In this age of hybrid working collaboration is becoming increasingly hard for teams and there is a feeling of being siloed and fragmented. Added to this, layoffs, and economic downturn are leading to a reduction in team strength with the result that other members are compelled to take on the extra work and this leads to burnout.
At the same time, we expect teams to do more with less and also innovate quickly to drive growth. Effective collaboration is very important. Smart collaboration can lead to higher revenue and profits, better solutions and greater customer satisfaction.
Positive leaders can drive strong innovation and performance as well as make employees more engaged in what they do. These leaders are not necessarily charismatic but they show a lot of compassion and humility while at the same time recognise others efforts.
Today team leaders are expected to deliver on their goals and for the team leader keeping the team motivated and engaged becomes a priority. There are three ways to instil positive energy in hybrid teams and get them to deliver on their targets on time
Channel the energy.
In teams, the problem could be that their efforts are too scattered across many projects at the same time. The team leader should channel the team’s energy by focusing everyone’s actions in the same direction to make it a powerful source.
The number of virtual meetings has shot up with the advent of hybrid work. Team members get caught up with meetings throughout the day leaving them very little time to carry out their work. The problem is that team members’ energies get sapped by this constant switching from one meeting to another and whatever little time they have left gets scattered across many tasks or projects.
Another unfortunate aspect is that team leaders may misinterpret the lack of energy and conclude that the hybrid person is lazy and unhelpful. This is a common psychological bias where people do not view the situational factors and exaggerate individual factors. This may lead to micro-managing or monitoring which further demotivates a remote worker.
The team leader needs to channel the collective energy towards a common goal or aim.
Emphasise overarching goals.
Even when team members are engaged in doing many things, it is easy to manage if the objective is clear. During meetings and in-person discussions constantly ensure that the objective is clear.
On the other side do not brood over the opportunity cost of the project you have taken up. The team has to say no to other projects that may come up.
Make overcommitment transparent.
Leaders should create forums for their team members to share their priorities with others so that they can spot overlaps and ways to help each other. It is easy to lose sight of other’s work, especially hybrid workers, and it is important to hold constant discussions and focus on problem-solving. Leaders should focus on problem-solving to capture the employees’ attention.
Generate Energy
The hybrid environment magnifies feelings of isolation as during remote meetings there is hardly any opportunity to bond together with team-mates and build rapport and trust. Leaders should take the initiative to generate this bonding and generate enthusiasm amongst team members.
Co-create a sense of meaning:
Team members are often immersed in their work but they should also see the bigger picture of how they are helping their customers and stakeholders that can have a lasting effect on motivation and performance. Leaders should help the team members see the big picture and make connections with their work. They should not try to impose their views on the team members but allow them to see the bigger picture and draw conclusions themselves.
Elevate others’ dignity and self-worth:
Leaders need to respect the individuality of team members and consider them integral to the company’s success. Recognising their special qualities can fill them with a greater sense of value and resolve.
Focus on momentum.
When a team member makes progress in his work, it makes him happy boosts positive emotions and motivates him to do more. Setbacks and delays have the opposite effect. These small achievements when shared with the team, generate momentum and motivate others also to work hard and show progress. this has a multiplier effect and offsets any energy loss that demotivates everyone.
Multiplying energy.
This perhaps is the most important step. Leaders should seek out and harness a variety of talents and strengths of team members. These untapped sources can have a multiplier effect and boost the energy levels of the team and help them work as a team and complete the work undertaken. These abilities may not be seen or be visible in a hybrid work setting but important to be identified and brought to everyone’s attention.
Reveal their unique abilities(individualism)
By discussing about their unique expertise, experience and personalities leaders can get others to think and share their unique capabilities. this would be fun and exciting to share and is sure to initiate an animated discussion that would promote binding and collaboration amongst team members.
Notice others’ unseen profiles.
Leaders should not talk too much about themselves. They should initiate a discussion by sharing some personal unseen capabilities and allow the team members to take over and start discussing amongst themselves. Leaders should express genuine interest in their team members’ unique characteristics and viewpoints.
Focus on learning and growth.
Leaders should not be afraid of experimentation and losing control. They encourage others to share and use their unique strengths to achieve the team’s goals. Even when the target is missed leaders should consider it as a learning opportunity. Leaders should trust their members to do their best to learn and improve. But they should always be at hand to help them if they need support and additional input.
Smart collaboration requires ensuring that the energy levels of the team are high despite setbacks. Positive energy is a must-have so that teams can innovate, focus and contribute to the growth of business.
Is Your Hybrid Team Losing Steam?
by Heidi K. Gardner
HBR 2023/05
R2G 