As George Bernard Shaw once said, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place” – and that has never been more true than in Hybrid work.
As noted in our previous article, communication is one of the top issues leaders face in this new world of work. However, hybrid work isn’t the problem. Like a building under increased tension, hybrid work simply exposes existing cracks in your organization’s communication structure. The cracks were always there, but now they can become more apparent and obvious. Thus, the issue isn’t about being “remote” vs “in office” – it’s about having the communication practices needed for high performance.
While there are many communication challenges, here are some of the common signs of organizational communication “cracks” – and a few methods to address them:
Feeling Isolated
It’s easy to feel alone when there is no one around to talk to, or chatter to hear from the break room. If you as a leader feel isolated, you can be sure your team members likely do as well. Isolation is a symptom of lack of communication. When messages and calls are coming left and right, you don’t feel alone. The first step to get reconnected is the same as any other time you’re feeling alone – reach out to others. And give others a reason to reach out to you. Just say “hi”, ask if someone needs support on a project, or check to see how that soccer game went last night. And as a leader, saying “good morning” (reaching out for a quick touch base) every day is a great way to help you and your team not feel isolated – and to learn what’s going on.
Ineffective Meetings
It’s clear that virtual meetings are different – and often don’t feel as productive as when in-person. But as anyone who has ever been in a meeting can say, in-person meetings aren’t always the best use of time either. There is no one “best way” to communicate, and likewise, meetings aren’t always ideal. To give yourself the best chance of having a quality meeting, follow these common best practices.
- Determine if a meeting is needed. Ex: Can this topic be addressed in an email or a message, or is it just a basic status update? If so, a meeting likely isn’t needed.
- Should the meeting be live or virtual? If any single person is remote, it should automatically be virtual for everyone. This ensures a level playing field for participation.
- What kind of meeting is it going to be? There are many types of meetings, and each has a unique purpose and methods to maximize productivity. Ex: Brainstorming, problem-solving, decision making, team building, etc.
- Prep for the chosen type of meeting. Once the type of meeting is determined, the leader’s job becomes making the meeting of most value. The same general pre-meeting steps apply whether virtual or in-person, but what specifically to prep varies by meeting type and venue.
- What prep is needed? What should the participants prepare?
- Is an agenda needed? How formal should the meeting be?
- What role will the facilitator play?? Who will be the facilitator?
- Etc.
- Follow-up on the meeting. What are the takeaways and action items? The best way to waste meeting time is to ignore what was discussed or decided. Always leave a meeting with known next steps – and then make sure to follow-through.
Missing Face-to-Face Connection
Remote work means you will lose some face-to-face communication. This will be a challenge for many and requires a significant mindset shift. However, when done correctly, remote communication can be just as productive as in-person, and hybrid doesn’t have to hurt performance. While some elements of communication are lost (such as non-verbal), what is gained is increased speed, less wasted time, and a clear communication trail that can be followed when needed.
The trick is to keep the goal of your communication in mind. Are you solving a problem? Giving an update? Building comradery? Once that goal is determined, leaders need to find the most efficient way to reach that goal. Enjoy the challenge!
It Takes Too Long to Get Responses
This can be a real concern, especially when the pressure is on! There can be some tense moments when you need an answer now but don’t see anything happening. For these situations, it helps to make a plan in advance with your team. Establish various modes of communication, each with increasing levels of urgency. Often, email is the least urgent, then Slack/messaging, and finally phone calls or text for immediate needs.
Setting the expectation that there is a 15-minute response time for requests can also be helpful. With your team, set the precedent that during your normal business hours, a response is expected within 15 minutes, even if it’s just an “I’m working on it.” Plus, assigning urgency levels to your messages can help others be aware of the priority.
Communication Failures
It’s been said that “10% of conflict is due to difference of opinion and 90% is due to delivery and tone of voice.” And this just gets worse when you can’t control the tone. Whether creating conflicts, or just misunderstandings, there is more room for misinterpretation when communicating in writing or even in a virtual meeting. Everyone (leaders especially) must be extra clear and mindful of what they say in hybrid work. Always remember to tailor your message tone to the audience – and err on the side of caution (i.e., professionalism) if you don’t know their personality. Say it a couple ways if you think there could be multiple ways of interpreting what you’re trying to say. And don’t be afraid to use emojis to create some more “emotional clarity”.
Communication Vacuums
When there is no communication, the “vacuum” is always filled with something. And it’s normally not what you want. And as the grapevine works just as well remotely, it’s even more important to keep the right information out there and ensure that people are accurately informed.
Some methods to accomplish this are:
- Follow the “3 Cs”: Make your messages Clear, Concise, Consistent, (and for a hybrid work bonus…) Constant.
- Create a network for posting relevant and “real-time” information, official updates, and letting people as questions. This could be Slack or another intranet your team regularly uses.
- Don’t rely on meetings to share info. People are now asynchronous, and often meetings don’t work well to get “everyone in the room”. Instead, document everything – keep meeting notes record important Zoom meetings, and write down decisions. And make that documentation available to everyone.
- Delineate between “Official” and “Optional” communication channels. What do people “need” to read? The fewer items people have to read, the more likely they are to read what’s really necessary.
- Do 1-on-1s – give people an individual chance to ask questions and clear up (or learn about) any possible misconceptions.
Difficult Conversations
Discussing hard things is even harder over the internet. In-person is always preferred when you have crucial topics to discuss. But in hybrid work that’s no longer always possible.
First, make sure the “support mechanisms” are all in place. For instance, clear performance guidelines about what’s expected. Talking behind co-workers’ backs or disrespecting a client are likely examples of “non-negotiables”. These should be known to everyone. If they are, it’s less likely the offending party has any “excuse” for their behavior – making difficult conversations a bit easier to have.
Next, determine the best medium for communication based on your objective. As always, this is determined by what’s being communicated. Announcing a downsize will take a different approach than handling low team morale. The medium also depends on the audience. Some like to read it (and re-read it), others like to have it explained verbally and ask questions. You need to know your team and tailor your approach to meet their needs.
Then, make feedback regular, and any corrective actions immediate. It’s easier to have a conversation if it happens regularly. It shouldn’t be a surprise or something unusual when you reach out to someone and ask to “have a conversation.”
Finally, create an atmosphere of trust (easier said than done!). Hard conversations are easier on both sides if they come from the right place. This starts by being genuinely “for” your team. You should be the best friend their success has ever had. If you desire their success and the bets for them, it sometimes requires having difficult conversations. If approached correctly, they will understand the helpful place you are coming from.
Losing the Hallway Slack Channel
Before going remote, it often felt as if the hallway or a quick drop-by meeting was where most coordination happened. Forgot something you heard at the client? Can’t quite remember what you told someone you’d do? It seemed to be easily recalled just by seeing someone in person. Many managers feel this is a major hinderance due to hybrid work.
However, the random drop-in meetings and quick coordination in the hallway often caused forgotten messages in the first place. You’re likely not in the right mental (or physical) space to adequately capture information when caught off guard.
That’s a distinct advantage of hybrid work. Sending someone a direct message is harder to forget (or ignore). There is a paper trail backing it up – and it’s clear who’s accountable. If done right, the formality of hybrid communication can more than make up for the loss of frequency (even if it is hard to get used to). You can take advantage of this by creating more formal communication policies that may not have been accepted before. For instance, now you give every task a single owner, assign clear target due dates, and ensure everyone has clarity on deliverables.
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These are a few of the many communication challenges leaders face in hybrid work. Thankfully, every challenge has a solution. It just may take a bit of creativity to rethink the rules of business we have come to know. But as a leader, that’s what sets you aside and makes your team successful.