While hybrid work and digital transformation have yielded visible benefits for many companies, it has also brought challenges, especially in respect of effective knowledge-sharing and innovation amongst team members, writes Phyllis Ndlovu, Founder and CEO of Kisima Psychological Services. 

One of the benefits of remote work is the ability to save on commute time and minimise the physical and mental strain that comes from travelling on the country’s busy roads. Another benefit is being able to focus on work more effectively.

That said, innovation and information-sharing within a team rely on team cohesion, with employees feeling included in the life of the team. In other words, the extent to which employees and teams experience inclusion in the life of the organisation tends to lead to a greater sense of psychological safety. 

Psychological safety refers to employees – at individual and team levels – feeling comfortable to share their views and take risks to be innovative without the fear of negative consequences. 

When team members don’t share the same physical space regularly, inclusivity is compromised. This is because they don’t necessarily feel included in team decisions, and the reasons for those decisions. This can ultimately lead to disengagement. 

When a hybrid way of working is not regulated properly, some employees may start to feel like they are outsiders in their teams. For example, if a team of employees – some in the office and some online – is brainstorming ideas, there is a risk of the virtual participants feeling forgotten and not able to take part in the energy that is generated by the people in the actual room. 

The challenge for corporate leaders is to create an inclusive work environment, even when employees are not regularly in the same physical space. So, how do they go about this?

Here, we can look to neuroscience for some answers. Firstly, for a team to be productive, neuroscience suggests they must share a sense of belonging: people need to feel like they are on the same page and that they are doing meaningful work together. When there is a sense of belonging, the brain produces the feel-good hormone, dopamine. 

Secondly, a sense of belonging provides the opportunity for trust-building and when there is trust, the brain releases oxytocin, colloquially referred to as the trust hormone. When these two hormones are present, they create psychological safety and promote inclusivity. This context correlates favourably with enhanced levels of productivity. 

But, how can this sense of belonging and psychological safety be nurtured when a hybrid work model has been adopted by the business?

One of the first steps business leaders need to take is to create agreed upon rules of engagement, starting with establishing a pattern for being at the office. 

Often it’s a case of “we don’t mind on which days you come into the office (i.e. team autonomy), but it must be three times a week (i.e. establishing non-negotiable boundaries).” Importantly, teams need to agree on one day where all employees are physically in the same space together – to be able to brainstorm, collaborate and innovate together.

Another rule of engagement relates to cameras. It is best practice that when team members are not in the office, they should have their cameras on during meetings (at least for the first 15 minutes). The reason for cameras being on is that they help to mimic the reality of being in a shared space. They allow us to pick up on non-verbal cues and respond appropriately. This contributes to higher levels of engagement. By contrast, being in a two-hour meeting, looking at a monotonous screen compromises engagement and erodes the sense that the team is travelling together towards a common goal. 

An additional rule of engagement is regular health checks or ‘laundry days’. These can take place once a month or once a quarter. Health checks should not be about evaluating targets or addressing technical issues. Rather, they are conversations about where the team is at in terms of interpersonal engagement. Health checks must reflect on what is working well in the team and what interpersonal challenges get in the way of working well together. The reflection also provides a platform for airing of views about what is eroding the team’s efficiency and sense of belonging and trust. 

The leader’s role in this is crucial. Research has shown that effective leaders have well developed emotional intelligence (EQ), among other attributes. EQ is about adequate self-management and self-regulation while also “reading the proverbial room” in order to respond as his/her best self in various situations. 

Leaders’ EQ is also about having a healthy balance between task-focus and relationship-focus when they lead their teams towards organisational goals. Leaders with well-developed EQ are more likely to be intentional about creating an inclusive environment. 

The rules of engagement combined with an inclusive leadership demeanour will help develop boundaries and certainty for team members. This will, in turn, ensure employees feel more engaged and included in a digitally transforming world, which can otherwise lead to disengagement and a sense of alienation.