As leaders strive to effectivelylead their hybrid workforce, there’s still overarching deep-seated notions regarding the necessity of physical presence in the office and underlying trust issues. This adaptation shows a striking contradiction within today’s workplace culture: the anticipated benefits of work flexibility are often undermined by a persistent focus on “face time.” Despite the broad integration of technology that supports effective remote work, there still remains issues in how productivity and physical presence are perceived. These are brought to life in my two recent experiences.
Flexible But Still Clocked
Last week I saw my friend Martina at her cottage. She’s an effective senior manager in the government, and she enjoys the privilege of a hybrid work arrangement. This setup allows her to clock in her work from her cottage on Thursdays and Fridays, offering her the chance to relish the serene cottage environment post-work. On other weekdays, she commits her hours to the office.
This blend of environments seemingly offers the best of both worlds, illustrating the potential benefits of hybrid work. However, I couldn’t help but notice that she had to be online for 7.5 hours of working despite the fact that she told me she didn’t have that much to do that day. She also had to start at 8:00 am sharp. I imagine her team, in turn, is feeling the same pressure.
Autonomous Yet Tethered
This Thursday, I saw my friend Nia, an executive at a multinational corporation, who was in a predicament. She left work early at 4:45 pm for dinner with me, distressed over not having her work phone. Her concern wasn’t about unfinished tasks but that her absence online might be noticed without her manually showing herself as “available” on Microsoft Teams.
Despite having the authority to manage her team’s in-office days, Nia felt tethered to the notion of “face time,” even in a virtual context. This reveals a contradiction in the perceived autonomy of hybrid work, where the freedom to dictate work location and hours doesn’t fully eliminate the pressure to be constantly available or visible online.
Output-Based Work Design
In contrast to Martina and Nia’s experiences, my approach to work and that of my team centers on productivity and value creation, irrespective of time or location. Some days we might work for just two hours, while on others, we stretch to 10. Our focus isn’t on clocking in a specific number of hours but on achieving our goals and maintaining work-life balance.
These ideas are continually reinforced in our internal leadership development program. Throughout our year-long cohort-based program, the concept of trust, outcomes, and time-of-day-flexibility are an undercurrent in our modules and discussions. This approach has served us well, but it also highlights a stark contrast to the prevalent work culture that still emphasizes “face time.”
Bringing Back Trust to the Workforce
These varied experiences lead us to examine the true nature of managing hybrid work. While leaders often declare their trust in their teams and advocate for the work-life balance benefits of hybrid models, a fundamental trust issue still remains. The belief that productivity is tied to physical presence in the office or constant online availability is an outdated concept, yet it’s still deeply rooted in numerous workplace cultures.
This reveals a gap between the ideals of flexibility and trust that hybrid work promises, and the reality faced by employees. This is even beyond the existing issues of leading in-person and remote teams that leaders are already contending with.
Effective Leadership Development for Managing a Hybrid Workforce
To navigate the complexities of managing a hybrid workforce, organizations can equip leaders with a diverse set of skills to address challenges effectively. A robust leadership development program tailored to these needs is paramount. Here’s what such a modern leadership program would encompass:
1. Trust Building and Empowerment: Managers should transition from micromanagement to trust-based leadership, empowering teams to excel. While many modern leadership development programs are based on this foundation, they can be updated to specifically draw the impact to hybrid teams.
The leadership program should ideally teach managers how to let go of control and trust their remote team’s skills, moving from monitoring everything to enabling employees. Managers would learn how to establish clear expectations, provide necessary resources, and give their team the freedom to perform.
By focusing on outcomes rather than hours worked, leaders foster a culture of accountability and unleash employee creativity. The explicit tie in the leadership training to hybrid teams would help leadership development program participants embrace trust in the modern era.
2. Outcome-Based Management: Leadership development programs need to have a paradigm that shifts the focus from “time spent” to “results achieved.” This approach grants employees autonomy over their schedules while fostering accountability and mutual respect.
Leaders must trust in their team’s ability to deliver, fostering a culture driven by trust rather than “face time.” Effective leadership learning programs can reinforce this truth.
3. Transparent Communication: Managerial development that includes processes for regular virtual check-ins that prioritize both work-related discussions and personal well-being are essential.
Managers should learn how to establish check-ins to encourage open dialogue and ensure that team members feel heard and valued. Structured communication channels ensure all voices are heard, fostering trust and engagement.
4. Technology Utilization: To drive effective communication, the program would also equip managers to leverage collaborative tools and platforms to bridge the gap between remote and in-office team members. Managers should learn how to foster a digital environment where collaboration is seamless, and all team members can participate equally regardless of their location or work hours.
5. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Leadership development programs can encourage attendees to promote cross-functional collaboration in their teams. The program should include training on how to create opportunities for cross-functional team projects to break down silos and promote unity and shared purpose. Managers should learn how to encourage team members to work with colleagues from different departments or areas of expertise to gain new perspectives and develop a deeper understanding of the organization.
And the leadership program itself can model this approach by having cross-functional attendees. Creating avenues for collaboration across departments promotes unity and shared goals.
6. Inclusive Cultures: Leadership training that celebrates diversity and fosters inclusivity is fundamental. Managers should learn how to create an environment where all team members feel valued and respected for their unique perspectives and contributions.
By valuing contributions, leaders cultivate a sense of belonging. These initiatives not only are effective to help individuals bring their whole self to work, but they support trust in a remote and hybrid environment.
Battling the Trust Contradictions
Martina’s and Nia’s stories illustrate that even in environments where flexibility is encouraged, there’s a silent expectation to adhere to traditional work hours and to be visibly working, whether in person or online. This expectation undermines the principles of autonomy and flexibility that are supposed to be at the heart of hybrid work, indicating a mistrust in employees’ ability to manage their workload effectively without constant oversight.
The challenge, then, for organizations to cultivate a culture of trust where outcomes and impact are valued over the number of hours logged. The six facets to include in a modern leadership development program help create an environment where trust is the foundation of the team dynamic, communication flows freely and team cohesion is strengthened, regardless of the physical distances between team members.
Beyond the six approaches, the organization needs a foundational change in how work and trust is perceived within the workplace. Trust shouldn’t be contingent on visibility but on the consistent delivery of results. For hybrid work to truly succeed and for its benefits to be fully realized, organizations must reassess their approach to measuring productivity and foster a culture of trust that empowers employees to work in ways that best suit their productivity and life.
As we navigate the complexities of hybrid work, let’s use these reflections to push for a more trust-based approach in our workplaces. By doing so, we can move beyond the outdated premise of “face time” and embrace the full potential of flexibility and autonomy that hybrid work offers. It’s time to shift the focus from how long or where we work to the value we create, marking a significant step towards a more inclusive, trusting and productive work environment.
