Remote and Hybrid Teamwork: Impacts on Innovation #cindertoflame

Sophisticated technology - together with the COVID-19 pandemic - catapulted remote and hybrid teamwork. This paradigm shift in work location was believed to permanently transform the work world. In Canada, the 2023 federal public service strike sought “work-from-home flexibility” in contract negotiations. The decision was that work location is a management right that should not be surrendered. Changes to the context of the workplace and a host of human factors influence corporate culture and the capacity for major innovation.

Today, the concept of environmental wellness necessitates an expanded view that captures the context and characteristics of remote work settings. For example, the frequency of interruptions and distractions may differ between onsite and remote work. This depends upon an individual’s life situation (e.g. young children or elders at home) and physical work environment. While some employees embrace remote work, others have found it has disrupted their work-life balance.

A critical consideration is whether a given position can be performed to the highest quality remotely. Moreover, a cautious approach assesses the impact on collaborative teamwork for corporate success. Studies indicate that not all individuals can perform effectively in a remote work setting. Key factors are personal characteristics, work preferences, intrinsic level of motivation and conscientiousness.

When employees are onsite, leaders can more readily observe potential clues or patterns of behavior. For example, consider the tendency to email an adjacent colleague, rather than engage in conversation. One reason might be an individual preference for independent work that can easily swing too far in a remote work setting and negatively impact teamwork.

Managers may not be aware or apprised of problems in remote and hybrid work environments. Does everyone take initiative to reach out and connect with colleagues on a regular basis? Is anyone restricting their availability? This translates into more than reduced team productivity - it will stifle creativity, the precursor to innovation.

Leadership holds accountability for building cohesive teams focused on tasks toward common goals. Monitoring the impact of remote and hybrid work on relationships requires strategies to recognize and address avoidance behaviors and conflict. And most importantly, to motivate hybrid teams and provide opportunities to generate and explore creative ideas.

Leaders must be attuned to equity, diversity and inclusion issues - specific to hybrid teams - such as proximity, recency and social biases. For example, preference or inclusion in discussions and decisions should not be given to those physically present. Leaders require expertise in multimodel communication that supports equal engagement of employees (whether working onsite or remotely) and promotes a sense of belonging, community and connection. Reports suggest shared workspaces and hoteling can also have negative impacts on well-being. Employees are people, who thrive in work environments where they co-create personal and shared work experiences.

Strong facilitation skills are required to manage hybrid teams for maximum participation. Short, goal-oriented meetings are more effective than hour long meetings where individuals (especially those working remotely) gradually fade and tune out. Virtual communication challenges also include hiding faces and full body cues that may reveal reactions and emotions, not verbally expressed.

Studies link optimal team socialization to in-person encounters. It’s an organic process that occurs naturally, such as casual conversations in the lunchroom or kitchenette. Presence and space gradually develop trust - another facet of a healthy corporate culture. Trust leads to psychological safety that unleashes a team’s creative potential, by feeling safe to openly share more radical ideas and disagree, without fear of competing or isolating behaviors. Finally, physical proximity supports reciprocal, vicarious team learning that stimulates the flow (and iterations) of creative ideation.

Cinder to Flame helps Corporations solve complex challenges with strategic services that energize people, fuel a healthy corporate culture and ignite major innovation.

A healthy corporate culture is sensitive to the context of the work environment (onsite, remote or hybrid arrangements) and the interplay of individual, team and leadership factors, when aligning for major innovation.

How has remote and hybrid work impacted your team's capacity for creativity and corporate innovation?

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