3. Communicate
Seamless communication with videoconferences and voice calls is critical for hybrid collaboration. You want to prevent “a failure to communicate” among colleagues, whether they work in the office, at home, or halfway around the world.
A decent noise-reducing microphone and headset or earbuds can help your communication stay focused. Check the settings of your videoconference software to reduce background noise for others in hybrid meetings.
But remote work doesn’t mean giving up your company’s culture and congeniality. Hold virtual coffee breaks, ring a virtual gong to celebrate the latest sale, or hold a virtual meet-my-pet session with your team. Keep those conversations going!
4. Respect Time and Boundaries
In Gen H, work isn’t usually a 9-to-5 job. Hybrid environments offer the flexibility for a teammate to take her dog for a walk, help his kids with schoolwork, or run an errand at the corner supermarket. Of course, everyone still accounts for their time, but companies are devoting even more attention to their employees’ well-being in their personal lives in exchange for loyalty and appreciation.
Colleagues should be sure to keep one another in the loop about when they may be temporarily unavailable. Good calendaring is a must. During the evening or at weekends, responsible employees will put in the time for such a quid pro quo arrangement.
This benevolent paternalism has boundaries, of course. If you’re a night owl, but your teammates prefer to sleep, it’s not a great idea to schedule 1:00 a.m. early-morning strategy sessions.
5. Get Stuff Done
A key objective in every hybrid work environment is collaborating effectively to get stuff done and do your job well. Being entrusted with freedom and flexibility is never an excuse to ignore your work.
Even law firms know that lawyers are motivated by having a collaborative hybrid work environment letting them work from home. But they also know that attorneys have obligations to their clients. Failing to meet deadlines or get the job done has consequences.
If you need help managing your hybrid work, ask for it. Organizations know that helping employees collaborate wirelessly and well — from any location, device, and industry-leading videoconference platforms — is essential to every enterprise’s productivity and bottom line.