Making it as a Leader: Remote and flexible teams

The topic of remote working hit the headlines again during the first few weeks of 2024, when the ruling of a judge against an FCA manager who wanted to work full time from home was released.? The rationale for this was that the office provides a better environment for ‘rapid discussion’ and ‘non verbal communication’.? And in fact during my conversations with leaders, there’s been some sympathy for this, with many of them sharing with me that they can find it challenging managing both remote and flexible teams.?

?In 2023, nearly 50% of workers in the UK worked remotely in some form, which is a big change from pre-pandemic stats of around 12% (according to the ONS).? We’ve seen organisations starting to address this with return-to-work policies; for example across the Big4, and numerous players in the financial and tech industries such as Black Rock and Google.? In the main, these policies focus on employees being in the office for part of the week, allowing flexibility between office and remote working.? ?Although interestingly, in a recent CEO outlook survey by KPMG, over 60% of UK leaders predict a full return to the office by 2026 – could this mean policies becoming more forceful in where employees work over the coming years? ?Yet in contrast with this, a survey by Workhuman last year found that people are at their best when they have psychological safety, which is highly influenced by having a say in their working arrangement; with around 30% of respondents working in Business and Professional services saying they would even take a pay cut to obtain their preferred work arrangement. Time will tell how this unfolds.

?But for now, there continues to be a real mix of remote and flexible working practices across organisations and teams, meaning the ability to lead these teams effectively and successfully is a skill leaders simply can’t ignore.? So, what are those leading successfully focusing on?

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Communication

This is by far one of the most important factors, as it aids and underpins almost everything in leading remote and flexible teams.? ?At a foundational level it’s key to have clear methods for communicating, utilising the range of mediums available - email, instant messages, phone and video calls.? A top tip is to consider what needs to done or said in real time, compared to what can be done more flexibly that can be picked up or responded to at the availability of the receiver. For every interaction consider the channel you use, and how that will impact the message you are giving and how it will be recieved, and of course vice versa. Communication is two way not one way, and when you’re not in the same room as someone else you can easily miss out on body language and other non-verbal clues like a change in energy or emotion.

Trust

Trust is core to having a thriving team and workplace.? According to Great Place to Work research a trusting culture is built up of credibility, respect and fairness.? With this in mind leaders need to provide equity in the experience of all it’s team members, whether they be in the office or at home.

Consider how you will role model and build trust in how you provide support and access to resources that will all everyone to work at their best.? How can you help to ensure those who are less visible to you and others have equal work and career opportunities?

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Clear expectations

Be clear on what’s expected, by who and when.? With hybrid teams there’s extra reliance on output not input.? This means getting comfortable not being as close to the work being done but having the structures and practices in place to allow for regular updates, reviews and feedback.?

It’s also important to be aligned with fellow leaders within your area or organisation on how decisions are made on flexible working and how as leaders you behave and role model.? Without this there’s a danger of sending mixed messages and there being very different experiences and cultures being created.

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Regular check ins

Research by Christine Armstrong (researcher into the new world of work) last year reinforced that what people really want at work is to feel seen and heard (see the link to communication…).? For direct reports Christine suggests there’s a sweet spot of spending 15mins on a 1:1 basis each week where they do the talking, and you listen.?

If everyone isn’t in the office, there’s an added need for leaders to check in on the team’s well-being and engagement.? Team members can quickly begin to feel siloed and unconnected when working remotely that can go unnoticed for longer periods of time allowing for erosion of their engagement, performance and their well-being to happen.?

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Team building and networking

Teams are most effective when everyone is focused on the same goals and supporting and driving action in the same direction; particularly when team members feel supported and no one team member is greater than the sum of it’s parts.? Leaders need to find ways to enable the team to connect and feel connected.? It’s particularly important to ensure there doesn’t become a them and us culture of those in the office and those working remotely.

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Have you noticed how each of these overlap and support the achievement of the other?? What area do you need to focus more of your attention on to further enhance your leadership of remote and flexible teams?

Ten Opal Square - January 2024

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