In the age of working from home, the challenge of maintaining a cohesive and inclusive company culture is more complex than ever. Whether you’re an enterprise-sized organization or a small local business, the intricacies of keeping everyone on the same page and working efficiently while embracing hybrid models of working is tough. As teams are spread across different locations and time zones, leaders and managers must find new ways to bridge the gap between in-person and remote employees—requiring innovative approaches to fostering connection, trust, and a sense of belonging among all team members, regardless of where they work.
Fostering Connection in a Hybrid Environment
One of the biggest laments of work from home culture has been difficulty in building those in-person connections that come so naturally when co-located. So, how do you remedy this with remote workers?
In short, building human connections in a hybrid world starts with open communication. Leaders should prioritize regular check-ins, both formal and informal, to create space for team members to voice concerns, share achievements, and build rapport. Additionally, prioritizing “fun” meetings—such as team building exercises and virtual coffee breaks—can help keep things light, and mimics the water-cooler atmosphere of casual work interaction. Tools like video conferencing, instant messaging, and collaborative platforms can enhance these interactions, but they should not replace the human element.
Additionally, it’s essential to promote collaboration across all channels. Encourage team members to work together on projects and celebrate successes, regardless of whether they’re in the office or remote. This can help break down silos and foster a more inclusive environment. Emphasizing team goals over individual tasks can also create a shared sense of purpose and camaraderie.
Finally, make sure to highlight inclusive leadership practices. Ensure all employees feel heard and valued by fostering a culture where every voice matters. This can be achieved by actively soliciting input from quieter team members, celebrating diverse perspectives, and addressing any biases that may arise.
Introducing the “Patchwork Principle”
In theory, this would all work perfectly, but the reality is that as companies are encouraging employees to return to the office, an imbalance is occurring; some employees resent having to return at all, while others embrace it wholeheartedly and are excited to return to their physical offices. Any sort of enforcement one way or the other creates divides, and in some cases may cause employees to quit if they feel they’re not going to be given the autonomy they’ve had up until now. This is a tricky equation to solve for, as many companies would have never gone remote had it not been for the pandemic, and are now having to “backtrack” to get back to where they were before 2020. For employees who welcomed the work from home shift, this feels like their rewards are being taken away, and to those who welcome the return to office, it can feel unfair if not all employees are also returning to the office.
While this issue is complex, great minds have been at work on a variety of solutions. One approach gaining traction is the “Patchwork Principle,” which involves creating a tapestry of interwoven connections across all areas of the organization.
According to David Rock, CEO of The NeuroLeadership Institute and the person behind the Patchwork Principle, the principle is “[s]imilar to a patchwork quilt made of multiple pieces of fabric, overlapping return-to-office ‘patches’ could deliver a similar effect. These patches would ensure that a good number of people are present on many days throughout the month while still allowing a low overall dosage of ‘forced’ in-office time for those who prefer to work remotely.The idea is to reap the subtle engagement and retention benefits of bringing people together and help leaders feel better without losing too much work-from-home productivity or annoying the bulk of people who don’t want to lose a sense of control over their lives.”
Rock offers four potential “patches” to help ease the tension of hybrid environments:
1. Designate a certain number of mandatory in-office days for all employees.
Note that this is not “a certain number of days per week” as for some primarily WFH folks, this can feel like too much. Rock recommends between 2-5 mandatory in-office days per month to help every stay connected, without feeling like their freedom has been compromised.
2. Let the employees that want to stay in the office do so.
For those that work better in an office, or find themselves better able to focus when not at home, encourage them to do so, and make sure the office environment is welcoming and conducive to work. If someone truly does their best work in an office, that should be a priority for them to do that, rather than forcing them to “go with the flow” if most employees want to stay remote.
In times of economic uncertainty and change, holding onto a big office space that barely gets used can be challenging and cost-ineffective. For bigger companies that have found their buildings mostly vacant, consider downsizing to a smaller office that accommodates those employees preferring to work in person, and rent a larger space or conference room for days when more employees will be co-located.
3. Acknowledge that some teams and departments need more in-person interaction and determine which teams those are.
While it varies drastically between industries and even within companies, the fact is that some work is better accomplished in person. Highly collaborative teams, such as the marketing department, could benefit from longer in-person strategy and creative brainstorming sessions rather than having several spread out over the course of a month. Similarly, the finance team might stack a few days consecutively at the end of the month to go over reports in-person.
The key here, according to Rock is to let the team decide and not to give directives from “the top.” Encourage each department to find what works best for them, and act accordingly.
4. Bring everyone together for a certain number of days each quarter.
Companies often do yearly staff wide retreats and conferences to help set expectations for the new year, to celebrate this year’s wins, and to give everyone a view of the company’s direction for the next 12 months. While these are highly effective as yearly gatherings, consider in a hybrid environment increasing this frequency to something more like quarterly—or even twice a year.
Additionally, adding a fun element such as team-building games and guest speakers can make these events feel special and worthwhile for the whole team.
By implementing strategies that foster frequent, meaningful communication, and by ensuring that all employees, regardless of location, feel included and valued, leaders can build a strong, cohesive team in a disconnected world. For even more tips on leading remote teams, check out our course from David Burkus on navigating leadership in these kinds of environments.
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Sources:
https://neuroleadership.com/your-brain-at-work/patchwork-principle-for-hybrid-work
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/work-from-home-regulations-are-coming-companies-arent-ready/
https://www.fastcompany.com/91156270/working-from-home-new-data-here-to-stay
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