With hybrid work here to stay, how can leaders coach a winning team?

Growing up in Liverpool, Merseyside there was nothing I loved more than playing football and rugby, and nothing I was more passionate about than my beloved Everton FC. I was lucky to play team sport well into my 30s, and the lessons I learned while playing have been invaluable. Sport continues to serve as a great source of inspiration to me, particularly when it comes to how I work with my teams.

In business, the ways effective teams work together, given the number of people who are working in hybrid and remote ways across Europe, is changing dramatically. In fact, new research by Boston Consulting Group and KRC Research shows 88% of business leaders expect that the days of people coming into the office five days a week, every week are over. Hybrid work is the new normal. 

And while both employees and business leaders see a lot of value in more remote ways of working, according to this research there are challenges, too. For example, workers report feeling more siloed and less connected with their employer and their teams.

This is a challenge that must be addressed. After all, how can innovation thrive if people don’t feel connected to their teammates and feel like they can’t easily collaborate with them?

Drawing from the research, as well as my own learnings, I wanted to share three general approaches that have worked for me in terms of helping unlock the potential of hybrid teams.  

 The power of empathy

I believe empathy is the cornerstone of every high-performing team.

When people truly understand and appreciate the experiences of their colleagues, it builds closeness, comradery and trust.  

An empathic workplace culture must be nurtured right from the top. Effective team leaders take the time to appreciate the unique challenges and passions each person brings to the table. 

Further, they take the time to see each person as an individual – with their own dreams and priorities both inside and outside of work. A telling insight from the new research I mentioned earlier: employees working in the most innovative companies say their managers actively help them protect their work-life balance.

This is critical, especially right now. People face so many challenges – whether it’s trying to juggle home schooling with work or coping with loneliness during lockdown periods. You can never assume what each person’s daily reality is like. When a team leader takes the time to understand and show that they care, it can have an incredibly powerful effect on employee engagement.

I always try to pose open questions during my one-to-ones, asking not only about work, but asking people how they are doing all-up. Beyond actively listening, I also challenge myself to see the challenges people face through their eyes.

For me, it’s just like a footballer – to get good at empathy you need to practice. And for your skills to stay sharp, regular training is a must.

Ensuring a strong, shared vision

Companies that maintain strong innovation levels are likelier to have employees who report feeling there’s a strong shared vision, according to the research report. To me, this suggests senior leaders have a very clear vision of the company mission, and what success looks like. For example, Microsoft’s mission is enabling individuals and business to achieve more. Their success is our success. It’s simple. It’s powerful.

There’s another component to building a strong and inclusive vision: managers ensuring their team members see how their work as individuals – and as teams – contribute to that singular vision.

In football terms, a goalie’s responsibilities and skillset are very different than those of a forward – yet they both understand how their role contributes to the team’s success. Of course, in business it’s far more complex. Businesses adapt and grow. They might have multiple customer segments and divisions. Regardless, savvy managers ensure their teams always understand the broader playing field, their role in helping win the game, and where their goal posts are.

Feedback and transparency

Even if you’ve just glanced at a football match on the television, you likely know coaches don’t hold back on delivering real time feedback from the sidelines during a match. While I certainly would never suggest raising your voice at anybody, there is incredible value in providing feedback that’s appropriate in the moment.

With more people working remotely these days, it’s trickier to do this in a way that is effective, and that doesn’t disrupt a person’s flow or run the risk of being misinterpreted. 

For example, when you’re in the office you might have a quick aside after a meeting. And when you’re physically together, you can use body language and facial expressions to help communicate and convey the appropriate tone. 

For me, I always turn my video on when talking with my team members on Teams – whether it’s to deliver feedback or not. You cannot underestimate the power of seeing people’s expressions and the ability to have eye contact. I’ve started to ask my team to put their videos on when we are together for team meetings so we feel connected as a team, and certainly when it’s one-to-ones. Seventy percent of communication is non-verbal – it’s so important.

Another thing that effective managers utilize is the power of positive feedback.

When you look at the strongest performing companies in terms of innovation, employees are far more likely to say their managers regularly deliver feedback and recognize good work.

The small things matter. People are sat at home, often wondering whether they are doing a good job. In a virtual world, we as leaders need to work harder to give positive feedback. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it does take effort and thought, and it goes a long way to building a strong team.

As any good coach would say: we play together, we celebrate together.