At least to begin with, hybrid workforces are going to be commonplace in most industries and they are bound to put extra pressures on managers. Indeed, being a leader of a team that is in a constant flux of office-based and at home poses new and unique challenges, but there are five simple practices managers can implement to help keep their team performing at their best.
1) Set out the ground rules
Organisation is key. Reach out to each member of your team and learn what their preferred schedule is. A shared calendar or weekly spreadsheet detailing the locations for each member of staff usually proves beneficial in this situation. To promote a sense of connection, maybe request that all team members come in on a specific day.
2) Continue to nurture social connections
When colleagues are dotted around an entire city, it can prove quite a challenge to maintain a feeling of togetherness. Group chats are a perfect way to emulate the ‘hallway chat’ scenario. Group messengers such as Slack, WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams provide the ideal forums for people to stay in touch.
3) Make everyone feel included
While group chats and video calls can keep the team together, it doesn’t replicate those impromptu opportunities to grab lunch together or have a drink after work. As a leader you need to entice those stay-at-home workers to come in for social occasions wherever possible. Free food and drink normally pulls in a crowd.
4) Distribute public praise and private support
Home-based workers can feel quickly feel left out and it’s no different when it comes to praise. As a leader, you need to find a way to keep praising colleagues at home in a public setting. So, in those regular virtual team catch-ups, aim to single out people who are doing a good job, or showcase some of their work so everyone can see what they’ve accomplished.
5) Keep up your lines of communication
Ultimately, a lot of your success as a manager in dealing with a hybrid team will come down to the quality of your communication. Luckily, most of us have gained vital experience by now in achieving results with a fully remote team. It’s now important to use those skills and apply them to this new hybrid workforce. Make use of technology to keep up those lines of communication with home workers, while implementing the pre-lockdown face-to-face management style for those in the office.
