Look, I’m just gonna say it – managing a hybrid team is like trying to herd cats while blindfolded. Some days you feel like you’ve got it all figured out, and other days you’re staring at Slack wondering why half your team has been “in a meeting” for six straight hours.
I remember my first month managing a hybrid team. Sarah, one of my best designers, suddenly became a ghost – her camera was always off, her responses got shorter. Meanwhile, the office crew was bonding over lunch while our remote folks missed all the inside jokes. And don’t even get me started on the time I found out Mike had been working from Hawaii for two weeks without telling anyone.
The Stuff Nobody Warns You About
1. The Proximity Bias Problem
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: the people you see in the office every day? You’re probably giving them more opportunities without even realizing it. That quick promotion discussion that happened in the break room? The impromptu brainstorming session that turned into a big project? Your remote team wasn’t there.
What worked for me:
- I started keeping a spreadsheet tracking who got assigned to high-profile projects.
- Made a rule that all impromptu discussions had to be summarized in Slack.
- Rotated meeting times so the same people weren’t always stuck with early/late calls.
2. The “Are They Actually Working?” Paranoia
I’ll admit it – I used to check Slack statuses like a crazy person. “Why has Jen been ‘away’ for 45 minutes?” Then I found out she was picking up her kid from school – and still getting more done than anyone else.
My wake-up call:
- Started measuring output instead of online time.
- Implemented weekly goal-setting (what matters is what gets done, not when).
- Realized some people do their best work at 2 AM (and that’s okay).
3. Meeting Mayhem
The worst? When half the team is in a conference room talking over each other, while remote folks sit there silently because they can’t get a word in edgewise.
How we fixed it:
- “If one person is remote, everyone joins individually,” the rule.
- Strict “raise hand” policy (yes, it feels silly at first).
- Replaced half our meetings with Loom video updates.
The Hybrid Hacks That Actually Worked
For Building Connection:
- Virtual coffee roulette: Every Monday, Donut (a Slack app) randomly pairs people for 15-minute chats.
- “Good news” channel: Where people share personal wins (new pets, kids’ achievements, etc.).
- In-person “sprints”: Quarterly team gatherings for big projects and bonding.
For Communication:
- Async-first mentality: Default to Slack/email unless it truly needs to be a meeting.
- Meeting notes template: Who’s doing what by when – sent within 30 minutes after.
- “No-meeting Wednesdays”: A lifesaver for deep work.
For Managing Performance:
- Weekly “keep/stop/start” check-ins: Quick 15-minute chats about what’s working.
- Public recognition: Shout-outs in team channels for great work.
- Flexible hours audit: Quarterly check to make sure we’re not favoring early birds.
Final Thought
Hybrid work isn’t about replicating the office online. It’s about creating something new – something that actually works for how people live now.
The managers who thrive are the ones who:
- Trust first, verify second.
- Focus on outcomes over optics.
- Aren’t afraid to try weird solutions (like audio-only standups).
It’s messy. You’ll make mistakes. I certainly have. But when do you get it right? You’ll have a team that’s productive, happy, and sticks around – whether they’re working from their kitchen table or the office next door.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check if Dave is actually working or just left his laptop open… again.
