Remote leadership - how to keep culture central when your team is WFH

Did you know the majority of accidents that happen on a mountain hike are during the descent? When the climbers guard is down, they think the struggle is over and it’s back to normality on the way down. 

WFH or hybrid models are now the new normal and although you may feel like you have hit the mountain peak on what has been an uphill pivot of old practices and established new rhythms. The journey down the mountain (the long-term working pattern) is when you need to focus most on keeping culture central.

You may be able to relate to this depending on your experience of WFH, but if not, I want to give you a live example of how culture is slipping currently within hybrid models-

12-24 months ago, everyone was working remotely. Leaders were checking in regularly with their people, not just regarding productivity but out of concern for their well-being.

Everyone was meeting online from separate locations. Agendas, pre-reads, and even physical items were planned through and sent in advance.

Everyone was invited to contribute. To own the online space and make the best out of their experience. They were all in the same position, morale, and ownership of their team culture were high.

NOW- With hybrid models, the online workers have become the audience to what’s happening in the room. They’re no longer invited to contribute but to be the spectators of conversations. Their confidence to come off mute has disappeared, most likely because they don't want to draw attention to the screen where their faces are now displayed awkwardly.

Digital pre-reads have become printouts again and they have been left out of the loop. Or even worse, physical illustrations or gifts that are surprises for those in the room are afterthoughts for those online.

Sound familiar? I could go on!

If not, could you imagine how left out those remote workers now feel having only been so included 12 months beforehand?

You may think how great it is to be back in person, but for those who aren’t this is where culture is accidentally slipping and it doesn’t have to. It just requires the same level of intentionality that was given 12-24 months ago, today.

More long-term planning specific to your work environment needs to be thought through, but for now, here are some quick fixes to get you back on track-

Team meetings (30 people or under)

If you are gathering your full team for a meeting, have those in the room use individual devices again. If they’re back in the room, that most likely means they have a workstation they can use or spread out across your building. If space is an issue, break the in-person team down into smaller groups sharing a device. There is nothing worse for a remote worker than staring at a meeting room full of people.

Team gatherings (30 people or over)

Be intentional to welcome those online first. You have most likely already said hello to those in the room before the online link went live. If the gathering is small enough welcome people by name, if not acknowledge and thank them for joining online.

Designate an online host

This is a great way to develop leadership skills within a member of your team too. Designate someone to host the online workforce. They can join the call early and catch up together. Stay on after the meeting has ended to debrief if there was anything said that needs further explanation. Monitoring the chat and being their voice is necessary.

This is a great simple fix and shows you are invested in their contribution and collaboration, as well as providing a pathway for leadership development.

Think ahead with physical items

Are you presenting, or handing out something new? Send it in advance. Are you surprising people with a gift? Send it in advance. Are you expecting them to pick up something from the office after the meeting? Think through how your online workforce will collect this or receive it. Don’t let your remote team members feel like an afterthought when all it requires is a postage stamp.

Last thing-

Create a virtual water cooler

Many decisions and conversations happen in casual settings, around the water cooler. Not everything has to be a formal meeting. What can you create on the platforms you use that is a casual channel of communication and collaboration? Where ideas can be shared and celebrated and correctly channelled into working groups so the water cooler doesn’t become a large group chat? Platforms like Teams, Basecamp and Slack are great for this. Use them to their full potential.

Written By-Marie Aitken

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