Today, many companies work with teams that come from different locations and time zones. However, the trend is increasingly towards teams working hybrid — i.e. consisting of employees who work locally in the office and remotely. These hybrid teams bring both benefits and challenges.
Key facts
- Changing the way we work through hybrid work is also turning team structures upside down.
- Teams must be rethought in order to maintain productivity & creativity in the long term and take full advantage of the benefits.
- Managers in particular play an important role in this. You must ensure that the communication & organization of hybrid teams works.
- The office is also taking on a new role: It is increasingly becoming a place of social interaction & productive exchange.
Challenges of hybrid teams
Hybrid work offers numerous benefits for employees and companies alike. But there is also challenges At the cooperation from hybrid teams. One of the biggest issues is communication. When employees work in a hybrid way, it can be more difficult to share information quickly and effectively.
Collaborating on projects can also be more challenging, as it's harder to work towards a common goal when people aren't in the same room. It can also be more difficult for remote workers to integrate into the company culture and feel part of the team.
Recent studies show that, in particular, the creative ideation under the hybrid working model can suffer. This is probably the biggest challenge for maintaining the innovative capacity of companies. Hybrid leadership by supervisors and team leaders is therefore taking on a new status.
How to bring your team together in a hybrid working model
In order to successfully bring hybrid teams together, companies must ensure that all employees have the same opportunities to get involved in collaboration. Here are a few specific steps companies can take:
Establish clear communication rules
It is important to set clear communication rules so that all employees know how and when to communicate with each other. This includes things like:
- The preferred communication channels for various types of information, such as emails for formal communications and chat for quick questions
- Times when all team members should be available
- How to plan and conduct virtual meetings
Ensure access to the same tools and technologies
It's important to ensure that all employees have access to the same tools and technologies. This includes things like video conferencing software and project management tools. All employees should know how to use these tools and how to organize their work to communicate and collaborate effectively with the team.
Hold regular virtual meetings
Regular virtual or hybrid meetings can help to strengthen collaboration and trust within the team. These meetings should be accessible to all employees, regardless of whether they work remotely or locally.
During these meetings, all team members should have the opportunity to express their opinions and share ideas. This also helps ensure that all team members are on the same page and that everyone is pursuing the same goals.
Deliberately bring teams back to the office
The office is changing its meaning. Hybrid teams generally work from anywhere, which in turn enables increased flexibility. The disadvantage: social interaction within the team can suffer due to the distance. To prevent this from happening, in addition to team events, regular meetings in the office are all the more important.
They promote collaboration, create a productive working atmosphere and create synergies. Some of the employees back to the office Getting is taking on a new status.
Involve remote workers regularly
It is important to regularly involve hybrid employees and ensure that they are involved in decisions and feel part of the team. This can be achieved through regular one-on-one meetings with the manager or through virtual team meetings. It is also important to offer all employees the same opportunities to develop and grow as colleagues working locally.
How do you successfully lead hybrid teams?
Die hybrid leadership from teams can be challenging as managers must ensure that all employees work together effectively and remain engaged, regardless of whether they work remotely or locally. Here are a few steps managers can take to successfully lead hybrid teams:
Set clear expectations & goals: It is important to set clear expectations and goals for the team to ensure that all employees are on the same page. This can be achieved by setting up regular check-ins.
Provide regular feedback: Regular feedback is critical to ensure that all employees are on track and can improve. This can be achieved through weekly check-ins or feedback meetings.
Create clarity in the distribution of work: It is important to define clear work tasks and responsibilities within the team. Project management tools can help with organization.
Foster community & collaboration: It's important that all team members feel they're part of a community, regardless of whether they're working remotely or locally. This can be achieved through regular hybrid meetings, Team building activities or joint projects are achieved.
