A framework to stay aligned when your team is remote
Ever wondered why some leaders can’t adapt to working hybrid? Why they ask everyone to come back to the office? Chances are they misunderstand what it takes to lead flexible teams, or are not prepared to implement the needed changes.
You see, all companies require a degree of People, Process, and Technology to function. Both traditional and hybrid/remote-first companies need to get that balance right to excel. But it’s sooooo much easier to hide deficiencies when everyone works side by side.
How so?
Leaders can rely on People to work around ineffective Processes and Technology. It gives them the impression that they can fix things by ‘seeing’ and ‘talking’ to people. It gives them a (false) sense of control. Unsure who does what? Talk to Nancy over there! Not sure about a deadline? Robert will sort you out! And look, the process side of things is already sorted since everyone works 9am to 5pm - none of that weird flexible time patchwork! DONE!!!
In contrast, successful hybrid leaders use a combination of Technology tools (e.g. Asana + Slack + Zoom) & Processes (e.g. 1:1s, virtual stand-ups, reviews) to organize the work. They create robust People - Process - Technology systems to keep everyone aligned, on track, and committed. It doesn’t matter where people work because there is clarity on who does what, when, and how. We call this the “Leader’s Alignment Toolkit” at The Hybrid Way because we’re fancy like that.
Surely most leaders do this already, no?
I would argue that many leaders underestimate how critical these aspects become in a workplace where people don’t work in the same place at the same time. You gotta build systems for flexible & distributed workplaces to perform.
Remember when everyone was suddenly required to work from home due to Covid? Suddenly it was Zoom hell for everyone. Why? Because many folks transposed in-office practices to a remote-first situation. There were no rules around the use of Technology. No agreed upon process other than: let’s do a zoom meeting!
How to use
Before illustrating how this framework can be used, let’s review the components:
People - Who’s doing stuff
Individuals on a team, partners, stakeholders, clients, etc.
Keywords: skills, relationships, behaviours. By extension: employee engagement, psychological safety, etc.
Tech - What is used to do stuff
Tech is critical to automate tasks, document, keep everything in once place, and more. You’d be surprised (or not) by how many leaders don’t know how to use features that would make their team’s life easier and more effective.
Keywords: digital leadership, tech ecosystem, collaboration features, tools (Notion, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Asana, Trello, Zoom, Basecamp, Jira, etc.)
Process - How stuff is done
This is the what/when/how to get things done. Process creates team rhythms, routines, and rituals. Process keeps people abreast of what’s happening, helps determine how people pass on the work to each other, etc.
Keywords: cadence, goals, checkpoints, milestones, project management, prioritization, company policies, etc.
Identify solutions to common hybrid workplace challenges
“Too many silos when working remotely!”
What may be happening: Have you trained your folks to work across (People)? How top of mind are other parts of the org when working on projects or making decisions (Process)? Is there a central hub to find out what’s happening across your org (Tech + Process)? How is your information disseminated within your org (Tech + Process)
“It’s so much easier to collaborate in person!”
What may be happening: You probably need to shift from synchronous to asynchronous collaboration (Process + Tech). Do people know how to use collaborative features (Tech)? Have you adapted your work processes to the new work situation (Process)?
“People are burning out!”
What may be happening: People are having a hard time disconnecting from work and managing their workload. Is there clarity around work expectations (Process)? Are folks being bombarded by Slack, WhatsApp, Email, etc. at all times of the day (Process + Tech)? Do people know how to disconnect, renew and sustain their energy, or create boundaries around work (People)?
An example of People-Process-Technology for Teams
Goal: Get Things Done. The “eat your frog” strategy consists of keeping each other accountable to get everyone’s respective things done.
People = every team member.
Tech = automated reminder feature in Slack to post the following message in the team channel: “Have you eaten your frog this week?”
Process: post goes out every Friday morning. Each team member is expected to reply if they have a frog. We jump in to help whoever needs help. The use of froggy emojis is not optional. 🐸🪓
Results = collective accountability.
It’s a fun example, but we used the exact same people-tech-process on Mondays to keep abreast of what everyone was working on. Everyone had to answer: “What are the top 3 items you’re working on this week?” This allowed us to cut down on updating each other in face to face meetings. Over time, we cut down emails, moved all updates and accountability to Slack and Google Docs, and used our meetings for discussions that mattered.
