Leaders all over Australia have been adapting to hybrid work, and this dynamic will continue to evolve. Whilst hybrid teams are not a new concept, we are still learning how to best support our teams and adapt to different personality types.
Research reported that during the transition to remote work, the ‘watercooler’ chats were the moments most missed. These social, relationship-building activities allowed extroverts spontaneous moments of social connection during the day, keeping managers across what’s going on and building trust and morale between teams.
How are your employees handling hybrid work?
Are they feeling engaged, productive and happy in their jobs at the moment?
Each team member will be responding differently. Introverts and extroverts may feel a level of anxiety or be unsettled, but for different reasons.
Introverts had shown that they were previously comfortable working from home. This took the pressure off socialising in big groups, attending work events, public speaking or face to face meetings. Instead, they could limit face-to-face contact by working from home and socialising in smaller groups.
Extroverts, however, may lose the energy that keeps them productive whilst working from home as they have had the external stimuli that motivate them taken away. The extrovert will be more likely to be pushing the return to work on their agenda so they can feel that level of engagement and interaction from the workplace again.
So, what is the solution as we know it?
Understand the personality style of your team members to determine how they work most effectively.
Introverts may need space and time to communicate
With your employees working remotely and, in the office, it is important to ensure introverts are not overshadowed, especially in team meetings.
If introverts are interrupted during a discussion by louder personalities, they may not speak. Long term, this could result in disengagement and feelings of being side-lined. These situations will be amplified when working remotely. During hybrid meetings, it becomes easier to overlook the virtual participants on a call in which they are not as included in the conversation as those in the room.
As a leader, simple steps to create an inclusive environment include using tools such as the chat bar on Zoom or pre-prepared questions and distributing them to the team before a session, so everyone is equally prepared. To ensure everyone has the opportunity to contribute, a post document follow up can ensure those introverts less inclined to speak up in front of a large group can still be heard. Ideas can then be circulated from the meeting via a follow-up document.
Extroverts thrive off airtime
To ensure that extroverts feel connected in the workplace, they may enjoy regular face-to-face or video calls to talk directly engage with their leader. They may also enjoy the dynamic of break out rooms on video calls, allowing them to voice their ideas without causing the distraction of dominating a large team meeting.
Hybrid Zoom lunches and bonding events will support those extroverts not returning to the office. It ensures all team members can come together to share a 15–30-minute meal, whether in the workplace or online.
Create opportunities for collaboration
It is important to let individuals be their authentic selves and continue communicating in their chosen style. This may include some compromise. Be open to varying communication styles and set the tone for things that may not be appropriate culturally rather than in your opinion.
Create opportunities for the team to come together and connect with purpose. This means creating meaningful reasons to come together, rather than everyone being in the office on a certain day, as people may end up in stakeholder meetings.
The hybrid workplace will continue to evolve, so as a leader, make sure you support the moments of connection for both introverted and extroverted personality types.
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