Ideas and examples from decades of managing remote teams.

1. MANAGING HYBRID TEAMS
Advice for Thriving Together Online
www.engagedorgs.com

2. Engaged Organizations works to make
organizations work for humans. We are committed
to bringing connection, joy, and trust to workplaces
by fostering community-centric cultures.
www.engagedorgs.com

3. RACHEL HAPPE
STRATEGIST * ANALYST * ADVISOR
Rachel has worked with a wide variety of organizations, including:
EXPERTISE
STRATEGY ✽ BUSINESS MODELS ✽
LEADERSHIP ✽ GOVERNANCE ✽
TECHNOLOGY ✽
COMMUNICATIONS
Prior to Engaged Organizations,
Rachel led The Community
Roundtable, where she published
12 years of groundbreaking
research looking at how people
engage in online networks.

4. MANAGING REMOTE TEAMS
Questions
1) What is your role?
2) Have you worked remotely
before?
3) How long have you managed a
remote team?
4) What is your biggest area of
concern?
@rhappe
www.engagedorgs.com

5. TOPICS COVERED
1. Support change, adaptation, and flexibility
2. Create teamwork routines
3. Institute Working Out Loud
4. Mix work and fun
5. Manage staff and conflict
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

6. • Actively give permission to take time and
space to juggle and adapt
• Check-in individually as ask how people are
feeling
• Be aware and sensitive to people’s situations
• Create space to talk about anxiety
• Offer/Remind staff of other support resources
SUPPORT CHANGE, ADAPTATION, AND FLEXIBILITY
People are anxious and stressed – don’t ignore that
Support Change
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

7. Status Meetings
Update/Report
60-Min Default
Private Exchange
Passive Conflict
Consensus
THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT SCHEDULES
Routines
Updates via Text Chat
Ask Me Anything
15- or 30-Min Default
Public/Team Update
Explicit Discussion
Crowdsourced
Feedback and Decision
Ownership
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

8. CREATE SPACE AND PROMPTS TO REINFORCE
Explicit Space & Time for Team Culture
• Gratitude
• Wellness
• Social Events
Build Prompts
• Invitations
• Habits
• Social Norms
Encourage a Buddy System
• Check-ins
• Workout/Lunch Buddies
Routines
@rhappe
www.engagedorgs.com

9. Daily Rituals
• Morning and Evening Greetings
• Daily 15-minute stand up meeting
• Red/Yellow/Green mood status
• What’s giving people energy/What’s
draining their energy
• Virtual lunch dates
• Keeping a video channel open to co-
work
Weekly Routines
• 3 Frogs
• PPP (Progress-Plans-Problems)
• Virtual Happy Hour
ROUTINE AND RITUAL IDEAS
Routines
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

10. Structure Matters – Literally Create Space
• Functions, initiatives & projects
• Product / Services
• Culture and Social Interests
• Support, Reward, and Development
• Shoutouts
• ProTip
• Goodreads
• Flip That Sh*t
Modeling & Questions Help
• Update as you start and stop work
• Share ideas and interesting articles
• Make feedback the rule, not the exception
ASYNCRONOUS COLLABORATION
W
orking Out Loud
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

11. EXAMPLES
#flip_that_shit
#shoutout
#protip
www.engagedorgs.com
W
orking Out Loud
@rhappe

12. Approaches to Working Out Loud
W
orking Out Loud
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

13. Events
• Secret Santa
• Happy Hour
• Tea Time
Habits
• Custom Emoji
• Sharing pets, food,
vacation pictures
Mixing Work & Fun
W
ork &
Fun
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

14. Managing Staff
• Connect weekly
• Ask questions
• Encourage questions
• Backchannel
Negotiating Conflict
• Seize the moment for feedback
• Get on video
• Ask how the person is feeling
• Take a break/mental health afternoon/etc
Managing Staff & Conflict
M
anagem
ent
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

15. Delay Creates an Opportunity
• Clarity
• Conciseness
• Incremental/Agile work
• Discussion
Transparency is a gift
• Prompts us to think more carefully
• Encourages us to treat everyone equally
• Includes everyone
Asyncronicity allows for flexibility
• Team members can juggle & manage their schedule with less stress
• Meetings don’t need to be jammed in when everyone is available
Digital Encourages Direct Communication
M
anagem
ent
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

16. Issues get addressed immediately
• Less wasted work
• People learn to respect and accept
differences
• Emotional environment is calm
• Feedback is the norm, not the
exception
Trust is higher
• No hidden agendas
• No paranoia due to missing
feedback
• Better relationships
Direct Communications Improves Productivity
M
anagem
ent
Tips and Tricks
“That doesn’t work for me”
“How do you feel about x?”
Reflection helps articulate reasoning
Don’t resolve conflict for others
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

17. HYBRID TEAM MANAGEMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
1) Be human first
2) Find creative and light ways to stay connected
3) Set explicit expectations together
4) Focus on clarity, collaborative approach, and commitments
5) Muster courage to be direct
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

18. Interested in Learning More?
EXPLORE PROCURE
SUBSCRIBE
www.engagedorgs.com
REPORT NEWSLETTER COLLABORATIVE
WORKBOOK

19. Further Reading and Resources
1. How to Hybrid: Defining and Navigating a New Normal for Work - Engaged
Organization’s Blog
2. Working in a coronavirus world: Strategies and tools for staying productive – Dion
Hinchcliffe, ZDNet
3. How to Work From Home Without Losing Your Mind - Wired
4. How to Manage Remote Direct Reports – Rebecca Night, HBR
5. How to Manage Remote Teams Effectively – Society for Human Resource Managers
(SHRM)
6. Navigating Conflict in Remote Teams – Engaged Organization’s Blog
www.engagedorgs.com
@rhappe

20. Questions?
Rachel Happe
rachel@engagedorgs.com
@rhappe
www.engagedorgs.com