As the way we work continues to evolve, hybrid working is becoming a permanent fixture for many businesses. While this shift brings flexibility and new opportunities, it also comes with its own set of challenges for those leading teams. Successfully navigating hybrid working requires careful consideration of how you support and guide your people, regardless of where they’re located.
Here’s how you can lead your hybrid team effectively, ensuring that everyone remains connected, productive, and engaged.
1. Create a Strong Communication Framework
The heart of any successful team is communication, and this becomes even more crucial in a hybrid setting. Clear and consistent communication keeps your people informed, reduces misunderstandings, and helps maintain a sense of connection.
Establish a balance between formal and informal channels of communication. While virtual meetings and emails are essential for updates and project discussions, don’t forget about the small, casual interactions that can foster relationships and team spirit. Consider creating spaces for watercooler-style chats or quick check-ins that can bring remote and in-office people together in a more relaxed way.
Also, make sure your people know when they can reach you. An open-door policy is trickier when there’s no physical door, so set expectations on availability and response times, both for yourself and the wider team.
2. Foster Trust and Autonomy
Trust is critical in a hybrid environment. Leaders must resist the temptation to micromanage and instead focus on outcomes rather than monitoring every step of the process. Your people will appreciate the autonomy, and it encourages them to take ownership of their work.
Set clear goals and expectations from the start, but allow flexibility in how those targets are achieved. You’re leading individuals with different working styles, and some may thrive in the office while others work best from home. Trust your people to manage their own time and tasks, intervening only when necessary.
3. Make Inclusion a Priority
A major challenge of hybrid working is ensuring that remote members of your team don’t feel left out. It’s easy for in-office people to benefit from spontaneous conversations and face-to-face interactions, so it’s vital that you create an inclusive environment where everyone feels equally valued.
Be intentional about involving remote people in discussions and decision-making processes. Rotate meeting times if your team spans different time zones, and ensure that meetings always include virtual attendees if some people are working from home. Remember, inclusion goes beyond meetings – think about ways you can keep all of your people involved in the social fabric of the team as well.
4. Equip Your Team with the Right Tools
Technology can make or break hybrid working. The right tools enable seamless collaboration, help people stay organised, and provide transparency across the team. Invest in the tools and platforms that allow your people to share updates, track progress, and communicate easily. It might be as simple as a shared project management platform, or as comprehensive as a fully integrated communications suite.
But tools alone aren’t enough. Make sure your people know how to use them effectively, and be open to feedback if something isn’t working. The best solutions are those that genuinely help your team, so be willing to adapt and tweak processes if necessary.
5. Encourage Wellbeing and Work-Life Balance
One of the benefits of hybrid working is the ability to offer more flexibility, but it can also lead to burnout if your people don’t feel able to switch off. As a leader, it’s important to encourage a healthy work-life balance, setting the example yourself by not sending late-night emails or expecting responses outside of working hours.
Check in regularly with your people about how they’re finding the balance between work and home life. Encourage them to take breaks, use their holiday time, and avoid overloading themselves. Well-rested and happy people are more productive, so taking care of their wellbeing is a win-win.
6. Lead with Empathy
Finally, leading a hybrid team requires a great deal of empathy. Everyone is experiencing hybrid working differently, and you might not always be aware of the personal challenges they’re facing. Take the time to really listen to your people, and be flexible when they need support.
Empathetic leadership means recognising that work isn’t always the top priority in someone’s life, and that’s okay. Whether someone needs more flexible hours due to family commitments or extra support due to feelings of isolation, leading with understanding and compassion will help build trust and loyalty within your team.
Leading a hybrid team comes with its share of challenges, but it also offers the chance to create a more dynamic, flexible, and engaged workforce. By focusing on communication, trust, inclusion, and wellbeing, you’ll be well on your way to successfully guiding your people in this new era of work.
