Ideas for doing hybrid right with culture at the heart
A year ago, us and many others started talking about hybrid working and going back to the office following the covid pandemic. It was a useful conversation to have but in reality the return to the office has not really happened to any greater extent yet. And different countries are at different stages of return or plans for return. But it’s definitely starting to happen.
SOMEREALISATIONS; OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES
The way work gets done has changed over the last 18 months, bringing both pros and cons.
People and organisations have come to the realisation that a lot of roles can be performed either from work or from home.
And those that have been able to work comfortably from home have reported experiencing a greater quality of life, not needing to spend time on long daily commutes and having more personal time available for family and friends and personal interests.
Various studies show that people work more when working from home, hence risking burnout. People are “on” more, blurring the lines between work and home life.
More and more people are making more conscious choices about how and where they want to work. increasing the war for talent.
There have been many reports about people’s mental health being impacted by the pandemic. The need for empathy and care for each other is greater than before.
If an organisation decides to have some onsite team members and some offsite team members, it can create two disparate groups, where those offsite can feel particularly left outside the perceived ‘main circle’. Neuroscience also shows us “proximity bias” exists, which means we pay more attention to those who are located closest to us.
SOME SOLUTIONS
Here are some ides on how to make the new hybrid setup a success:
Think about PEOPLE first
The last 18 months have been challenging for most people, so focus on people, the individuals, the team. Everything else can take second place. Listen, care, empathise, connect.
You are a role model
How you behave, how you show up will impact people around you. Take the time to center yourself, putting yourself in a good state of mind. Leadership is contagious so lead yourself first.
Make diversity & inclusion a priority
Include everyone equally, regardless of where they are based or any other differentiator. This is the time to show through actions and behaviours that you are serious about having an inclusive workplace and culture where people connect and engage and can be creative together. Value differences as diverse teams are also the most successful ones.
Create an environment of psychological safety
It’s always been important, but even more so now. The challenges are not over and everyone will need to be able to communicate and collaborate with each other, respectfully challenge each other in dialogue to identify issues and create solutions. And for people to want to do that, they need to feel safe to speak up, to share their thoughts, to try, fail and learn (fast) and move on. How you respond when people have the courage to speak their mind makes all the difference.
Create a Team Charter
Build the team intentionally by creating a Team Charter together. A Team Charter is a document that describes the purpose, framework and agreements of the team. Creating a Team Charter is a shared process (not just a leadership task), hence making it a powerful and visual shared commitment.
A Team Charter that is created by everyone, is owned by everyone and therefore is carried out by everyone. Read more about how to do it here.
Involve your team in creating the practicalities of hybrid working
Build your team charter further by discussing and agreeing how to work together and how to support each other in the new setup. Be proactive about it. Focus on output, not input. When you have people working remotely, you must trust them to deliver without micro-managing.
Design the hybrid setup carefully
Some job tasks can easily be done remotely and some can not. This article from Harvard Business Review provides good food for thought on how to assess tasks, handovers and other practicalities that indicates how and where the work is best done.
Encourage dialogue
Allow people to talk about their concerns, recognising that these
disruptive times can be very stressful and that not everyone will react the same way. Just talking about a problem or concern, expressing how someone feels helps to ease said concern is a good first step.
And you can then support them in building strength and resilience to find the solutions they need. You need to make time and space for this in a virtual and office mixed world. So, ensure you have regular informal check-in points.
Build and work on Team Trust
The team dinners, chats and water cooler conversations are harder in this mixed virtual/office world, so recreate that by doing things like having stand up meetings with people in the office together (safely socially distanced as relevant) and include those working virtually by linking them in using technology. Get the office and virtual world mixed. Have some team meetings that are ‘just’ social check-ins too.
Focus on a healthy work/life integration
When working from home, the lines between work and home life get blurred. Help people overcome that by not sending emails around the clock. Be a role model for a healthy work/life integration, minimising the risk of burnout and turnover.
Prioritise 1-to-1 time
To pick up on the office/work ‘vibe’ you will need to carry out and put into the calendar more informal 1-to-1 time to fill in the gaps and the void that the virtual /office mixed environment creates. Use the informal check-ins to pick up on how people feel, what they think and what they need.
