How do you build relationships between in-house and remote employees? And how do you create those water cooler moments that don’t often happen as easily in the digital environment?
The digital age has had a profound effect on the evolution of the workplace environment. And then there was a pandemic thrown in there which forced us to connect virtually only. We found new resilience and new ways to work. But those changes have come with a price, significant growing pains, and some serious dysregulation when it comes to people’s mental health.
A meaningful career depends on meaningful relationships inside your organization. All this ties back to future leadership, productiveness, and retention, making it an integral part, if not the most important factor, in workplace mental health and well-being. The foundation of all of that is connection, belonging, and relationship building.
Here are the 8 tips managers can use to foster connection in hybrid teams:
1. In-person interaction. Your employees come together for important interactions as a team or with clients—but otherwise, people can choose where they want to work. And if one employee works out of town and you are having an in-person event, that means having the tech that brings them into the room with the rest of the team.
2. Be vulnerable. Admit that you are still figuring this out, too. That there will be changes and shifts and you’ll be trying new things and there will be successes and failures and lessons from those initiatives that were unsuccessful. Ask for their input and patience. I used to ask for input as a business owner through a survey that was conducted by another employee to assure anonymity. That way people offered more honest feedback about my leadership. And I learned and listened.
3. Use some old-school and new-age strategies to connect. Handwritten notes, a happy hour after work that doesn’t necessarily mean booze but includes nonalcoholic choices, and events like mass massage which was popular at one workplace wellness after-hours event. You want to do things that make people want to come in and mingle. Not ones where they have to give up a weekend to do some corporate team-building.
4. Create opportunities for water cooler moments. Don’t lapse into pre-pandemic habits of only relying on transactional connections when it comes to remote employees. Make the effort to set up regular events where hybrid and in-person team members interact.Use random check-ins, lunch and learns, and mix-up teams. Making water cooler moments means you have to be more intentional but it’s worth it. And once managers get a taste of that magic, they’ll be more prone to making the effort.
5. Lean into those ERGs and affinity groups. ERGs and affinity groups help connect people with similar interests and has a role in the hybrid space. It helps people find common interests and plays an important role in creating a culture of connection and belonging. Inserting a value-add like important connections of support mean more people will stay. Because while compensation is important, loving where you work can break a tie.
6. Elevate voices from the margins. This builds rapport and connection. We all love a good story and learning about cultures and ways of life. If we amplify those voices and stories and allow them to feel supported, the overall work climate is positively impacted. We’ve seen this play out in high schools with an active GSA, (Genders & Sexuality Alliance) and how having this club has long-term positive benefits on the whole student body. Offer opportunities to share stories about traditions, holidays, and oneself, or have a spotlight opportunity on a specific day of the week or month. If Bob knows that Nhat endured a year in a refugee camp with no running water it builds bridges or respect instead of allowing prejudices to thrive.
7. Use hybrid-friendly activators to promote group relationships. Activators and group interactive activities that can be done online help build connection and team relationships. Simple, one-sentence connectors can be: “Name one thing people don’t know about you.” “Share a family tradition with us that is unique.” “What is your favorite kind of music?”
8. Make sure everybody turns on their video camera. This last one might seem obvious, but I couldn’t leave it out assuming it was. Barring special circumstances like face surgery, teams should see everyone’s mug because talking to a dark square isn’t the same as seeing people. And if you don’t have your camera on, you will tend to check out. I admittedly cut off my camera momentarily to blow my nose or run to the restroom but otherwise, mine is on.
Anne Moss is a mental health speaker who helps businesses create a culture of connection and belonging, the foundation of good mental health and workplace wellness.
Thank you. I’m going to try some of these ideas.
Let me know the results Natasha.
Our workplace has definitely been disjointed since the pandemic. I’m going to try some of these ideas.
Thank you for commenting, Latashia
we’re definitely going to try the activators. My husband is a teacher and he has used these and they wrok well.
Thanks for your comment, Ruby. Let me know how it goes.
Thank you. I was using google to search for some tips and has some really good ways to bring our people together. our team is really disjointed and as a new manager, it’s my job to bring everyone together. thnx
I appreciate the comment George.
Adjusting to all these changes has been really hard for some of my employees who just don’t like change at all! Even some of the young people who I thought would be OK with it. Thank you for the tips. I sent you a contact form.
Some just do not like change at all and there have been so many. It’s a very disruptive economy which is unsettling for so many. Thanks for your comment and I see your contact form. I’ll get right back to you with a proposal for workplace mental health training/speaking at your company.
We have had all theses issues and I appreciate these ideas. Thank u
You are welcome fila
We are definitely getting pushback from our younger employees about coming in. Do you have a suggestion about how to adddress this? It’s not good for their mental health to stay home all the time and never come in.
