5 Essential Skills for Managing Hybrid Teams: How to Lead Effectively in the Modern Workplace

Leading a team in today's hybrid environment requires a unique set of skills. Whether your team members collaborate from a coffee shop or a conference room, you must ensure everyone stays connected, informed, and engaged.

The good news is that the core aspects of successful leadership remain the same when managing hybrid teams. You'll still need to coach, provide feedback, establish priorities, and empower your team. But your approach must be much more deliberate to thrive in a hybrid setting.

Challenges of the hybrid workplace

Hybrid workplaces come with their own set of hurdles beyond the occasional time zone hiccup. Here at LifeLabs Learning, we’ve found that great hybrid and remote managers anticipate these unique challenges and know how to manage hybrid teams confidently. 

Here are some common roadblocks:

Communication silos:

Information gets lost in a sea of emails, new communication tools create confusion, and team members struggle to stay on the same page.

Connection gaps:

Remote workers can feel isolated, while in-office employees might form their own close-knit groups, leading to a lack of connection and a feeling of "us vs. them.”

Equality concerns:

Remote employees might feel less visible and have fewer opportunities for growth or advancement compared to in-office colleagues. 

On the flip side, hybrid workplaces offer a golden opportunity to up your management game! By individualizing support for each team member, you can create a super-engaged, super-productive team. 

What skills do you need to manage a hybrid team?  

There are five key management skills you need to develop to keep your hybrid team productive and engaged:

1. Clear Communication

Clear communication is critical to avoiding confusion and ensuring everyone knows what they’re doing and why. Here’s how to keep the communication flowing smoothly when managing hybrid teams:

• Set clear guidelines for using communication tools like email, instant messaging, and video conferencing.

• Create a visual guide, or channel map, that outlines the best communication channel for different situations and related norms.

• Share information simultaneously with everyone, no matter where they are.

• Develop a central repository, like a company newsletter or intranet, to be the go-to source of truth for vital information.

• Set a consistent schedule for information sharing, like weekly updates or bi-weekly all-hands meetings.

• Set start-stop rituals, like put on work clothes/switch to casual clothes, to structure workflow and purpose.

2. Inclusion

In a hybrid environment, you must pay extra attention to ensuring all team members feel valued and heard. The goal is to create a sense of belonging and psychological safety for everyone. You can do this with policies and processes that foster inclusivity:

• Start meetings with round-robin check-ins from everyone, both remote and in-person, and actively encourage all team members to weigh in throughout meetings.

• Keep an up-to-date employee directory with everyone's contact information and preferred communication methods.

• Feature all employees in your internal and external communications.

• Create virtual watercoolers, or online spaces, for casual conversations and team bonding (think dedicated Slack channels or virtual coffee breaks).

• Encourage employees to organize virtual events or social activities that promote team building.

3. Fairness

Hybrid work can sneak in some unintentional biases. Remote folks might miss out on face time with leaders or be left out of important meetings. And leaders might sometimes give in-office employees a bit more love—hello, proximity bias! Make sure you're giving equal attention and opportunities to all your team members, no matter where they work:

• Hold all team meetings virtually so everyone can fully join in.

• Bring in different team members for decision-making to get those diverse perspectives.

• Regularly gather feedback from your team to spot and tackle any accessibility issues or perceived unfairness.

• Encourage senior leaders to hold virtual office hours to connect with remote employees and give them easy access to leadership.

4. Engagement

A disengaged team is a recipe for low productivity. Here's how to keep your hybrid team motivated:

• Hold regular one-on-ones to track engagement, support development, and create a sense of connection. According to SHRM, 40%of employees say their manager fails to frequently have honest conversations about work topics. This is detrimental to engagement: According to Gallup, employees whose managers meet them regularly are almost three times as likely to be engaged than those whose managers do not hold regular meetings with them.

• Kick off meetings with a few minutes of small talk. It helps build rapport and leads to more productive discussions.

• Adapt team rituals to include both remote and in-person employees, like birthday celebrations and morning check-ins.

• Create a sense of community and connection with playfulness—think virtual team-building games and fun Slack channels.

5. People Development

Focus on building individual and team capabilities through coaching, feedback, and career conversations.

• Train employees to own their development and career progression.

• Teach employees how to give and receive developmental feedback.

• Launch peer-coach or mentor programs for extra support.

• Ensure all employees can access growth opportunities, from projects to roles to task forces.

• Share individual development plan (IDP) templates with everyone and encourage setting quarterly goals.

Transitioning to the hybrid workplace

The future of work is hybrid teams, and nailing these five key management skills will position you to lead a thriving team in this unique landscape. Prioritize clear communication, make everyone feel included, ensure fairness, keep things lively and engaging, and invest in team development. 

Remember, running a successful hybrid team isn't just about replicating the in-office experience online. It's about embracing the unique opportunities this setup brings. Foster a culture of collaboration, creativity, and connection to unleash your hybrid team's full potential!

Ready to take your hybrid team management skills to the next level?