In this article, we’ll discuss the 7 challenges to hybrid workplace in project management and to manage hybrid team members on your projects.
Team Feels Fragmented in Hybrid Workplace
It may seem crazy but after a while working from home, people might start missing office life. There is a sense of camaraderie for the team from working in the same place. It isn’t easy to take that feeling and replicate it when you are working across continents and time zones.
This makes it difficult for the hybrid project manager to approve the work of their team. While at the office you can congratulate the team but when working remotely you might not be able to notice when a milestone is reached. This can cause your team to feel underappreciated and distant from other team members and make it hard for the team to trust other team members.
Lack of Clear Communication in Hybrid Workplace
Although many good communication tools exist to keep teams connected, that doesn’t guarantee eliminating issues. At the office, you can reach the next desk if you have something to clear up or have a question. However, working remotely is a completely different scenario. Getting answers can consume your time and need Slack or several emails.
Building Trust in Hybrid Workplace
Trust is involved when you manage a remote team. You know that every team member is working when you work at the office but when working remotely it becomes impossible what people are doing.
The same is the case with the team. Remote teams might worry about being overlooked for the next promotions or projects. Or their compensation for the work hours. This could be true, especially for remote workers.
Getting and Giving Feedback Is Harder in Hybrid Workplace
Without the cues of nonverbal communication, it can become difficult for your team to understand job performance. Project managers can succeed by knowing the feelings of the remote team. This can stunt productivity and hurt collaboration.
Scheduling the Required Amount of Work
Remote team management can be challenging when you are not able to see your team daily. When working at the office, there’s a clear indication of downtime when your team coffee break finishes through lunch. On the other hand, they might feel overworked if the coffee breaks are converted to therapy sessions in their break room. But when working remotely, you only go off a status of green lights; this can be hard to understand.
Scheduling and Work Time Availability Difficulties
Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, working from home means that you can develop your work schedule. For many organizations that do this practice, there’s very little need for starting the day at 9 each day. And for many team members that live on the other side of the earth, this might not be feasible. But being a project manager, how do you ensure that the remote team works in sync when their schedules aren’t? And how do you decide about the time to conduct your weekly meetings when the team availability is scattered across different time zones?
Technology Issues in Hybrid Workplace
It’s ironic to say that technology is part of the challenge while it enables remote work to occur. Learning and integrating new software with the company’s existing software, and fixing issues related to technology without the IT department to plug and unplug for you can be a headache. It’s even worse when you use software that is not made for remote work. If you’re new to remote work methods, you might think that you can use office software and equipment that you already have. Excel can make it easy for you to overlook a booking or misplace a sheet, they can be difficult for you to use. That’s the reason you’re better off using tools that can help your remote team.
7 Challenges to Hybrid Workplace- FAQs
How to overcome the challenges of hybrid working?
Increase collaboration by making it frictionless and easy. Create ways for collaboration and make digital workplaces for your workforce. If the company uses Microsoft Teams, every team member should have access from any device.
What is the one thing that is most challenging with the hybrid workplace model?
The biggest challenge of the hybrid workplace is coordination among employees.
How does hybrid working impact project management?
In a hybrid project, coordination and communication become both challenging and critical. Digital meetings and tools may become the only way for team members to stay in contact.
How does hybrid working increase productivity?
Employees can work from home and therefore feel more motivated and empowered. Employees are more invested and driven in achieving the ambitions and aims of the organization and have a more maintained work-life balance.
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