The third of a four-part series on the Remote/Hybrid/Return-To-Office dilemma. Click here to catch up on the last one.
Does the demand for remote/hybrid work seem out of balance to you?
Healthy, thriving business teams seem to be rare. I wonder if post-pandemic remote work has remained in demand because working alone is better than working in a cesspool of politics, dysfunction, drama, and toxicity. Of course, moving the work to remote/hybrid won’t fix any of that; people are just hiding from it, temporarily relieved of the pain.
XM Truth: Humans have worked remotely long before technological advancements and global pandemics.
Nationally dispersed sales teams, technical support experts, regional service offices, and global logistics crews have all worked remotely since the first trade caravans launched. As the information age and technology have advanced, more work is being conducted remotely by more people from more places than ever before. Here are the five best practices from our XM Performance remote/hybrid clients:
1. Clarify the Rules and Expectations for Remote Work. Are you remote FIRST, or remote FRIENDLY? Lay out, onboard, and consistently enforce the operational expectations for all players (i.e., keep availability calendars, work hours, and response times up to date).
2. Bring it Back in Band (IST Research). Whenever sub-teams huddle, collaborate, or decide in-person or via technology, they have the responsibility to bring a summary of the conversation/decisions ‘Back in Band’.
3. Regularly Schedule In-Person Collaboration (Globe Runner). Whether monthly with subgroups or quarterly with the whole company. Get your humans into the same space physically, work on relationships, big visions/goals, problem-solving, and have fun.
4. Weekly 1-1’s (Betenbough Homes). Every direct report should get one hour of 1-1 time with their assigned leader every week. Download our 1-pager for ideas on Weekly 1-1’s.
5. Remember from last week’s blog: We are Working with Humans. Take time in your weekly meetings to connect personally (AdvanceNet Labs). Recognize wins with specific, timely feedback and gratitude, and pass these wins up to leadership (IES Communications).
Tens of thousands of articles have been written about this topic. Whatever you believe, you can have it validated by scientific research. Bottom line: humans do their best work when they feel psychologically safe and relationally connected. Regardless of your work environment, lead with those objectives in mind and you will find success.
Next week’s blog current trends in the BREAKDOWNS of Remote/Hybrid workers.
