Valdosta State University

Leading a hybrid team whose members are located in-person and across the US is challenging. The Job DemandResources (JD-R) framework explains the dynamic relationship between remote employees’ job demands (such as challenging tasks and responsibilities) and the resources available to assist (such as autonomy and the capacity to perform tasks successfully). The JD-R framework has shown that transformational leadership is highly effective for hybrid teams since it includes a commitment to a common vision, personal growth and inspiration.  

So, as a transformational leader, how do I support hybrid team members by showing individualized consideration, intense motivation and idealized influence when they are potentially separated by geographical distance?

One way to support hybrid team members is by using hightouch leadership, which includes such things as proactive communication, individualized development, empathy with accountability and feedback/follow-through. Leaders can show high-touch aspects in regular monthly virtual meetings, for example, by the manner in which they address team members, the tone of their language and the respect they show each communication event. 

Even sending kudos to team members who are both remote and in-person is tricky. When the in-person team excels in something and the leader sends kudos on a common Teams channel, for example, all remote members see it as well. Then, the question becomes, “Do all team members have opportunities to provide services in order to earn kudos also?”

I tend to praise and encourage wherever I see good things happening, but I am cognizant of when and how people are praised. 

In my experience, in-person team members provide a backbone of support for remote team members, and sometimes vice versa. This collegiality has been nurtured and grown by encouraging personal interactions, surmounting group struggles collegially and committing to work together in harmony.

For example, a strategic CC on an email can transmit to the team member that their concerns are heard, understood and being acted upon. Since geographic distance can psychologically isolate team members, communicating through in-the-moment e-mails and Teams messages reduces isolation and supports a thriving team mentality.

Also, when leaders share the reasons and motivations behind policies that affect the team, hybrid team members are more likely to engage and suspend disbelief or discouragement. The “why” can be communicated in a variety of ways, both formally and informally. In my experience and based on my personality as an “Innovative, big picture thinker,” sharing the motivation behind decisions has opened doors for exploration and provided the context for making decisions. This allows the hybrid team, and especially remote members, the opportunity to see the bigger picture that often impacts decision.

A brief virtual meeting can be another effective tool. Setting aside formality, these meetings can generate interest and collegiality, showing a high-touch leader’s emotional investment in positive relationships. Scheduling informal meetings serves as a pressure-release valve in stressful situations. They often bring out a variety of perspectives and offer ways of moving forward that are pointed toward better, more specific outcomes.

The high-touch leader’s digital presence is another key factor in successfully leading hybrid teams. More than knowing how to use digital tools, a digital presence is felt when leaders log in at regular intervals, show up to digital meetings being able to use the tools to provide information and struggle with the same kinds of stressors that the digital world can provide (i.e., challenges with AI, fraud, etc.)

In short, leaders are more successful leading hybrid teams when they exhibit collegiality, commit to sharing the context and “why” behind decisions, and sustain an appropriate digital presence. High-touch leadership can change the atmosphere of a hybrid team from one of disconnection and confusion to one of engagement and collegiality.