Empower with digital tools
Make sure you all have the digital tools that will allow you to collaborate and communicate across the hybrid (remote and office) workplace.
OUR NUMBER 1 ADVICE: CULTURE
As you can see from what we’ve covered here, culture and behaviours are at the heart of success.
We recently did a poll on LinkedIn on this topic which you can read about here.
Focus on culture. Culture is “how things get done around here”, it’s how people behave, it’s the habits that become the norm.
Like with everything else, this new way of working, the hybrid setup will not be plain sailing. And that’s OK.
Be decisive about it, don’t wait until you have all the answers – nobody does. This new reality is here to stay and we need to work with it now. Adjust and adapt to that.
Be intentional in your leadership of it, allow enough time in your busy schedule to manage the ‘new normal’.
It’s inevitable that you and your team will try things out (how to work) and realise that it didn’t turn out exactly the way you wanted it to. And keep in mind that the ‘new normal’ will keep changing. Be agile and open minded. Listen and learn and move forward.
We don’t know what it will look like in a year’s time and beyond. The power lies in exploring that together and learning together. Your role is to lead your team through that.
No one can have all the answers, no one is an expert in this global pandemic. The power and the answers are in all of us, sharing and working on this together, and that needs to be led by a powerful leader who involves, enables and trusts their team. That’s you.
The hybrid work setup, currently on many organisations agenda, will require a lot of thinking around work processes, tasks, office space and adaptability, people’s preferences, digital tools and more. It’s a complex strategic and practical dilemma.
But it clearly cannot be solved with these considerations only. The human, cultural, behavioural aspects of how people feel about work and their interactions with others need at least equal consideration. As culture is “how things get done around here” the best laid plans can be derailed by culture. Or “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” a quote often attributed to Peter Drucker.
No, there are no simple answers to hybrid, it is continuous work in progress, we need to try, evaluate, learn and adapt. And we need to consider diversity, we need to appreciate that everyone is different, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. People value different things, just like some have enjoyed working from home and some have struggled with it. What we know for sure though is that how we work is more on everyone’s agenda than we have ever experienced before. And to get the best results, we’d better pay more attention to culture than before.
We haven’t done this hybrid way of working before to this extent so we all need to be ready to change and flex based on the human dynamics at play.
“Culture eats strategy for breakfast”
PETER DRUCKER
And because we know that culture and habits are so important, we recently ran a poll on LinkedIn, where we posed the following question.
“The new hybrid work setup is on everyone’s agenda, and a lot of focus is put on the practical and technical aspects of the combination of remote and onsite working.
However, the culture and behaviours also need to be front of mind as it’s much harder to keep culture healthy and alive when people work remotely/virtually. The behaviours and cultural change needed will be just as important as the technical.
With this in mind, what is the most important cultural habit that needs to be actively worked on to make the hybrid setup work?“
Here are the results*
1. MAKING IT EASY TO COLLABORATE 39%
We were not surprised to see that this was the most voted for habit. No one is an island and there is only so much we can achieve on our own, having a collaborative environment makes everyone feel and perform better. And in a hybrid world, where some may work from home and others from the office, collaboration needs to be worked at in a way that was not needed when everyone was in the same place.
2. MAKING OTHERS FEEL INCLUDED 35%
Hot on the heels of collaboration, came inclusion. Inclusion was always important, but like collaboration it may not happen as naturally when people can’t see each other. A considered approach to making others feel important and included needs to be top of mind for leaders and non-leaders alike.
3. FOCUSING ON RELATIONSHIPS 18%
Relationships need work all the time, and the human dynamics will play themselves out when we work remotely. You can put in place all the processes and procedures and do that with a very logical mindset, the important human behaviours will come into play. For example, a team we are working with have great plans on a phased approach to allow people into the office and have plans to have a certain number of people in the office at any one time. They need to be ready to flex and change those plans as the human relationships will come into play and will mean team members may feel left out if they are not part of a certain group so favourites and peer pressure will naturally rise to the top.
