Hybrid working

Hybrid working and managers

How do you keep everyone together now that everyone is working in different places, in different team compositions on different topics while meeting different people? The main challenge is to maintain the contact and to take as much account of people’s wishes and needs. Making sure nobody quits or drops out because they are not taken seriously and feel left out. The manager’s responsibility is solely to facilitate contact between team members. These ten-plus-one tips provide the basis for you as a real hybrid manager and employee. 

1. Express your expectations clearly and honestly

From Day One, hybrid managers clearly and honestly express to everyone which results they expect from each team member, and when. In doing so, only provide tips as to with whom they could work together. Regularly organise meetings with the whole team, discuss progress in terms of the activities so that everyone is up to date. Put people in touch with one another, but don’t enforce anything on others. 

2. Let your staff organise when and where they work together themselves

Hybrid organisations do not have fixed working times for everyone like traditional offices. The trick is to ensure that each team member and the manager know when colleagues can be reached for formal and informal meetings or discussions. As far as where people work is concerned: let people work where they want as much as possible. They know like no other what does and doesn’t work for them. Ask them about tier expectations. Why do they like coming to the office? What’s their favourite routine?

3. Beware of ‘us’ and ‘them’ thinking

When people work together without meeting one another physically every day, misunderstanding is soon to follow. So make sure that people who are working remote remain in frequent contact with those working together. This includes informal matters such as football and holidays. In hybrid organisations, agility, learning and ongoing development are more important than usual. It’s the exchange of knowledge and skills amongst people that allows us to react to the inconsistencies in the market. So making sure people are in touch regularly, in the ways that they like best, can prevent many of the inherent misunderstandings.  

4. Hybrid managers know the organisation like no other

Managers in hybrid organisations have to be aware of everything that is going on. Everything within and outside one’s own professional area in the organisation, the department, and the professionals working there. How do they operate within and outside their own team(s)? What’s the cooperation like? What do they talk about? What do they use or need to do their jobs better? You also have to be aware of relevant developments in society, regulations, market developments and innovations in other professions so you understand the perspective and needs of clients. 

5. Keep looking for new opportunities and possibilities

Managers in hybrid organisations use their extensive knowledge of the surroundings to seek out new opportunities and possibilities. This often begins by breaking through a status quo. Start with the people who have been doing the same old thing for too long. “Have you been on a training course, visited a congress or schooling recently?” Also try to break free from fixed habits, limits, ‘we don’t go that far’ areas and ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it’ barriers. Keep looking for alternative, new ways of dealing with ‘the same old thing’.  

6. Communication is key. Do it properly. Do it well

Remote workers miss the non-verbal signals of others that they normally get during physical meetings. That’s why calling or video meetings are generally preferred over emails, aping and chat messages. Generally, as it depends on the topic being discussed. But seeing one another physically or hearing one another promotes the feeling of togetherness in any team. Also think about the meeting rooms at the office. Are there separate rooms for video conferences? Are the screens large enough to take part in a video conference in a single space with several colleagues at the same time? Is the sound good enough? 

7. Assess and reward honestly

In hybrid working, it is more about the results than the effort and how work is done. SO you can definitely forget about clocking in. The main/only thing that matters is the output you have agreed with each team member. Make sure you are fair with the opportunities for promotion and secondary job conditions between those who are mostly at the office and those who work remote. And what if those working from home finish their tasks earlier than those at the office? Just let them decide what they do with their free time. They’ll often invest part of that time in their work, their profession and in the company. 

8. Be aware during your recruitment and selection process

More than traditional employees, members of a hybrid team have to be able to motivate themselves. They must have an above-average sense of responsibility and good antennae in terms of their working environment. What does that mean for me and for my work? They should be more flexible than average. And last but not least: beware of too many clones. Make sure you have a varied team and consciously take on board those who think a bit differently. This will ensure the team is more resistant to unexpected events. 

9. Organise face-to-face events

Of course, face-to-face meetings remain essential for maintaining the team spirit, motivation and unity in any team. Often, more is possible than you think. You could organise virtual lunches amongst team members or with colleagues in other departments. Or real meetings in the open where there is no danger of infection in these times of Corona. Stick to the rules, of course.  

10. Keep those working remote up-to-date

Those working remotely are often less aware of the latest plans and developments. They’re missing the hallways and coffee corners in which most news is transmitted. The answer is to choose a fixed time and day, once a month or once a week, in which you as manager share as much as possible about what is going on with those working remotely. This will keep them on track in terms of the company’s direction and strategy and it will strengthen their feeling of belonging. But don’t leave the initiative for these moments of contact solely up to the manager. Those working away from the office have to want to belong.  

11. Ask for help where necessary

The current working situation is new to us all. Well, sort of. The New Way of Working, hybrid working, New Work – whatever you call it is not a new development. In the Netherlands, many companies have been working according to these principles for around fifteen years, and there is a wealth of experience. A new form of leadership and management, and the associated communications are crucial. I have been helping companies integrate new ways of working for over 15 years. It’s fascinating. When you give people more freedom and more trust, and they understand their responsibilities, you can open up entirely new avenues of innovation and provide employees with a totally new sense of belonging to your organisation. Drop me a line and let’s see how we can take advantage of this blessing in disguise: contact@graymatter.works.