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The Future of Leadership/Hybrid Team Communication

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Hybrid Teams

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A hybrid team is a group of people or workers that work both remotely and in person. It could consist of a schedule where all workers work remotely part time or it could be a team where some of the members work completely remote and others work entirely in person.[1] Employees in a hybrid team are often allowed to choose between working in an office or workspace, working remotely, or alternating between the two.[2]

The COVID-19 global pandemic forced many workers to work remotely, forcing many organizations to immediately form hybrid teams and learn as they went. The formation of hybrid teams is one way to help workers keep some of the flexibility of a remote position.[2]

Companies rarely share the same definition of “remote work.” Studies are being conducted and reports compiled that aim to standardize these terms so companies, industries, and geographies can be compared more consistently.[3] Nearly 80% of Technology companies identify as Fully Flexible, the highest of any industry surveyed. Professional Services, Media & Entertainment, Financial Services, and Insurance round out the top five.[3]

Remote work, often referred to as telecommuting, is when employees can work away from the office, most often choosing to work from a home office. [4]During the COVID-19 pandemic many workers were forced to work remotely in industries that typically did not offer telecommuting. Some workers preferred the flexibility that remote work offered.[5] As of 2023, 51% of U.S. companies offer work location flexibility. About ⅓ of U.S. companies are fully flexible, meaning they give employees control over when they come to the office.[3]

Challenges of Hybrid Teams

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Moving to hybrid teams can present some unique challenges that managers have not previously faced. Interactions are drastically different with hybrid teams than in a traditional office setting. As managers set about to mentor remote workers there are five points they should keep in mind:[6]

  • Build trust - Actively listen, ask questions, and avoid assumptions while developing a relationship with the mentee.
  • Clarify rules - Set expectations in regard to frequency of communication, preferred methods, and technological abilities of users.
  • Be intentional - Build rapport, overcome biases and assumptions, and identify similarities in order to develop a meaningful working relationship.
  • Maintain boundaries - With many employees working from home, mentors must be respectful of personal boundaries and information.
  • Collaborate - Use collaboration to teach, coach, and network with hybrid teams. Collaboration provides opportunities to strengthen the team and learn the strengths and weaknesses of team members.
 
A graphic detailing five critical components for mentoring remote workers.

Another concern can be striving for equity amongst hybrid and traditional employees. There can exist an “us vs. them” mentality between hybrid or remote employees and their in-office counterparts.[5] Managers need to pay attention to which employees they are spending time with and adjust their schedule so that time is spent as equitably as possible.[1] Management must make sure that the benefits received by hybrid workers are comparable to those given to in-office employees.[1]

Not being in the same physical space as fellow employees creates unique challenges, many which contribute to communication barriers. So far research suggests that hybrid teams can do a few things to combat this. One needs to communicate beyond what they normally would with an in-person team, hybrid teams should strive to do this.[2] Another important factor to consider is making sure the communication is as transparent as possible. Making sure written communication is clear and easy to understand. Also ensure notes are taken whenever collaborating, so others can easily pick up where you left off. These are just a few ways to help with communication in a hybrid environment.[1][2][4]

Maximizing Productivity of Hybrid Teams

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As with all teams, creating and setting expectations is critical. It is important to come into hybrid situations with team goals in mind. Managers/Leaders should make sure that all team members understand what is expected of them. Having buy-in can be achieved by making sure the team agrees on the rules, goals, and time expectations early on during the group formation stage.[1]  Just like managing in person, a manager should strive to have a personal and strong relationship with their employees. It may be even more important in hybrid or remote work for managers to have 1-on-1’s with each employee and strive to get to know them personally.[2] Another factor to consider is employee autonomy. Empowering hybrid team members with job autonomy should be a priority, showing them you have trust in their work and judgment.[2][7]

Definitions

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Hybrid Work: Hybrid work describes when people work together, both online and in person, at any time from anywhere—at home, remotely, or from an office.[8]

Hybrid communication: the synchronous and asynchronous exchange of information between in-office and remote employees [9]

References

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  1. ↑ a b c d e Knight, R. (2020, October 7). How to manage a hybrid team. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/10/how-to-manage-a-hybrid-team
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Wiatr, A., & Skowron-Mielnik, B. (2023). Hybrid team management: The long and winding road. Organizational Dynamics, 52(1), 100936. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0090261622000432?dgcid=raven_sd_recommender_email
  3. ↑ a b c The Flex Report. (2023). Scoop. https://www.flex.scoopforwork.com/stats-report
  4. ↑ a b Flood, F. (2019). Leadership in the remote, freelance, and virtual workforce era. In A. Farazmand (ed.), Global encyclopedia of public administration, public policy, and governance, Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3825-1
  5. ↑ a b Wigert, B., & Agrawal, S. (2022, August 31). Returning to the office: the current, preferred and future state of remote work. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/397751/returning-office-current-preferred-future-state-remote-work.aspx
  6. ↑ Ensher, E.A., Johnson, W.B., & Smith, D.G. (2022, March 22). How to mentor in a remote workplace. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/03/how-to-mentor-in-a-remote-workplace
  7. ↑ Cheng, X., Yin, G., Azadegan, A., Kolfschoten, G. (2015, May 14). Trust evolvement in hybrid team collaboration: a longitudinal case study. Group Decision and Negotiation, 25, 267-288. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10726-015-9442-x
  8. ↑ Microsoft Teams. (n.d.). What is Hybrid Work? Definition & Tips. Microsoft. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/hybrid-work-from-home
  9. ↑ Bojic, A. (2022, January 20). Hybrid communication: Challenges, advantages, and strategies to know. Pumble. https://pumble.com/blog/hybrid-communication/
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