There are a number of things to do but I’ll mention a couple. It’s important that this group feels seen and heard. They don’t want to feel railroaded or dismissed. Having those discussions where you listen to what their reasons are for not wanting to come in will go a long way. Don’t dismiss what they say but write them down. From there you can work on solutions but at first you just want to hear why. They have a lot of fear related to returning to work and then there’s the inconvenience. Some fear their rusty social skills and therefore they “avoid” which makes social anxiety worse. Some simply don’t want that commute any more but there are many solutions for that including adjusting start times or having mandatory days in but starting with a fun activity that makes them want to engage. We as humans are meant to connect. That’s why we have survived. Our lack of doing so now is costing us now so we look for ways to be intentional about opportunities for increasing face-to-face connection in the digital age.
Thank you for this. We have had more in person gatherings and we have included some fun things to do that foster connecting and team building and it has helped. A work in progress…
Thank you Mantego
This has been really hard to learn to manage. Thanks for the tips.
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It was easier when it was one way or the other. I assigned someone as facilitator to our hybrid meetings to bolster engagement.
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We do that in our grief support group. And it is harder. I did an in person group recently and only then was reminded how easy this was before. Engaging the online and offline groups has been more challenging. I definitely agree with you on that.
Your website and workplace wellness program was recommended by our managers association as a valuable mental health resource. Do you do any online type series on this topic?
I have split this up as a series. One company wanted half hour lunch and learns every tuesday for one month so we covered the content in bite sized chunks. The last session was a little longer and set up as a “meeting” so that they could ask specific questions about employee mental health. So many managers feel like they have to solve the problem and that’s not the case. It’s more about listening and then directing that person toward resources but also regularly posting ways to manage one’s emotional health so it’s not some once a year subject.
Thank you. This is very helpful. I have been following you for years since my son struggled with depression. And I love that you now offer workplace mental health programs. I just emailed you (I’m a subscriber) and cc’d our HR manager.
Lisa thank you for your support for so long. I just looked up your email and you were one of my first subscribers back in 2016! I see your email and I’ll send the pdf with a description for both employees and managers. I have a program for each.
I don’t think I actually like working at home. I thought I would but I find myself getting depressed.
You know you’re not the only one who has found themselves in a place that struggles with the convenience of at home but the loneliness of being at home. People want to ditch the commute but then find themselves isolated. I hope you find a situation that allows you to go in some and be able to work at home some.
For me, working from home all the time was killing me. So I ask that my team come in on Mondays and fridays. Sometimes we meet on Thursdays and they have to come in then. We do have two on the workforce who do programming work remotely most all the time but other than that, most now come to the office. But we have found ways to work through this and these ideas are good. thank you
Thanks for your input Bradley. It helps.
I just can’t seem to get my mojo back after the pandemic. I thought virtual was the deal and now I just feel sort of floundering and without purpose. I like these ideas. But for me I’m thinking I need to find a job where I am more connected and it wasn’t until i read this that i realized what i had been missing so thk u.
Wow. I’m so glad you experienced that self discovery Jasom.
Thanks for this
You’re welcome
I can’t get the young adults to come in without luring them with food and drink. It’s crazy this group is such hermits
I had to laugh. That’s quite a sweeping description. I wonder what might be the underlying issue?
Oh my gosh balancing this has been hard. We had an in person meeting that was mandatory and the ideas were flowing like crazy. It’s definitely been a challenge to get that kind of mojo going with hybrid teams. Tanks for the tips
Thank you for that feedback and your story.
I decided I don’t really love working remotely and decided to go back in three days a week. All the days were melting into each other and it never really felt like I had a life. But a lot of my team is still remote so this helps.
I think a lot of people are struggling with that lack of connection that comes with being in the room with people. I think you made a good decision for your own mental health.
Thanks for this.
You are most welcome Georgina.
I am going to try some of these ideas. I’m new to management and I’m not getting much support so I’m just googling it and I ran across your article. Thank u
I am a new manager and our company hasn’t covered this at all but I can see all of us still feel like we have one foot in the office and one in outer space. (Sorry I’m a trekkie)
That’s what I’m hearing too, Margie. And for the record, your trekkie reference is a great way to describe it and darn funny.
good ideas, thx
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Are you available for a quote on this for my magazine?
Sure. I just emailed you.
I appreciate the talk yoou did for us. I tried some of the strategies you mentionon with my daughter and she talked for an hour!
I’m so happy to hear this. Thank you for commenting.
I had a question about your workplace mental health programs here https://mentalhealthawarenesseducation.com/mental-health-speaker/mental-health-speaker-for-workplace/
I wanted ot know if you could do the first one for my staff.
I will email you Jim
In today’s hyper-connected world, I have found a lot of synergy in using tools and tech that works and then the human part. Both together create the magic.
Thank you Casey. That is a very good point. It’s hard to connect with colleagues online if the tech is always failing!
I’m from Australia but we are having these same issues. Im going to try some of thes ideas
Let me know how they work!
Thanks for this
You are welcome