4. KEEPING UP TO DATE/INFORMED 8%
The relatively low percentage is likely to be an indication of how information has become increasingly accessible, over the last year in particular, as more and more organisations have invested in digital tools that simplifies information sharing and communication. Keeping people up to date and informed is now a ‘given’ and a necessity. It is not a nice to have it is part of working remotely so it has become embedded in our behaviours. A true transition.
In this issue, we focus on the new hybrid work setup and how crucial culture is in that. We share a recent poll on cultural habits in hybrid, and we explore how powerful journaling and being open to coaching is for real learning and growth.
We also share another of our IMPACT HACKS (quick, practical tips for great impact), this time on avoiding burnout.
And there’s a story about a leader who writes in his journal after an unsuccessful team call.
We’re also very pleased to share that our book The Leader’s Guide to Impact has received its 5th book award! You can read the jury’s comments at the end of the magazine.
We are proud and excited to share that we have received a FIFTH book award for our latest book, The Leader’s Guide to Impact. This Maincrest Media Award is our 11th award in total.
This is what the jury said:
“The Leader’s Guide is a pioneering book that combines modern principles of mindfulness and positive psychology to create a manifesto for successful leadership and life. The contents of the book helps readers create a strong direction, vision and strategy so they can become more impactful leaders in both corporate and domestic spaces. The book progresses in a logical fashion, focusing first on inner work before moving outwards to colleagues, stakeholders and the community as a whole. This cleverly mirrors the overarching theme of the book – the ripple effect – where one’s impact is bigger than oneself. The principles of the book are clear and intentional, with a compelling mixture of anecdotes, facts and usable resources to help apply new concepts to real life. This is enhanced by a positive and encouraging tone and language pitched at a comfortable midpoint between accessibility and corporate speak. The target audience of the book is made clear both on the covers and in the opening of the book. The attractive covers deliver a sense of positivity and assertiveness, which is reflected in the clean, bold font, professional layout, relevant quotes and crisp visuals throughout.”
Conflict and tension that don’t get properly resolved create stress, thereby impacting both mental/emotional and physical health. For that reason, conflict management is a key skill for both leaders and team members that want to be part of a healthy, productive, energising team experience. In fact, we should call this conflict leadership not just management. All of us need to lead through conflict. Leadership after all, is the act of influencing others and we all need to influence each other to constructively resolve conflict. It’s everyone’s responsibility.
Conflict and tension can have many different causes and can play itself out in many varied forms. Sometimes it can be an open, argumentative conflict and sometimes it can be in a passive aggressive form, where it’s less obvious and therefore more difficult to address.
These are the most common reasons for conflict that we regularly observe in teams:
LACK OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
When there is not enough information, people will fill in the gaps and make information up, even if they are not aware of making it up. The mind is quick to piece together bits of data, no matter how small, and make up its own story, sometimes creating something (conflict) out of nothing. Hence rumours are created and suspicion grows which is detrimental to teamwork. People often waste time thinking about the conflict and talking to others about it and thus creating more tension. All of this of course impacts the bottom line.
PERSONAL DIFFERENCES
Everyone is unique and it’s important to understand how that creates differences in teams. If a person doesn’t understand another team member and his/her personal needs and values, they look at his/her opinions and behaviours as flawed as they don’t match the person’s own view.
CONFLICTING GOALS
If team members have differing goals, ie goals that for some reason don’t support each other, then their priorities will differ and they will not see the importance of the other person’s task. This can create conflict or at least tension. This is particularly prevalent in a matrix environment.
COMPETITIVE BEHAVIOURS
Competitive behaviours can be the result of factors such as unclear roles, overlapping responsibilities and people feeling they need to prove themselves. Say for example, that a new person comes in to the team with a perceived seniority to the others, this can then create a sense of self doubt in the other team members.
The negative impact of conflict
If conflict and tension are not managed, or more importantly led, they erode trust and make people work on their own rather than co-operate. In really bad cases it also makes people work against each other, all of these are both stressful and unproductive. Considering how much time most people spend at work, this is not how they want to spend their time feeling, not to mention the productivity drain and cost implications.
