Leading at a Distance

How prepared are you for virtual and hybrid work?

Our conversations with more than 100 leaders across industries and three global surveys indicate that most organizations will adopt a hybrid or “blended” way of working, in which some business is conducted face-to-face and other work is done remotely. Leaders who proactively plan for navigating the hybrid model will maximize the benefits and minimize any pitfalls. Assess how prepared you are as a leader for virtual/hybrid work and learn how you may need to adapt.

Relationships

I struggle with helping my virtual team establish and maintain trusting relationships.

Provide opportunities to build relationships via face-to-face meetings when possible or monthly “lunch and learn” sessions, highlight successes with a weekly roundup email, and encourage and role-model transparency by openly sharing challenges.

Select the option that most closely mirrors your current state in this virtual/hybrid environment across the four factors that are essential for best-in-class virtual leadership.

I struggle with helping my virtual team establish and maintain trusting relationships.

I could improve upon helping my virtual team establish and maintain trusting relationships.

Congratulations! This is not an easy feat. Maintain your progress by watching out for signs of mistrust, such as a tendency toward silos, spotty information-sharing, poor communication and unresolved conflict so that you can intervene early.

My virtual team feels comfortable raising issues or concerns with me.

I don’t know if my virtual team feels comfortable raising issues or concerns with me.

My virtual team feels comfortable raising issues or concerns with me.

Consistently check in with your team to ensure they continue to feel a sense of psychological safety. Follow up about any previous issues raised to assess whether progress has been made. This will help your team see that voicing their concerns leads to action.

I don’t know if my virtual team feels comfortable raising issues or concerns with me.

If you are not hearing of any issues, your team may not feel safe enough to bring them up. Create psychological safety by reinforcing ground rules that emphasize mutual respect and confidentiality. Set up “virtual office hours” to empower your team to share their concerns and ideas.

Accountability

I measure performance by output vs. activity in a virtual environment.

I measure my virtual team’s performance by their adherence to our in-office processes.

I measure performance by output vs. activity in a virtual environment.

Ensure performance remains high by regularly checking in to make sure your team has the resources it needs to keep meeting its goals and periodically collect feedback from stakeholders to identify any potential barriers.

I measure my virtual team’s performance by their adherence to our in-office processes.

In a remote/hybrid model, meeting deadlines and quality standards is more important than when, where and how many hours people work. It can be difficult to separate individual performance from the larger team’s work, so check in with people individually to confirm everyone is contributing appropriately.

I promote a culture of accountability by empowering team members from a distance.

It’s harder for me to hold people accountable when we’re not all in the office.

I promote a culture of accountability by empowering team members from a distance.

Build on your success in this area by finding ways for team members to make their work visible and collect feedback from stakeholders to assess how the team is delivering on their projects.

It’s harder for me to hold people accountable when we’re not all in the office.

It can be challenging to maintain accountability in a virtual environment. Communication becomes even more important: Clearly identify who is responsible for what. Address it when members of your team miss commitments. Have regular check-ins on progress at multiple points during a project.

Motivation

I motivate my virtual team by building a sense of purpose.

I find it more difficult to inspire my team in a virtual environment.

I motivate my virtual team by building a sense of purpose.

Continue to energize your team by emphasizing the positive elements of a task vs. the obstacles and clarify how each team member’s work contributes to the “bigger picture.”

I find it more difficult to inspire my team in a virtual environment.

A vast number of leaders we spoke with shared the same challenge. Get to know what your team members value to gain insight into their motivators. Be aware that virtual workers face unique challenges such as isolation and work/life balance. Check in to see if your team identifies with any of those struggles and collaborate on creating solutions.

I consistently recognize team members’ contributions.

I focus more on coaching discussions than celebrating successes.

I consistently recognize team members’ contributions.

Recognition is a key a motivator. Continue to provide public and private praise. Enhance your efforts by having other members of senior leadership join team meetings to thank people for their work.

I focus more on coaching discussions than celebrating successes.

Ongoing constructive feedback is critical, but recognition has become especially important at a time when people can struggle to feel connected. Be specific when giving praise and tie individual contributions to the overall team’s success.

Process

My team effectively communicates and collaborates in this virtual world.

My team struggles with communication and collaboration now that we’re no longer in person.

My team effectively communicates and collaborates in this virtual world.

Keep up the good work and watch for signs of burnout and Zoom fatigue. Keep video calls for active collaboration and problem-solving, not status updates.

My team struggles with communication and collaboration now that we’re no longer in person.

Ensure your team has the technology needed to successfully work in a virtual/hybrid environment, such as video conferencing, instant messaging and collaborative software. Clarify expectations for use of that technology (e.g., we use video calls for decision-making) and for team interactions (i.e., accessibility and response time).

I have a clear process for my team to raise issues.

Issues on my team are raised inconsistently.

I have a clear process for my team to raise issues.

Reexamine your communication strategy over time. Collect input using different methods, such as anonymous surveys, to ensure different opinions are heard.

Issues on my team are raised inconsistently.

Set clear expectations for how your team should communicate and resolve conflicts. Plan shorter but more frequent meetings to proactively surface any concerns. Then clarify, paraphrase and ask questions to ensure you understand team members’ perspective.

What now?

Whether this brief assessment helped you identify areas of strength or opportunities for improvement, your work as a leader isn't done. It is estimated that 50% of employees will work from home at least part time even after things have stabilized. As conditions continue to evolve in this virtual/hybrid world, leaders will need to adapt along with them.

Get more practical advice

I could improve upon helping my virtual team establish and maintain trusting relationships.

I don’t know if my virtual team feels comfortable raising issues or concerns with me.

I measure my virtual team’s performance by their adherence to our in-office processes.

It’s harder for me to hold people accountable when we’re not all in the office.

I find it more difficult to inspire my team in a virtual environment.

I focus more on coaching discussions than celebrating successes.

My team struggles with communication and collaboration now that we’re no longer in person.

Issues on my team are raised inconsistently.