3 Ways To Maintain Culture In A Virtual Or Hybrid Workplace

Written by: Sara Mueller, Executive Contributor

Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.

Last month at one of my Harvard classes, we got into an intense debate about whether virtual work was here to stay or if we’d quickly revert to the in-person setting typical of pre-pandemic times. While many of my fellow students and I believe there are benefits to virtual and hybrid work options, especially when it comes to personal productivity or recruiting and retaining younger generations and parents who appreciate the flexibility that remote work offers, some were concerned that the virtual environment would hinder their organization’s culture. This was especially worrisome for organizations who were onboarding new employees who hadn’t experienced their culture before work-from-home became the necessary norm.

I see the benefit to being in physical proximity of other members of your team and leveraging the spontaneous brainstorming and relationship building that can happen around the water cooler, but culture is more than social gatherings, pool tables in the break room, and free pizza on Friday. Culture is made up of the people you hire and retain, the values and mission that drive your organization, and every interaction you have with your team and clients, virtual or in person. Having led a small, but mighty, 100 percent virtual team since I started my coaching and leadership development business in 2017, I’d like to share how we cultivate a culture in our virtual environment.

1. Hire To Core Values And Key Attributes

Culture is the people who make up your organization. The first and, perhaps, most important step to cultivating a culture you desire in any work environment – virtual or not – is attracting and hiring only those that align with your organization’s core values and the key attributes you desire of your team.

My business, Joy Discovered, has three core values impact, growth, and excellence. Three is a sweet-spot number because every team member can remember and recite three important values and use them to guide the decisions they make daily.

We have 12 attributes of our team. (You can view them here if you’re curious: www.joydiscovered.com/culture). We interview, hire, measure, train, promote, and fire against these 12 attributes. They weed out people unfit for our culture early in the recruitment process and give our team clear expectations on how we want them to show up for work each day (no matter if they’re wearing yoga pants at home or working in a business suit at a coffee shop).

2. Take An Everyone Or No One Approach To Meetings

Before I became a coach and trainer, I worked remotely for a company based out of New York City for over a decade. I was the only person in my position who was remote. While working virtually served my personal life, it hindered my professional opportunities.

You’ve probably experienced sitting in a board room with a speakerphone in the center of the table. The person on the speakerphone is “in” the meeting, but they can’t see when a colleague rolls their eyes, anticipate a break in the discussion to chime in, or even hear the side conversations happening among key stakeholders. That person has a disadvantage in the meeting.

On top of that, since you don’t see the remote employee regularly, but you do see the other members of your team, you are less likely to think of the remote person for new projects or promotions. It’s a simple case of out of sight, out of mind. The remote team member has to work twice as hard to make their work and contributions visible to the rest of the team.

The way to level the playing field and ensure input from everyone so that you get high performance out of your hybrid team is to take an everyone or no one approach to meetings. That means if one person is on Zoom, everyone’s on Zoom. If one person has to dial into a phone call, everyone has to dial in – even if half the team is in the office just down the hall from each other.

3. Bring The Humanity

Remember that your work – no matter what your industry may be – is human beings working with other human beings. Because of this, you must bring humanity to all your interactions, whether they be via email, on a Zoom call, in the copy you write for your website, or in the type of training programs you use to develop your team. Care about your team and clients as people, not just a means to a business-result end, and that will enhance your culture.

Strategize ways to recognize and reward your team virtually. Brainstorm with your team on how to get to know one another as human beings. At Joy Discovered, we have biweekly company Zoom meetings where we acknowledge a wow moment that we witnessed from a teammate, highlight client success stories and testimonials, and grow in our personal development through teachings and cross-training.

We encourage authenticity and vulnerability in these meetings (and always). Plus, having coached clients via Zoom since 2017, I promise you that it’s possible to connect, empathize, and develop rapport just as much over Zoom as you can in person if you make the human being in front of you your main focus.

In conclusion, there are massive benefits to tapping into talent beyond your local community for work that can be done remotely. Since culture is reinforced with every hiring decision, every communication, and every action you and your team make, it will not be hindered in a virtual or hybrid environment when you put the right strategies in place.

If you’re looking for an impactful leadership training that improves emotional intelligence and psychological safety among your virtual or in-person team, book a call with me HERE to discuss our offerings.

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Sara Mueller, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine Sara Mueller believes we CAN have it all. She helps leaders develop emotional intelligence, resilience, and high performance so they can balance an impactful career AND a meaningful family life. After being burnt out in her career and hitting rock bottom in her marriage, Sara realized that her limiting beliefs and unproductive patterns were blocking joy and success in all areas of her life. So, she underwent an intense journey of self-discovery, learning how to own her authentic power, presence, and purpose. She now teaches the key learnings of her transformation in her Self-Mastery Method coaching and leadership programs. Prior to becoming a Success Mentor, Sara spent nearly two decades developing optimization training programs for Fortune Global 500 executives while also teaching mindfulness and yoga to people from all walks of life. She’s a certified Conscious Parenting Coach and is regularly regarded as “life-changing,” “eye-opening,” and “one of the most engaging facilitators I’ve ever seen” by her beloved clients.