Our new normal has caused the structure and location of teams to change dramatically. As restrictions ease, the hybrid team (with colleagues working remotely, as well as office-based) is here to stay, and getting the best from this dynamic is an important task for managers.
Having a co-located team presents opportunities for leaders to create balanced expectations and objectives for members of dispersed teams. Leaders also need to practice empathy as we continue to work during the pandemic, with the likelihood that their team is experiencing stress and a sense of helplessness.
Therefore, to lead hybrid teams effectively, leaders can focus on empowering their teams, following these tips…
1. Demonstrate support
Regardless if there is a pandemic or not, as leaders, our primary responsibility is to support our team. We can do this by having regular conversations with our team members both in a group and individual settings, where we not only discuss work but also how we’re getting on in our personal lives. It’s good to involve the whole team and ensure everyone is present.
Find out about your team’s worries and anxieties, as it’s important to allow people to express and admit how they are feeling. Give your team the time and a safe space to share their feelings. As a leader, it’s important to express that you care for your team, that you’re listening and understanding their feelings and perhaps that you are also experiencing similar emotions. This helps your team see you as human and also encourages empathy.
2. Set expectations
The working environment is changing, so why are we following outdated expectations? It is important to create new expectations and processes that suit the team’s new working environment and needs. To empower your team, you can set the new expectations together by asking the team what they need and as a team come to an agreement.
For example, discuss working hours, if your team needs more or less flexibility and allow for a discussion so everyone feels heard and their input has been acknowledged.
3. Be inclusive
As we work from home and/or the office teams become more dispersed than ever before, we need to maximise our effort in being inclusive. We can do this by ensuring for all team meetings, everyone’s faces can be seen. If meetings take place online, ensure everyone’s camera is on. Or whilst hybrid meetings take place with team members in the office and others working from home, give allocated time for each team member to contribute their ideas.
4. Recognise burnout
We can recognise burnout through individual behavioural changes, perhaps someone who was previously loud and chatty has become quiet or someone who was proactive has become reactive. This highlights the importance of having regular communication with your team members, so you can recognise behavioural changes immediately.
5. Maintain personal relationships
Despite the team being split between locations, it’s important to maintain existing team relationships and create environments where new relationships can be built. Informal Zoom calls at lunch to allow ‘coffee break’ chats are a start, even calling up your colleagues to see how they’re doing… something we used to ask every day when working in the office!
By carrying out these steps we can ensure our team feel supported and included, with clear expectations of what their next steps are. Compassion and empathy are ongoing ‘hot topics’ in our current circumstances. It’s important we practice compassion regularly and have it at the forefront of our mind when working with our team and ourselves.
This blog was produced by Georgia Spiteri, Consultant Facilitator at Adaptis. Georgia is educated to degree level in International Business and has a keen interest in leadership and what motivates people. Georgia has practical experience of working in an international technology firm. She uses her industry and academic knowledge to facilitate the direct and indirect learning and development of others.