How we work has changed dramatically in recent years. Weâve gone from just a few people who might work outside of the office to a truly hybrid work model. That may feel like the best of both worlds, but hybrid teams pose a few unique complications, especially concerning decision-making.
Believe it or not, making important decisions can be more challenging with a hybrid team than if the team is fully remote or entirely in the office. A hybrid workforce presents more opportunities for complicated workflows and communication patterns. An employee going into work may choose to meet people face-to-face for a meeting instead of setting up a virtual call. Thereâs a chance thatâs a more productive meeting, but if they fail to include their virtual counterparts or update them after the fact, they may create an information gap. Suddenly, a team is trying to decide on a course of action with varying degrees of information.
Decision-making challenges
The challenge of team decision-making isnât exactly a new issue. Itâs always been challenging to get people on the same page, even when weâre all in the office. Moving a project forward has some fairly consistent complications: soliciting comprehensive feedback, sharing information, and documenting thoughts and concerns are top of mind when trying to move a project forward.
Itâs particularly challenging in hybrid environments because alignment is more difficult to achieve. Making sure everyone has the same information in real time and can talk with one another to assess options can be elusive. If your team is experiencing any of the below, know that you arenât alone, and there is something you can do to make it better.
Many voices but only a few are heard
There are always a few people you can count on to break the ice and speak up immediately, but there is also value in getting input from those who are more introverted. You never know when someone has a thought that can change how the team looks at a course of action.
In hybrid meetings itâs all too easy for people to hide behind a turned-off camera. Even those willing to speak up may find that there just isnât enough time in a call to provide input. In hybrid environments, you should look for ways other than verbal discussion to give feedback and insights to increase the input you receive and make for a richer discussion around the best course of action.
Participants donât have enough information to make a decision
A central location for information is key to maintaining good office communication no matter where you are. When employees donât feel like they have enough information, they are more inclined to put off making a decision or moving forward on a project. According to PwCâs 2016 Global Data and Analytics Survey, data-driven companies are three times more likely to report an improvement in their decision-making process.
Having sufficient information, and easy access to it, are major factors in the success of a project. Thatâs why teams need to have a centralized, consistent, and easy-to-access location for information. This is especially important for hybrid workforces where in-office workers may default to saving things on a local server versus using a cloud server that everyone can access. Teams must be thinking remote first to maintain a closed loop of communication for everyone on the team.
Hard to collect and document everyoneâs thoughts
Letâs be honest: Team discussions are prone to going off track and covering way more ground than initially planned. That doesnât mean the information isnât helpful, but it often means that outcomes and insights are muddled, and itâs unclear how the information can actually help.
For example, a team member may have identified a risk factor no one had thought of or a previously unconsidered solution to a problem. Those are great insights, but they arenât very helpful if they get lost in the shuffle. Without a reliable way to log team membersâ contributions, you lose valuable information and ideas.
Another consideration is that thoughts come at different moments in time. Itâs helpful to have a virtual space where people can log insights during the meeting and throughout the decision-making process. Visual collaboration tools can help collect and organize insights to give everyone a comprehensive picture of the problem and possible solutions.Â
Best practices for facilitating decision-making with hybrid teams
The reality is that hybrid decision-making is complex, but that doesnât mean that it has to be difficult. Below are some steps you can take to minimize the challenges of hybrid decision-making and maximize the value of team contributions.
Give everyone a voice
You will likely have multiple meetings with varying attendees, and there may be times where you canât get everyone in the room at once. Create opportunities for synchronous and asynchronous participation so that everyone can provide input at their convenience, whether they can attend a particular meeting or not.Â
It also helps to offer options for sharing ideas beyond just meeting discussion. Features such as Visual Activities, virtual sticky notes, comments, and chat functions can help those who are more introverted to open up. It also doubles as a space for people to contribute should they have any additional insights after the fact.
