Creating Culture, Connection and Collaboration in a Hybrid Team

I’ve been reading Daniel Coyle’s The Culture Code, and it's a reminder of how much the world of work has changed since it was published just six years ago.

In the book, Coyle emphasises the impact of physical proximity in building trust, collaboration, and a strong team culture. He suggests that it’s easier to create connections and a shared sense of purpose when teams are physically close.

Today businesses are grappling with the challenge of balancing some employees' preference for hybrid working, while others want to return to the office. Then there are the needs of the business that are pushing some organisations to enforce a return to the office on a more regular, if not, full-time basis. There’s no simple solution.

So, what does that mean for how we build a culture of trust, collaboration, and psychological safety in teams when we can’t be physically close?

It’s all about creating another kind of proximity—emotionally, virtually, and through human-to-human interaction. Here are a few ways we can adapt Coyle's insights to the modern hybrid and remote workplace:

• Build Belonging
  Just because teams aren’t physically together doesn’t mean they can’t feel close. Can you create virtual "watercooler" moments or spontaneous interactions through video calls or chat channels? These can replicate those spontaneous office interactions that help people bond. Can you meet for breakfast, lunch, or after-work drinks just for fun?

• Create Connections:
  When team members are scattered across different locations, it’s easy for people to feel isolated or left out. Checking in with people individually and as a team is even more important when we're not physically together. Emails, Teams or Slack messaging lack that opportunity for real human-to-human connection that we all need. Use video calls and start with a chat to show you care about each other as individuals before jumping into the meeting's agenda.

• Set Clear Expectations, Roles and Boundaries
  One of the biggest challenges in remote teams is lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities. This can lead to confusion and missed expectations. To avoid this, ensure that each team member has a clear understanding of their role within the team and how they contribute to the team’s success. This clarity helps to reduce stress and promotes a greater sense of purpose and alignment.. Also, establish boundaries to protect work-life balance, especially in remote settings.

• Co-create Your Culture, Values, and Behaviours:
  Your team culture will evolve whether you like it or not, so it’s crucial to involve everyone in consciously shaping it. For example, a culture where people turn up late for meetings, leave cameras off, and multi-task breeds more of the same behaviour. So, discuss and agree on your norms and expectations as a team.

• Create Psychological Safety:
  Psychological safety refers to an environment where team members feel safe to take risks, make mistakes, voice concerns, and share ideas without fear of judgment. Create an environment where team members feel safe to speak up without fear of judgment or reprimand. Be vigilant to ensure that when someone shares their concerns or ideas, they are met with support, not dismissal. Praise openness and reinforce that transparency is both safe and valuable.

• Celebrate Small Wins Together:
  Highlight shared successes and praise individual contributions or positive behaviours. Collective recognition goes a long way in building and maintaining motivation and trust.

• Be Vulnerable and Empathetic:
  As the leader, role model transparency, vulnerability and empathy - acknowledge the challenges the team has faced, demonstrate vulnerability, and openly discuss how to address the ongoing issues. Leaders who embrace vulnerability help to cultivate psychological safety by showing that it’s okay to admit mistakes, ask for help, or not have all the answers.

• Have fun together:
  Introduce fun team-building activities - not just for work-related tasks but also on getting to know each other as individuals. This could include storytelling sessions, where team members share more about their lives outside of work. Remember those virtual pub quizzes or wine and cheese tastings we did during lockdown?

Hybrid work doesn’t have to mean disconnected teams. It can be an opportunity to build a stronger, more resilient culture.

How do your teams build connection and trust when you're not physically close?

***

If you would like to strengthen the culture, communication and collaboration of your remote or hybrid team, get in touch with Polly to discuss how a facilitated team workshop could help. Contact Polly by email on polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk or call 07966 475195.