Challenges with Managing Hybrid and Remote Teams

Digital Marketing - Study Notes:

While the presence of others in a co-location workplace can increase motivation and accountability, this element is missing in remote work arrangements.

Source: ‘Social Presence Theory’ by Short, Williams and Christie (1976)

Another challenge is managing productivity and accountability, as remote workers may not have the same level of supervision from a manager who practices ‘management by wandering around’ (MBWA) in a traditional office environment.

Source: HP's David Packard (1940s) & M.B.W.A. by Tom Peters

Case study: Hybrid working

The HR department of an online betting company when faced with their new normal of not being in a physical co-located working environment, found that the lack of their in-person chit-chat was having a major and detrimental effect on knowledge-sharing.

The imposition of booking time-slots for video calls for information exchange substantially decreased their normally quick response times in their service to the wider organisation.

As this was a high-trust team, their solution was to replicate, as near as possible, their former physical working environment.

Each morning at the start of business, the entire team joined a day-long video call and keeping their cameras on and microphones on when required. They were then able to replicate the informal conversations and information sharing of their former office-based environment.

Impact on the way leaders approach team management

To develop strong virtual leadership skills, leaders must also continuously monitor and adjust the flexibility of their leadership style, such as:

• Being present and engaged in virtual meetings, with their camera on
• Building trust
• Connecting and setting clear expectations with the individual hybrid and co-location members of their team.

They must all be adaptable, digitally savvy and well able to foster a culture of collaboration and trust, whether online or in-person.

In addition, team leaders must now embrace flexibility and be open to new ways of working including hours, locations and arrangements to accommodate the needs of individual team members. Not forgetting consistently working to make sure the basics are in place where all team members feel valued and heard, regardless of their location.

Behaviours associated with a disengaged team member

Prejudices from management and peers who are not remote workers may lead to an individual working in a remote setting being given a high workload to produce with limited off-site resources. This can lead to burnout and disengagement, in turn impacting the wider team and organization.

The increased reliance on text messages, chat, email and online meetings due to remote working conditions has led to:

• Widespread distraction
• Loss of focus
• Cognitive overload, and
• Exhaustion

 Formal online meetings, in particular, can be especially challenging, as they often require constant attention and participation, leading to information overload and daily burnout.

In addition, receiving instruction or orders from your team lead can be difficult to comprehend and act upon in the absence of physical-cues while online, particularly if cameras or microphones are turned off.

Employees are exhausted, more distracted, overworked and more burnt out than ever before. They are:

• 2.54 times more likely to experience digital distractions
• 1.12 times more likely to feel they are working too hard at their job.
• 1.27 times more likely to struggle to disconnect from work, compared with those working on-site.

Source: ‘Future of Work Reinvented: Managing in a Hybrid World’ by Gartner (2022)