"Separated as a team since more than a year – but still, everyone keeps on going" wrote a colleague in an email. So true. For more than a year now, so many teams have been working together across national borders and several kilometers apart – same here at Coopers.
Whilst some life is returning to office spaces, most employees still work from home. Based on numerous studies, reports and forecasts, this won't change any time soon – the home office is here to stay. For companies that want to remain competitive as attractive employers, the question in the future will no longer be whether home office is possible, but how it is arranged.
The results of a study conducted in Switzerland show that the majority (62%) prefers a mix of home office and office time. One in four (26%) would like to work exclusively from home, and only 12% would like to spend all their working hours in the office. The future: hybrid teams.
What are hybrid teams?
A hybrid team is characterized by some members of the workforce being present in the office while others are working remotely. Remote refers to any location, the classic home office, being on the road, sitting in a co-working space or at times in a vacation rental. Especially younger employees take "home" in home office quite flexibly. Microsoft calls it trust-based workspace.
How can hybrid teams be led and managed?
After "distance leadership," hybrid teams are the next managerial challenge. It's clear that no one can just sit out the current situation, waiting for the old normal to return. Rather, it is important to acknowledge that we are already living in a form of the "new normal," although with more distance than we will have post-pandemic. Flexible work models are the future; we've been reporting on New Work on the Coopers blog since well before the pandemic.
The challenge for leaders is to meet the varying needs of presence and remote teams, to ensure workflow and information flow, and to maintain a team spirit.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to this. Rather, tact, empathy and understanding ears are required. The following 5 tips will help to establish a smooth collaboration in hybrid teams:
1. Communication is key! Managers should focus on an individual and open communication with their employees: Who feels comfortable working from home and who feels left alone? Who experiences difficulties in the new situation? What about the necessary (technical) equipment? Et cetera.
Also: A preferred form of communication (telephone, video call, email...) will emerge for everyone; responding flexibly to each other's needs improves the exchange.
2. Remote yes, but with rules! Employees should stick to their plan on when to work in the office and when remotely. When working in teams, use core times during which everyone needs to be available, no matter from where they work. This can also prevent envy and the formation of fronts (office vs. remote).
3. Pay attention! Managers should pay particular attention to their teams during the transition phase. Do not focus too much on the result, but rather on the process of achieving the goal. Does working in hybrid teams develop free-riding? Can work be further improved through document management systems, cloud solutions and the like? Don't just wait for feedback to get the answers, initiate it yourself.
4. Keep that calendar up-to-date! Sounds trivial, but it makes hybrid collaboration much easier if everyone keeps their calendars up-to-date. This conveys reliability and makes interacting less complicated.
5. The "digital shortcut"! Set up an extra channel for employees solely for informal exchanges. This can and may be about all kinds of topics. A classic is Slack, for example.
What we are currently experiencing is still an exceptional situation. Sometimes, trial-and-error is the only way to proceed. From our point of view, it is essential for the management of hybrid teams to maintain the team spirit. The workforce should feel appreciated for accepting and supporting these changes. Together, as a team, as a hybrid team.
As the quote at the beginning shows, we at Coopers have managed to continue to hold on to our values and our motivation. We are one team, the Coopers Family. Neither Corona nor distance can change that, and we are very proud of it. Nevertheless, we cannot wait for a personal reunion. What are your experiences with hybrid working? Feel free to tell us or comment on our post on Facebook, LinkedIn, Xing or Instagram.
Your Coopers Team
Photo: freddie marriage on Unsplash
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