In the era of hybrid working, many organizations have found it is much harder to coordinate teamwork and cultivate productive partnerships when teams are physically distanced and individuals work on different schedules.

However, recent Gallup research from a representative study of almost 3,000 hybrid workers in the U.S. has revealed several ways in which the plans, practices, feedback, and training of hybrid teams can be improved.

The Gallup study identified four ways to help employers increase their teams’ productivity in a hybrid workplace.

1. Plan for Success

The study highlights the importance of having a formal plan and structure for working together effectively in a hybrid workplace.

The research discovered that about half of hybrid workers (48%) are on a team that has not discussed a formal or informal plan for how to collaborate effectively in a hybrid environment. The Gallup study concluded that it is no longer enough just to establish hybrid work policies that set clear expectations for remote working and define when employees can work from home. Policies alone do not foster strong teamwork and organizational cultures.

“A plan helps teammates know what to expect from each other and what is expected of them. It also balances team needs in an environment where individual autonomy can overrun priorities that aren’t explicitly defined,” states a Gallup report on the study, written by Ben Wigert, Gallup’s Director of Research and Strategy for Workplace Management, and Gallup Research Manager Sangeeta Agrawal.

The study found that organizations which have an agreed-on plan for navigating hybrid teamwork tend to have better team collaboration and employee engagement at work. Such plans (also known as ‘team charters’) typically include an agreed understanding of the team’s mission, goals, strengths, and ways of working.

According to Gallup, a formal plan for hybrid collaboration results in employees being:

• 2.2 times as likely to say their organization’s hybrid policy has an extremely positive impact on their team’s collaboration
• 66% more likely to be engaged at work
• 29% less likely to be burned out.

 2. Better coordination of hybrid collaboration

The research highlights the need to pay greater attention to the coordination of hybrid collaboration which, in turn, can help to benefit employee engagement.

The study found that 67% of teams with a plan for improving hybrid collaboration held regularly scheduled team check-in meetings.

“This indicates that two-thirds of hybrid workers whose team has a plan for hybrid collaboration have the opportunity to optimize how they coordinate work with their teammates,” states the Gallup report.

Other key features of hybrid collaboration plans include: guidelines for when to be available during working hours (62% of teams); guidelines for communicating periods of unavailability (50%); guidelines for how often to work on-site (44%); and guidelines for which specific days they need to be on-site (34%).

The study revealed that providing guidelines for prioritizing specific activities to focus on while on-site was the least common practice (only 29% of teams). Gallup believes this finding presents “a significant opportunity for improvement” given Gallup’s previous research which demonstrated the benefits of using on-site time to focus on activities that are harder when physically apart (such as collaboration, feedback and team building).

On this point, the new Gallup report states: “Our current study builds on previous research by showing that guidelines for prioritizing certain high-value activities while working on-site were more likely to increase hybrid workers’ engagement than any other practice examined.”

3. Reflect and adapt

While regular team check-ins are often used to coordinate the logistics of hybrid work, teams should also use these meetings to reflect on lessons learned and how team members can work together better going forward, the Gallup research indicated.

The study found that three in five hybrid workers have some form of ongoing discussions throughout the year about improving hybrid teamwork. This translated to 84% better team collaboration and 50% higher employee engagement.

“Through routine feedback and problem solving, these hybrid teams learn to reflect and adapt together,” states the Gallup report. “Put simply: No plan for elevating teamwork means no improvement for hybrid teams.”

4. Upskill

The Gallup research established that, for hybrid teams to succeed, they must be trained to work together more effectively in a hybrid environment. And this upskilling for hybrid workers should start with training and supporting their managers.

The study discovered that only 21% of hybrid workers currently receive training for how to work effectively in a hybrid work environment—and only 28% of hybrid managers are trained by their organization to lead a hybrid team.

“Plans and best practices for elevating teamwork are more effective when organizations teach people how to work differently,” states the Gallup report. “Hybrid workers need to individually and collectively learn how to make the most of hybrid work while adapting to its challenges.”

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TAGS:
Hybrid teams, Hybrid Workplace, Hybrid Workplace Technology, Hybrid Work Software, Working Environment, Workplace Efficiency, Workplace Experience, Workplace Management, Workplace Strategy, Workplace Technology, Workplace Trends