What then is needed? It requires a deliberate approach to trust, culture, communication, and performance.
Trust is the foundation of remote leadership, but outcomes are more important than simply showing up for meetings!
First of all, lets consider best practice. Start by defining clear expectations, goals, and responsibilities. Give employees autonomy in how they achieve objectives, but then measure performance by outcomes and results rather than hours online. Avoid excessive monitoring or micromanagement…but…follow through on commitments and hold everyone, including leaders, accountable.
Leaders themselves, need to demonstrate behaviours that value trust. This includes, being transparent about decisions and priorities, by sharing information openly unless there is a compelling reason not to. Remember high clarity + high autonomy = high trust.
In an office, culture develops through daily interactions. In hybrid environments, culture must be designed intentionally. This means that team members understand what the team stands for, and how people are expected to collaborate. Make the culture visible! One of the biggest challenges in dispersed teams is communication inconsistency. This means that a full understanding of preferred communication channels, expected response times, availability and working hours are needed.
Trust grows through relationships, which means that in a hybrid/remote environment that there needs to be more regular one-to-one conversations, but, use part of the meetings for informal connection. Encourage peer-to-peer collaboration, create opportunities for social interaction, and bring teams together physically when possible for strategic work and relationship building.
Hybrid teams can unintentionally create “two classes” of employees. This requires ensuring remote participants have equal voice in meetings. Document decisions instead of relying on hallway conversations! Evaluate performance based on contribution, not visibility.
Lead with empathy…this does not mean lowering expectations…it means understanding context while maintaining performance. Listen actively, understand individual needs, adapt where possible without compromising standards…finally…support wellbeing while maintaining accountability.
Employees pay more attention to what leaders do than what they say. Trust and culture are strengthened when leaders consistently communicate openly, treat people fairly, recognise contributions, apply standards consistently and demonstrate organisational values in everyday decisions.
Remote/hybrid, or office based, everyone is measured in some shape or form! The key is to be more aware of inclusivity, improve communication and building a culture that makes everyone feel valued!
