Some people are very against the hybrid work business model. Having a steady, reliable work model feels much more intuitive to the human body. But why should you introduce multiple steady working locations? Well, why would you go back into an office when you are just as productive — if not moreso — in your home work environment?

Many questions can crop up when you are considering how to move forward in your business practice, and which work setup benefits your workforce more. But one thing is for sure: leadership skills on the management team have to be multi-dimensional. They have to cater to many individual personalities, as well as your working team as a whole.

If you have been in management for several years now, you may have noticed a learning curve when engaging with leadership roles across many different work environments. In-office day-to-day management, remote work, and hybrid setups can really affect the way you pivot your management style.

With all of that considered, here are some very basic tips to consider when approaching management in a hybrid work environment. 

1. Demonstrate Creativity 

At the core of every creative endeavor is inspiration, mindset, and a craft that can be learned, and molded, bursting forth as a new version of itself with each new artist, each budding concept. Every creative pastime or hobby you engage with is sure to boost your brain functioning and well-being. Even the simple act of experiencing art can improve your health.

As a manager, you should always try to engage in some creative endeavor or other. It allows you to connect with culture and see things with another varying perspective from time to time. Trust your creative mind in situations where you are looking to expand with work, and you may find ways to blend different things you love into one. If your brand or company can move forward with an amalgamation of your favorite things, then why not demonstrate your creative mind every once in a while?

The fun part about your art – especially in a hybrid work environment – is that sharing it with your coworkers can help them get to know you a little bit better. Sharing photos, digital art, or other decks you worked on during the week can let them know what your creative talents are, and better inform them on how to tap into those skills. 

2. Respect Your Workers

Hold all of your workers in a professional, respectful space. Operate without biases and preconceived notions, work to increase the diversity on your team, and stray away from any sexist, racist, or otherwise demeaning thoughts or commentary. Avoid petty workplace gossip, and regard each of your coworkers with as unbiased a view of their talents as possible.

For those managers in charge of giving constructive feedback, this can be a really difficult balance of complimentary and instructional verbiage. If a coworker or subordinate feels disrespected when being given feedback, they may hold onto unnecessary resentment and stress.

Good collaboration is the driving force in the success of every business. When people within different departments and positions in a company can share their viewpoints and ideas openly, more ideas and thoughts can comfortably be brought to the table. Differing personalities and perspectives can help drive change within any industry, so keeping the door open for critique is a very positive thing for a healthy work environment.

3. Mind Personal Calendars 

There is an item that deserves to exist on its own but is an extension of displaying respect to all of your workers. Respect your workers’ time and other commitments. Be sure to mind meeting timelines and schedules, paying particularly close attention to the available calendars of all of those involved. If your workers tend to frontload their meetings during the first couple of days of the week, consider working in person on those days and providing conference space to really engage with clients and vendors. 

4. Set Healthy Boundaries

You, as a supervisor, will want to mind other peoples’ calendars and specific work and communication boundaries when planning meetings and work sprints. It is your job to make sure that all coworkers know your communication preferences and boundaries. For example, make sure to set your working hours so you don’t receive messages before or after your ideal working times. 

Specify if you’d like personal emails, text messages, direct messages, channel updates, tagged CMS cards, GSuite alerts, or any other of excessive amount of methods of communication as your primary method. This can help ensure that your paper trail stays in the same place and is easily accessible moving forward. For the days you are working in a designated office area together, set boundaries related to space, respect, and expectations. If you set your colleagues up with the tools they need to exceed your expectations, you won’t have to worry as much about turnover

Any of the boundaries that you set for yourself and stick to will serve as big-time reminders to your community that you are in a position of power and leadership. Displaying the behavior you would like out of your employees encourages them to mirror it. When expectations are set, people can better gauge a work situation and how best to handle it.

5. Encourage Vulnerability

With all forms of respect comes more of a propensity to open up to colleagues and supervisors. People who feel respected are more likely to feel safe in their working environments. This can manifest as safe to discuss their salaries and help to influence the way people are respected in the space. This can be seen as comfort in getting to know coworkers on a respectful and playful level so that more upbeat work culture can be attained. Feeling safe can facilitate growth in work and more emotional balance overall.

If you, as a manager, make a mistake, make sure to admit it. If the outcome of your mistake directly affects your team, having an honest moment will allow their faith to be (at least semi) restored in you and/or the brand. If the outcome does not affect your team too drastically, it may feel easier to not address it with everyone. Using the anecdote to help guide your team or a mentee in the future could be a really good way to benefit from an otherwise negative situation.  

6. Celebrate Wins

Encouraging vulnerability should go hand-in-hand with celebrating wins. Having the ability to put your humility aside sometimes and let your team know about your wins can help to build confidence in skills and workplace identity. 

One of our favorite ways to celebrate team members? Mentioning them in company-wide or consumer-outreach emails, acknowledging their accomplishments on social media, and featuring them as often as possible in public-facing announcements and updates. Having people know the team behind the technology or brand is such an important way to build community. 

The best part about the ease of digital accessibility is that you can find a way to bring some sunshine to your colleagues’ days by setting aside in-person time during days in the office, or by giving them shout-outs on social media channels, sending them fun notes in your project management system, or sending them goodies in the mail or via delivery service.