Self-awareness and adaptability in the midst of high change and uncertainty are foundations for hybrid leadership and underpin creating a great culture.
Based on a recent poll, Gallup anticipates that 53% of U.S.-based "remote-capable employees" (those who can do their job from home at least part-time) will utilize a hybrid model moving forward.
In order to effectively manage teams that are working fully remotely or with a hybrid approach, C-Suite leaders must further leverage the human skills of leadership, which allows relationships and influence to transcend virtual boundaries. They also must continue to practice flexing their mindset and remaining open to a rapidly changing and chaotic world.
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Emotional intelligence is key
Leaders of a hybrid workplace must be highly attuned to their own personal development and emotional intelligence. According to Psychology Today, emotional intelligence "refers to the ability to identify and manage one's own emotions, as well as the emotions of others." Psychologist Dan Goleman describes this as self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management. These skills underpin the operating system of great leaders.
Self-awareness and adaptability in the midst of high change and uncertainty are foundations for hybrid leadership and underpin creating a great culture and making the right decisions. Staying grounded is the only way to cut through complex and unusual problems that require all of our brains being online, including the prefrontal cortex where logic and reasoning exist. When we are emotionally hijacked, this limits our ability to make good decisions.
Given the variability of conditions and decrease in visibility within a hybrid work model, the human element is even more important. As such, the C-Suite needs managers who see themselves as autonomous business owners with a fully fleshed-out management process. This level of trust allows hybrid organizations with decreased management visibility to operate effectively.
Social sensitivity is even more critical with less non-verbal data, and having access to self awareness and the social radar allows for leaders to more effectively read the room and assess the right strategy. Less context on video or the phone makes this even more important.
Using social and emotional elements to create trust
Engaging the right brain is critical in a virtual or hybrid work environment. Things like stories and narratives, symbols and design elements, emotions, and metaphors all create constructs that log in the memory and drive behavioral change. Daniel Pink discusses this in his book, A Whole New Mind. Additionally, investing in offsites creates emotional ripples that far extend the time spent together, and the bonds that develop live sustain after the event. Investing in meaningfully rich offsites throughout the year builds a sense of cohesion and team. Many leaders also engage in individual coaching or create coaching circles to allow their teams to both process how they are feeling as well as connect to others.
Collaboration and optimization of processes
Hybrid strategies are highly variable and depend on the organization and the individual manager. Leaders must ask themselves, "What kind of work must be done in-person? What would that look like? What is my personal preference? What is realistic?" They can then gain input from their team by asking what they prefer and what they find most useful. Once they gain this input, strategies, systems and a meeting cadence can be identified. It is critical to realize there is no "one size fits all" approach, and every organization has its own needs based on its teammate population, its culture, the nature of the business and other variables.
Utilizing a dashboard like Asana with the team's major goals or areas of work fuels collective motivation and enables your team to asynchronously track progress. Slack is also a critical tool that imparts the best elements of collaboration in a high-touch user interface. Slack mirrors how humans naturally collaborate and creates a seamless and enjoyable experience that is vastly superior to email in the hybrid age.
How can managers ensure success?
Managing virtual teams is not a new concept. The good news is that many of the lessons virtual managers have learned can be applied to managing a hybrid team.
We know that in order for people to feel fulfilled and effective in their work environment, their social needs must be addressed. When a team is virtual, this is even more paramount.
Creating rich and connected live experiences regularly can have a significant impact. This might include identifying specific days to work together in the office; conducting quarterly offsites that connect team members and introduce strategic dialogs; or conducting community service as a team.
Matt Auron is co-founder and managing director of Evolution, an executive coaching, culture and leadership development firm.
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