Rules to Lead a Hybrid Team

As many organizations redefine the work environment to include both remote and in-office team members, the hybrid work model is gaining popularity. But it is undoubtedly difficult for managers to mentor the entire team while having a portion of them present at the workplaces, another portion working remotely, and possibly yet another portion working flexibly between the workplace and remotely, all at the same time. As a result, it is an overwhelming task for managers to lead a hybrid team. However, in this HBR article, Laszlo Bock discusses a few rules that guide leaders on how to effectively lead a hybrid team as he redefines his own written book “Work Rules”.

Laszlo discusses making work purposeful as one of the first and most important rules to lead a hybrid team. He believes that purpose is more important than anything else. He discusses how making every task and mission purpose-driven can help increase employee engagement. It is critical to make the team understand why a particular project is important and how it fits into the larger vision of the company, he believes. Another tip from Laszlo is to give your team the freedom to decide on the process and strategy for achieving a specific goal. He emphasizes the importance of both trusting and being trusted by your employees as the foundation to effectively lead a hybrid team. Despite the fact that a hybrid work model causes you to miss out on the small moments that make teamwork magical, it is still critical to boost your team’s morale. In order to spark these moments in a hybrid environment, Laszlo advises leaders to keep sending nudges as another important rule to follow in order to lead a hybrid team. Lazslo emphasizes that when people understand what is going on, they can make the best decisions for themselves. In order to effectively lead a hybrid team, he advises leaders to be clear about both decisions and objectives with their team. He believes that being clear about the company’s direction, policies, and values is the most considerate thing you can do, even if your decision is unpopular.

Laszlo mentions ‘including everyone’ as the last and one of the most important rules to lead a hybrid team. He advises leaders to use the hybrid work model to their advantage by identifying the culture gaps and setting new norms to create a better, stronger culture. Evaluation criteria for the projects should be made as clear as possible, as it leaves less room for bias, he states. Managers must learn and understand how to effectively lead a hybrid team because it has flourished as one of the most successful business models that cater to the interests and safety of both employees and leaders. Although leading a hybrid team when you aren’t all together in person all the time may appear to be a daunting task, these rules by Laszlo Bock from the HBR article will, however, greatly aid you.