Leading the Hybrid Workforce in the “New Normal”

As we move into a post-pandemic “new normal,” leaders are facing the new reality of leading a hybrid workforce. This reality requires balancing employee preferences to work remotely with a desire to maintain the increased productivity and collaboration that took place during the pandemic.

A recent survey found that the leadership skills most needed in 2023 are engaging and developing talent, leading and supporting change initiatives, establishing goals and priorities, and creating a sense of inclusion and belonging, according to a Center for Creative Leadership article.

Leaders should incorporate the following five steps into their strategy:

1. Acknowledge what’s changed. Maintaining a positive organizational culture will be cruciCenteal, with employee engagement and culture primary challenges in both remote and hybrid work settings.
2. Focus on fostering inclusion. Defining shared team norms and expectations will be essential for creating cohesion within hybrid teams. Ensure that all team members, whether in-person or remote, have equal opportunities to contribute.
3. Cultivate a mindset of learning agility and well-being. The ability to adapt and thrive in new situations is crucial to your organization’s success with hybrid work. Leaders should prioritize mental and physical health and regularly check in with their teams.
4. Incorporate the DAC model. This model emphasizes the need for shared direction, alignment among team members, and a high level of commitment. It can help you gauge the success of your hybrid workforce.
5. Focus on bridging boundaries. Leaders will need to focus on bridging boundaries within teams and across the organization’s hybrid workforce.

The new hybrid work environment requires adapting leadership skills to the changing needs of the workforce. When your hybrid workforce employees see their leaders adapt with an agile and collaborative mindset, they will, in all likelihood, follow.