will ultimately make your team cohesive.

2. Get your management style right

Online monitoring adds a feeling of anxiety to work for many hybrid workers. Make it clear to workers how you're going to monitor them, but more importantly, why. Give it a very positive but truthful spin if you can, e.g., don't say 'so I can see if you're not getting everything done,' but rather 'we can get you more support if it's too much', or 'I want to understand your working patterns so I can support them.'

And get the balance right: you neither want to be a helicopter parent, nor an absent parent. Make sure they know how to get in touch if they need you urgently.

3. Try to say the same thing to everyone

With your colleagues scattered across the country, and sometimes even the world, the methods of keeping in touch will vary. But however you communicate, the message must stay the same so no one feels left out, and there’s no misunderstanding.

Create a communication environment that is easy to navigate, and make sure everyone knows where to go to receive messages and correspondence.

Also, try to make it feel like a level playing field: if you're forever meeting those people who choose to come into the office more, but only send text/Teams/Slack messages to those who are remote, they aren't getting the same level of access to you. Can you level this by picking up the phone or getting on a Zoom to them more?

4. Create rules of engagement

Fundamental to avoiding?dangerous communication pitfalls ?is the establishment of clear?ground rules . Make them consistent: so, don’t let those at home turn their cameras off during meetings so they can discreetly jump on the treadmill. Remember, too, that rules are not set in stone. If something's not working, flex your approach and explain why to the team.

5. Look at how tech can support your actions

The technology you implement within your team can be the difference between getting right and getting lost in a sea of miscommunication. Be clear what tech is available for your team, how it can help, and what its shortcomings are. Try to use solutions with high functionality, so you don't have to have lots of different programmes that aren't integrated.

6. Share your wisdom

Finally, if you see another leader struggling with something you've nailed, share your wisdom. There's so much to juggle here: tech, rules, bonding, trust, management styles, etc. It can be hard to get it right all at once. So building a community of other leaders with whom you can share learning is a great way to feel supported, but also to improve.

Last year, I worked on hybrid team development with a team that are split between the UK and India, and by implementing the solutions listed above, they have made massive progress in team morale, trust, engagement and communication. That's why I chose to share this with you, because it's been a wonder to see. And the same can happen for you.

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