The best thing about hybrid teams is how they can bring together the strengths of many different organizations. The worst thing, however, is how challenging it can be to manage a hybrid team. In this blog post we will explore how you can overcome some of these challenges and reap the benefits from managing a hybrid team!
1. Make sure your remote team is on the same page as you
One of the biggest challenges with managing a hybrid team is making sure everyone is on the same page. This can be especially difficult when your remote team is not in the same location as you.
There are a few things you can do to help overcome this challenge:
– Have regular video conferences or calls to ensure everyone is up to date on what is happening
– Use project management software to make sure everyone knows how their work fits into the bigger picture of your team’s goals. You can use one like Asana, which has a chat feature so you can communicate with your remote employees in real time about issues that need to be addressed immediately.
Make sure any updates are available on an internal company website or intranet so that everyone can stay up to date.
2. Set expectations for both teams to minimize miscommunication
Creating clear expectations for how your remote team will communicate with the rest of your company is incredibly important.
Depending on how big each team is, you might have some more freedom in how these teams interact since not every person from either group will be communicating with one another directly.
If this isn’t possible based on the size and structure of both teams, then you’ll need to set up specific guidelines for how communication will take place.
Some things you might want to consider include:
– How often will remote employees be in contact with on-site team members?
– What methods of communication will be used (email, chat, video conferencing)?
– Who is responsible for communicating updates to the on-site team?
Don’t forget that you’ll want a process for how feedback will be communicated from your remote employees back to their managers and vice versa.
3. Check in with your remote team regularly, but not too often
It’s important to check in with your remote team regularly, but not too often.
If you’re checking on them every day then they might start feeling micromanaged and won’t be as motivated to do their best work for you.
On the other hand, if you only check in every couple of weeks or months there is a greater risk of things falling through the cracks.
Ideally, you should be checking in with them once a week to see how they’re doing and if there are any issues that need to be addressed. This will help ensure that everyone is on track and working towards the same goals.
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4. Give feedback and praise where applicable – this will create a positive work environment
It’s important to remember how much your remote team is working towards the same goals as you and how they’re just as invested in seeing them come to fruition.
Creating a positive work environment where everyone feels appreciated for their contributions will help keep your employees motivated, especially if they are remotely located from you.
Regularly checking in with each other, providing feedback and praising good work will help keep the lines of communication open and make sure everyone is working towards the same goal.
5. Be clear about what you need from each individual on the team so that they know how to best contribute their time and skillset
Each member of your remote team will have different skillsets and how they contribute to the project might not be obvious right away.
This is why it’s important that you’re clear about what you need from each person on your hybrid team so that their efforts are in line with how they can best meet the goals for which you need them.
If you’re not clear about what you need, then they might spend time on tasks that could have been completed by someone else on the team or worse, they might not be doing anything at all.
By being specific about what you need from them and how their skills can best be put to use, you’ll help your remote employees’ efforts be more effective and efficient.
6. Keep meetings short to keep everyone focused, but make sure everyone has an opportunity to speak up if needed
The key to managing a remote team is making sure that everyone on the team has an opportunity to speak and be heard. This means keeping meetings short so they don’t get off track and ensuring that one person doesn’t dominate the conversation the whole time.
If you have someone who likes to talk more than others or tends to take over conversations, then you’ll need to find a way to give everyone an opportunity to share their thoughts. This might mean setting time limits for how long people can speak or designating someone as the meeting facilitator who will make sure everyone gets a chance to talk.
How to Manage a Hybrid Team: Unexpected Challenges and Benefits
By following these tips, you’ll be able to successfully manage and collaborate with your remote team. While there may be some challenges that come with this type of team set-up, the benefits far outweigh them.
With the right tools in place, you can ensure that everyone is working towards the same goal and your project will be successful.
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