{"id":12257,"date":"2022-02-24T05:32:35","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T05:32:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awa-old.pnpd.co.uk\/?p=12257"},"modified":"2022-09-09T14:36:47","modified_gmt":"2022-09-09T13:36:47","slug":"managing-hybrid-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advanced-workplace.pnpd.co.uk\/us\/managing-hybrid-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Managing hybrid teams"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the start of the pandemic<\/a>, two years ago this month, management skills<\/a> have been firmly put under the spotlight. Often, these skills have been found wanting, which is not surprising given that managers are regularly promoted from roles that require one set of skills into management positions that require another set entirely. Managers are often given little or no training, coaching, or support, and they tend to manage by observing and micromanaging. This meant that when everyone started to work from home in 2020, under completely unfamiliar conditions, many managers were ill-equipped to deal with the challenges posed by this new working reality.<\/p>\n

Over time, it\u2019s become clear that people aren\u2019t prepared to return to their old ways of operating any time soon. They\u2019ve tasted the freedom and autonomy associated with having more control over where and how they work, as well as a number of other improvements to their personal and private lives, and they don\u2019t want to go back. What\u2019s also become clear is that models of hybrid working<\/a> come with a number of challenges and that one of the best defences against these challenges<\/a> is effective management.<\/p>\n

Managing in a post-Covid world<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Managers have undoubtedly learnt a lot about what it takes to manage under different conditions over the last 18 months. While face-to-face interactions bring benefits<\/a>, working away from others does too \u2013 ensuring that each person has the right blend of opportunities, in the overall context of the team\u2019s needs, is the ultimate balancing act. This is something that managers will have to think through with each member of their team, as well as with their teams as a whole.<\/p>\n

The role of managers in a hybrid world (as with any other world, frankly!) is to care about and support their team, to provide the right \u201cpsychological climate<\/a>\u201d in which their team can do its best work, and to facilitate the development of their team members, enabling them to thrive.<\/p>\n

Overcoming biases: an evidence-based approach<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Managers that make decisions about whether to embrace a hybrid working model<\/a> must do more than just rely on their own personal opinions and experiences. When we hear \u201cI think<\/u><\/em> people work best when they\u2019re together<\/em>\u201d that is an opinion, not a fact.<\/p>\n

People are comfortable making decisions based on their own opinions and gut instincts \u2013 many pride themselves on that ability \u2013 but research shows that decisions based on personal opinions lead to poor outcomes. This is because humans are prone to a plethora of biases \u2013 we all have them hard wired into our brains<\/a> to save time and energy \u2013 and these biases can cause us to make ineffective decisions.<\/p>\n

What to do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To avoid falling prey to our biases, we can take a more evidence-based approach<\/a> \u2013 looking for multiple sources to guide decision making and management practices. Here are the key sources of evidence to think about:<\/p>\n