People’s productivity and wellbeing go hand-in-hand, but how can organisations go about achieving the best balance in a hybrid working environment? David Keane explains.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in one of the most significant shifts in working practices ever seen. This enforced experiment has allowed organisations to reimagine how and where work gets done, and the changes they introduce will be here to stay.

As offices reopen and organisations decide on the most appropriate workforce model for their staff, customers and business, they must define how their teams will enhance productivity. They will also need to ensure that flexibility and employee well-being take centre stage in driving performance.

There are several steps managers can take to ensure employees perform well in a flexible working environment that also supports their well-being.

1. Implement the digital tools that drive performance

Investing in digital tools that support your hybrid-working model will enable business leaders to address critical challenges. Digital tools should facilitate team and cross-team communication. They should be fast and flexible and provide real-time data to managers and team members on their daily, weekly and quarterly performance indicators.

A dedicated digital space for collaborative team-wide tasks will improve employee engagement and facilitate transparency on value-add activities.

2. Improve internal communication

While communication is important for employees and management alike, top-down and organisation-wide communication must be clear, concise and continuous. This approach will foster a culture of adaptability and trust throughout the organisation.

Maintaining clear lines of communication, especially among hybrid teams, will be essential to improving operational performance.

Consider starting each day with functional and team performance meetings. Fifteen-minute huddles – virtual or face-to-face – will enable teams to assess their performance targets, prioritise tasks for the day ahead, and discuss risks and issues that may hamper performance.

3. Drive new ways of working

With dispersed team members, business leaders may have to implement new ways to drive team performance. Relying on what worked for a purely traditional or remote-working model will not be as effective in a hybrid working environment.

Focus on establishing clear roles and responsibilities to ensure smooth operational transitions between and within teams. Be metrics-led and allow decision-making based on measures that matter to the organisation. And finally, drive new behaviours that align with the team's overall values.

These actions will ensure that employees are going in the right direction, are aligned to team objectives, and clear on their role in adding value to your organisation.

4. Train team leads to manage a more flexible workforce

As the work environment and team dynamics continue to evolve, managers will need to adapt their skills to manage staff, both in-person and digitally. Creating a dynamic that works in a hybrid environment places more pressure on management to balance the need for task-orientated outputs with employee satisfaction and well-being.

Daily coaching with team leaders can support businesses in embedding a management style that enhances performance while enabling team leaders to have productive conversations and develop team members.

5. Optimise processes and embed a proactive approach to change

As working models are changing and adapting, it is time to review existing processes and assess whether they are still fit for purpose. By analysing current practices and eliminating non-value-add activities, your team can become more agile and lean.

This should be a continuous exercise. Each staff member should feel empowered to drive change, and organisations should strive to foster a proactive view of change that positively impacts team performance.

David Keane is Director of People & Organisation at PwC.