Teamwork is the ultimate competitive advantage. But teams have been disrupted and dispersed by the pandemic. Dynamics have shifted, and this could be affecting productivity. In fact, 20% of businesses report reduced productivity as a result of remote working (ONS, 2021). Given the impact of teamwork on a business’ bottom line, building high-performing hybrid teams is vital. Here are five actions you can take now to do just that.
1. Build trust by increasing self-awareness in your team
The best way of building trust in a team is by developing the self-awareness of its members. Research by organisational psychologist Tasha Eurich found that self-awareness increased the probability of success in key performance areas. You can improve a team’s self-awareness using people science insights, which highlight the traits, preferences and competencies of team members.
2. Encourage constructive conflict
Unproductive conflict often arises from a lack of understanding. Research reveals that behaviour-based training improves team performance (McEwan, 2017). Insight into group dynamics and pressure points can be an invaluable cheat sheet for focusing training to fast-track outperformance. People science insights can build an awareness and appreciation of the skills and attitudes each team member brings to the table, helping to facilitate constructive conflict.
3. Increase your team’s commitment to success
Research suggests that individuals lose ownership of group decisions in teams of more than ten, yet a lack of diversity and bandwidth can hamper teams of under six. Consider splitting larger teams into focus groups. Understand your team’s emotional intelligence can be game-changing, increasing commitment to delivery. This is especially beneficial in a hybrid environment, which can make communication more difficult and impede team cohesion.4.
4. Instil performance accountability in your team
Team members with lower resilience levels may need targeted support to perform under duress. One way of providing such support is by using people science insights to identify and mitigate stressors, maintaining team-wide accountability for performance. Regular ‘360 degree’ feedback sessions create performance transparency, helping to engender a culture of striving.
5. Incentivise innovation
Studies show that one of the best ways to kickstart innovation is to increase the diversity within your team. Minimise unconscious bias in the hiring process and look for culture-add rather than team fit in your recruitment processes. Assessing candidates’ aptitude rather than relying on CV credentials alone can help to widen the talent pool, as well as providing insight into their likely in-role performance.
For more help with hybrid working, visit Effective Remote Worker Managment Software | Thomas International
