Solve those working from home. As many companies start opening up the offices and the employees start coming back to office partially, they face different situations. Though many are anxious to return to the office, home and family circumstances create many constraints in the smooth return to the office.
Also, the managers have to finalise the protocols to be put in place for safe working, the seating arrangements, the precautions, as well as the equipment and the coordination between employees have to be planned through.
Having some employees in the office whereas some continue working from home poses many challenges to the manager. There could be a us vs them feel between "in-office" and "at home" employees. There are the usual communication, coordination and team engagement issues that have to be resolved. The looming shadow of the epidemic adds another dimension to the complexity. It is critical to lead with compassion.
Offer support.
As a team leader, the primary goal should be to offer support to returning employees. Employees are under tremendous stress due to the global crisis, economic uncertainty, and social changes. Have constant interactions with both the returning employees and those continuing to work from home. Solve the issues that are hindering their focus on the work. Listen and offer support. Demonstrate your commitment to make the situation work for everyone in the team.
Create and set expectations.
Discuss with the team bout new protocols and practices. Discuss how and when you are going to communicate, who has the access, who will be in the meetings. Agree on certain norms for communications. Revisit the guidelines for communications - chats, emails, conversations etc., and when to use what?
Discuss how employees plan to structure their working hours. Offer flexibility to those working out of office. The goal is to build a new culture that makes for the best way to work within the given constraints.
Prioritize with flexibility in mind.
The future is uncertain. You may face sudden challenges both at home and office. Set clear priorities so that everyone knows what is important. Hold regular meetings to prioritize the work that needs to get done during the week. Discuss the deliverables that are desired to be completed. Focusing on the most important work builds flexibility into the system.
Emphasising inclusion
Build a fair and equitable workplace. this is especially difficult when you have a hybrid team. There is always an assumption that those that are in office are more productive than those working from home. Put in place practices to counter this tendency. Establish ground rules that all meetings are held over remote conferencing to equalise the differences.
Do not allow conversations that exclude the remote members. Ensure everyone gets a chance to contribute.
Strive for equality.
Another risk in a hybrid environment is that it will exaggerate your biases about certain employees. It may be human nature but it needs to be corrected. the first step is to pay attention and ensure that you do not favour your star performer and discount what your other employee does.
Ensure that you divide your time equally with people in the office and people working from home. Make a concerted effort to position all your team members or success. Use objective data to evaluate their performance.
Watch for signs of burnout.
pay close attention to your team members stress levels. Many people may seem stressed, irritable, exhausted. Pay particular attention to people behaving differently from their normal pattern.
Take steps to help your employee. If an employee is feeling overwhelmed, help him prioritise their work. If required go task by task. Focus and connection are the antidotes for burnout.
Make it fun.
Bring some fun and playfulness into the work. Many miss the laughter and camaraderie of the office. Hold informal Zoom meetings to recapture the mood of the office. Carve out some time to recreate the fun and laughter, make people connected and create a sense of community.
Take heart.
It will not be easy. There will be roadblocks on the way. Be humble and be patient. Be present, be agile and be ready to adapt. This will help you develop skills that will stand in good stead for the rest of your life.
Remember
Do
- Set clear priorities and objectives
- Be inclusive. Hold all team online so that remote employees can also participate.
- Reflect and rectify your biases and predispositions
- Look for ways to bring back fun and playtime into the workday.
Don't
- Be rigid.
- Ignore signs of stress from the team members.
How to Manag a Hybrid Team
by Rebecca Knight HBR 2020/10
Comments
Post a Comment