A hybrid team might be one of the most challenging teams to lead since it is made up of both in-office and remote workers. Hybrid working is a topic that seems to be coming up again and again at the moment because leaders are trying to figure out what is the best working format for them in a post pandemic world.
What will it look like?
When do we work and where?
How will we maintain the social distancing?
What do we need to think about?
Do we sell our properties or redesign our office space?
So many questions and there isn’t a right or wrong answer to any of them. If you are considering a blend of site work and remote, then hybrid is the option for you.
Hybrid isn't just being seen as the saviour of the 21st century workplace. It's actually changing the way that people think about what work they do, and what actually makes them happy. These are really deep questions and leaders need to be ahead of the conversation and not react. Leaders need to vision a future workplace and align their people with that vision. They need to involve their people in the conversation too. Their employees and future talent are already having those conversations with their friends, their partners, and with their colleagues.
How it Works
Recruiters are already finding it hard to place talent in roles that are either 100%, remote, or 100% on site. Many of us have experienced both now, and neither is the perfect solution for everyone. I think it is important to add that virtual working doesn’t just mean working from home whilst in lockdown. That is a whole different experience. In the future, virtual or remote working means working from anywhere, a local co-working space, coffee shop, different site, or the garden. Yet, without connection with colleagues, it can feel pretty isolating. The idea of the daily commute and being tied to fixed hours doesn’t appeal to many either. Freedom and empowerment are values that perhaps we took for granted and now people want more autonomy over their lives. LeaderX is exactly the leader to lead these kind of organisations. These are their values after all.
So is hybrid really the answer? Well, it could be. But it's actually not that simple, either. Now, hybrid is that mix of working from anywhere and from the office. It is freedom and yet the choices can be overwhelming. Sometimes we need a little structure to help us focus. Sometimes we need to limit the options to free mental space for more important issues. This is why Steve Jobs only wore black t-shirts. He wanted to eliminate the need for unnecessary choices. Giving people unlimited choice over their work might work for some, but not everyone. Look how many options you have on your TV right now, Netflix or Amazon Prime, yet you still can’t choose what to watch. Limiting options might be a good options. Too much choice almost makes the decision even harder and can kind of lead to more stress.
You also have to consider the dynamics of your wider teams if some are offered free choice and others aren’t due to the nature of their work. Will it cause resentment? Will it create silos with an 'us' and 'them' mentality? Potentially, it will if you don’t lead and communicate effectively.
Listen to the podcast suggested above to find out about benefits and costs of hybrid teams, and how to rethink work and performance management. Alternatively, if you want to find out more about how to successfully set a hybrid team and how to lead a hybrid team successfully, check the two articles provided below.
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