Remote work tips

Enjoy these remote work tips from Dropbox including. : 

- inclusion
- multitasking problems
- paying attention 
- exaggerating your responses and body language.

3 tips for leading hybrid groups

Hybrid. It means ‘composite’ or ‘cross’. And the locations of people in this new world of work can certainly create a mix or cross of several things. 

Some people continue to work from home. 
Some are on site or on location with clients or suppliers. 
Others are in offices or shared working spaces. 
Some are mobile. 

And it will change. 

Here are just 3 of the many things to consider when leading a team and working hybrid:

▫️Who’s here ... who’s there. 
Know where people are located. And continue to call them by their name, not by their location. 

▫️Who’s together ... who’s alone 
Know whether people are co-located with others, or working alone. Consider how you’ll encourage greater connection and inclusion among and across the hybrid team. 

▫️On the same page ... on a different page
Identify where people’s thinking is at. Are you aligned and united or is there some work to do to clarify and build understanding?


As we work together in these hybrid ways, new techniques, tools and considerations will help us adapt and do well. 

It’s not easy and it won’t be flawless. 

But it’s worth the persistence for better connections with each other. 

What’s new in your change toolkit

Change is almost always a complex, gnarly process with many moving parts... and people.

Resistance is common.
Misunderstandings frequent.

We’re change fatigued, weary (and wary) of more change to things at work.

And preaching 'change is a constant' doesn't get people into it any quicker or easier. 

It’s hard to engage and inspire people on why it's happening and what their role is.

Many change messages don't cut through the overload and overwhelm people are struggling with, particularly when remote and online. 

Conflict, debate and tension escalates, creating problems beyond the change program.

Your toolkit of change becomes vital. 

How do we do things differently to get the results needed? 

Channel your efforts to:
▪️ ENGAGE 
▪️ LEAD &
▪️ IMPACT. 

Focusing here helps cut through the complex nature of change. It gives the change team 3 elements, a mantra for strong, clear and decisive activity. 

Engage. 
Lead. 
Impact. 

Adapting to hybrid

A Harvard Business Review article ‘How to manage a hybrid team’ reports on what we’re seeing and experiencing: “your team members are likely contending with vastly different situations.”

Beyond just their locations of work, many are adapting to changing situations at home or the office and the more permanent distribution of team members across locations. 

This is the hybrid workforce. HBR suggests we ask: 

➡️ “What is the experience my employees are having at work, and how can I empower them to do the best they can?”

▶️ “What protocols can you put in place to ensure that the employees in the office are in sync with those working from home?”

Given people in your team might be located in different places but still need to be brought together - in meetings and workshops - how will you build empowerment and keep things in sync? 

Tips include : 
- beware of an ‘us vs them’ situation 
- be clear, inclusive and flexible
- know it’s not easy and will take some adjustment for all parties. 

For those who are new to this, be open to learning and experimenting, knowing that perfection isn’t possible, but progress certainly is. 

How will you handle hybrid

Microsoft, Atlassian, Google, Slack and Square announced recently that their people could forever work from home if they wanted to. 

They’ve set a precedent and trend for other companies to follow.  

The reality of a HYBRID work force means you’ll begin to have a mix of where people are for every meeting, workshop, team and project. 

Some people are here, some are there; some people are together with others and some people are alone. 

There will be some online and others who may be in the room with you. 

This can create challenging issues with engagement, involvement, participation, contribution and communication. 

How will you handle this hybrid way of working in say, a meeting or workshop? 

When we bring people together we need to:
- Engage their interest 
- Involve them in the work
- Align them as a group or team 
and then, help them
- Commit to decisions and actions. 

This need to juggle and switch across groups and locations is a new way of working for many. 

It raises questions, combinations and tricky logistical situations. 

Plan ahead but be ready to adapt.