As hybrid workplaces continue to trend in 2021, some managers in the plastics industry are finding it challenging to keep remote employees in sync with those returning to the office. If you don’t support your hybrid team in the right ways, then it could lead to a toxic “us versus them” work environment. Let’s review some effective hybrid team leadership strategies.

Reach Out to Your Hybrid Team

Promote mental health awareness regardless of where your employees are working. The pandemic, economic uncertainty, and social unrest have created a perfect storm for depression, stress, and anxiety. Reach out to your hybrid team on a regular basis via one-on-one video calls with remote workers to discuss their respective circumstances and worries. Equally important is listening and supporting those colleagues returning to the office. Look for signs of poor mental health among employees like those who are easily distracted, have mood swings, or lack concentration. Finally, develop positive mental health initiatives in the workplace. Here are some suggestions and resources:

Be Flexible with Hybrid Employees

Workplace flexibility, fairness, and empathy are all keys to supporting a successful hybrid team. It’s even more important now to keep an open mind since plans and federal guidelines concerning the pandemic continue evolving. Be prepared to adopt a new work culture that allows some wiggle room for remote workers to revise their hours to reduce distractions. Then, keep it fair by allowing employees returning to the office to have flexible work shifts. If you want to attract the top talent to your organization, then you need to promote work-life balance.

Set Clear Priorities and Objectives

Build a resilient system by setting clear priorities and objectives. Start the week by emphasizing the most important projects so your team knows what to focus on first. Then, understand that with hybrid teams there are going to be gaps between expectations and reality. Fortunately, you can bridge these gaps with effective communication to clarify what additional resources employees might need to meet your expectations.

Although your employees might be spread out for the time being, you can still bring them together to work on common goals. Keep everybody engaged by reaching out on a regular basis, be flexible to boost morale and decrease stress, and set clear priorities at the beginning of the week or month.

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