Conflict is not a bad thing
It is simply a difference of opinion. An opinion in and of it self is neither good nor bad. It’s the interpretation that we make that can create a negative sense of conflict.
Conflict arises from the idea that something is either right or wrong, which in turn means that when opinions differ someone is either right or wrong. When people think like that, they want to be right and then they no longer look for the potential value in the other person’s view. And if both parties want to be right, tension is then created by both of them not feeling listened to or valued – and the sense of tension and conflict grows.
Five strategies for healthy conflict resolution
If carefully managed, conflict and tensions can be constructive as they can trigger healthy debates and help people think differently. Knowledge and awareness can grow, and innovation and results can flourish. Let’s look at five strategies for managing conflict in such a way that it becomes a powerful lever for teamwork.
1. Communicate, communicate, communicate
In order to fill in the communication gaps that others will otherwise fill with their own assumptions, there can never be too much communication. Communicate even when you have nothing to say, especially in times of change, as team members may otherwise think you are hiding information and start worrying about that.
2. Assume positive intent
Everyone is different and people usually do the best they can and rarely intend to annoy others or create conflict. Just because someone doesn’t think or feel like you, they don’t have to be wrong. So if you get annoyed with someone, assume that they are acting with positive intention and notice the difference in your own reaction. Take a moment and think about what difference it would make if we all assumed positive intent. It feels different, right?
3. Connect team members’ goals
Make sure that team members’ individual goals are linked to each others’ and to the overall goals of the team. Great teamwork is dependent on it. With connected goals team members have a stake in each other’s success and are encouraged to work together to achieve results. Sometimes you may need to help people to the see the links between what they do and what their team members do and how they are dependent on each other. Make the links to goals explicit; don’t just implicitly expect team members to see them.
4. Let go of the need to be right
Ultimately this is about keeping an open mind. When you let go of the need to be right, you can consider an opposed view without a sense of tension. And considering the general speed of change, what was “right” yesterday may not be “right” anymore, it may be outdated. Hold the mirror up and ask yourself if you are hanging onto the need to be right? Leaders beware – if it’s not already, the “need to be right” will very soon be an outdated way of behaving.
5. Voice disagreement in a good way
Healthy debate can be created if you voice disagreement in a good way. One simple way of doing this, is to avoid the word “but” and replace it with “and”. This builds on what the other person has said rather than disregarding it. Voicing the disagreement is the key, to just take that first step and talk about it – while assuming positive intent and looking for the right outcome, and of course letting go of the need to be right.
Behaviours are key
Behaviours are key when working with conflict, here are some additional behaviours that are critical when “leading conflict”:
Be accepting (of self and others)
Be curious
Be respectful
Now, think of someone you know who always wants to be right. Just think of the impact that has on you! Imagine what it would be like if you can help them be curious and accepting, helping them to let go of the need to be right. It allows for others’ ideas to come in and perhaps to develop a greater idea/solution than would otherwise have been possible. That is when conflict gets healthy and creative, and good things happen.
Don’t wish you had more time, make more instead of the time available to you. Make it count.
Here are 4 quick proven impact hacks to consider when wanting to dial up your impact by how you manage, and make the most of, your time.
1. VALUE YOUR TIME
Choose how you spend your time. Dare to say no to meetings where you are not needed. Plan your time enough so that you have time for the things you enjoy (your strengths that energise you) and where you can add the most value.
2. BE REALISTIC
Don’t overcommit. Assess how much time is needed before you commit to something. Take a pause, stop and reflect before you commit. Make sure you are in the moment to allow you to make good decisions.
3. DON’T MULTITASK
Do one thing at a time. Multitasking is more time consuming than performing each task separately. Focus and get there quicker. Whatever you are doing, be 100% present in the moment.
4. BLOCK TIME FOR THINKING
Have at least 30 minutes each week blocked for pure thinking. Ring fence it. Don’t let the urgent things trump the important stuff. Take a step back, think, reflect, observe – and watch how clarity of thought increases and wisdom grows.
