The new hybrid work environment will feel different. Use the following suggestions to assist you with exploring new ways to interact with members of your team and other colleagues.

Ask yourself: What do I need to be my best in my hybrid team, and how can I support others?

Working Together as a hybrid team:

• Be respectful of what it takes for everyone to be their authentic selves in a hybrid team. Realize that team members will have different perceptions of how this is working. Be willing to hear their thoughts and work to find options for resolution.
• Practice self-awareness by reflecting on what you need to succeed in a hybrid workplace and share this with your team.
• Test your assumptions. Exercise curiosity and listen to your coworkers with empathy and humility. Understand their needs and look for ways to support one another.
• Demonstrate courage and make inclusion a focus. Be conscious of any biases that might affect how effectively you work together (e.g., a preference for face-to-face meetings instead of utilizing virtual collaboration tools).
• Do your best to adhere to the team agreements (if your team sets them) and share what is working well and what might be improved.

Building and maintaining working relationships:

• When you are on-site, be sure to make time to connect with colleagues.
• There may be flexibility in your work schedule. Try to carve up some hours that overlap with other team members.
• Be sure to communicate your availability.

Make it easy to collaborate:

• Don’t assume everyone will understand the context of your communication. Provide relevant details.
• Ensure you share essential messages in the appropriate communication channels (see Quick Guide on Communication Tips for Hybrid Teams).
• Schedule time if you need to talk things through; avoid just “dropping in.”

Communicate the status and progress of your work:

• Giving regular updates provides benefits for both you and your coworkers. It communicates the status of your task and gets any possible issues out of the way.

  Your updates remind your coworkers how you are contributing to the team. Checking in only when absolutely needed will put you in the back of coworkers’ minds.

• Staying connected is much easier when you use all your communication tools and put in the effort to communicate (see Quick Guide on Communication Tips for Hybrid Teams).
• Regular huddle meetings (usually 15 to 30 minutes) may make sense for some hybrid teams to provide a structured framework to keep each other in the loop and ask for help where needed.

With these tips in mind, remember to keep an adaptive mindset and keep sharing what is working and what may need to change. Your efforts will help create a more successful hybrid team environment and a more productive and satisfying work environment.

Adapted from Employee Quick Guide: Adjusting to the hybrid workplace, Microsoft Corporation, 2021.