Closing the Hybrid Team Gap
Best Practices for Effectively Leading Hybrid Team Meetings
Though hybrid work offers obvious flexibility and convenience, a surprising number of managers and executives still feel drawn to the traditional office setting. According to a KPMG survey of 100 CEOs from large companies, more than a third expect to bring their entire workforce back to the office full-time by 2027. The reasons for this preference aren’t just about tradition. They’re rooted in genuine concerns about productivity, team culture, and, perhaps most critically, the readiness of managers to handle the complexities of hybrid leadership.
A recent Gallup study highlights the scope of this challenge. Only 10% of managers have received mandatory training on how to lead hybrid teams, and 18% have optional access to training, which often goes unused due to competing demands on their time. Without the right resources, managers are left trying to apply traditional leadership methods to a work environment that demands a completely different approach.
This is where Powers Resource Center (PRC) steps in. PRC’s team training programs provide managers with the skills, strategies, and support they need to succeed in both back-in-office and hybrid environments. Through targeted training, PRC helps bridge the gap for managers, addressing the unique challenges of hybrid leadership—from strengthening communication and trust to cultivating an inclusive, resilient team culture to facilitating conditions that provide for effective meetings.
Let’s delve into the reasons why managers are seeking a return to the office, and explore practical, research-backed team-building strategies that managers can use to boost productivity and cohesion across both in-office and hybrid teams, particularly where meetings are concerned.
If you ask managers why they’re drawn to bringing everyone back to the office, you’ll hear a variety of reasons. The most common concerns are related to productivity, cultural cohesion, and, in many cases, the challenges of navigating hybrid work without adequate training. Here’s a closer look at the top reasons:
For many managers, the transition to hybrid work has brought new challenges, especially when it comes to productivity and team cohesion. In a traditional office, gauging productivity is fairly straightforward: you see who’s engaged, can offer guidance right on the spot, and often, small problems are resolved through a quick, impromptu conversation. But in a hybrid or remote setup, those spontaneous interactions are rare. Managers find themselves wondering: “How can I monitor progress and keep everyone accountable without that same level of day-to-day visibility?”
Then there’s the issue of culture. A strong, vibrant company culture doesn’t happen overnight. It’s something that grows from shared experiences, daily interactions, and the feeling of being part of a team. According to a Deloitte study, 94% of executives and 88% of employees agree that a clear workplace culture is essential to business success. Yet, for hybrid teams, fostering that same sense of belonging and shared purpose can be an uphill battle. Without the daily rhythm of face-to-face interactions, that “team spirit” can feel harder to sustain.
Adding to this complexity is that surprising gap in hybrid leadership training. The skills required to lead a hybrid team differ significantly from those used to manage an in-office team. Managers suddenly find themselves navigating new waters—trying to keep productivity high, communication clear, and the team connected without the tools they’re used to. It’s no wonder that many managers would prefer a return to the office, where the familiar dynamics of traditional management feel much more manageable.
Finally, there’s a lack of a structured hybrid work plan. Nearly half of hybrid employees, according to Gallup, report that their teams lack any formal or even informal plan for collaborating effectively. Without a clear approach, hybrid work can feel chaotic, leaving managers feeling like they’re juggling without a net. The familiar office environment may seem like the only way to regain control and bring back structure.
The hybrid workplace model isn’t just a response to recent global shifts; it’s a transformative approach that combines the strengths of in-office and remote work to create a balanced, efficient, and employee-friendly environment. From increased productivity and job satisfaction to cost savings and environmental benefits, hybrid workplaces offer significant advantages for both employees and organizations.
Flexibility and Work-Life Balance: The flexibility of hybrid work lets employees shape their schedules, improving work-life balance. They can manage family, health, or personal activities more effectively, leading to higher job satisfaction and less stress. According to Gallup, employees with a good work-life balance are 21% more productive and 33% less likely to experience burnout.
Enhanced Productivity and Focus: Despite early concerns, studies show remote work often boosts focus. Fewer distractions and interruptions allow employees to work more efficiently. In a 2021 Owl Labs study, 90% of employees felt equally or more productive working remotely. Hybrid work provides focused remote time and in-office collaboration.
Cost Savings: Hybrid work saves employees on commuting, attire, and meals, with FlexJobs estimating $4,000 in annual savings. Companies save on office space, utilities, and maintenance, allowing for reinvestment in other areas like technology and development.
Broader Access to Talent: Hybrid work enables companies to recruit from a wider geographical area, enhancing team diversity and allowing access to specialized skills. Boston Consulting Group found that diverse teams achieve 19% higher innovation revenue, giving hybrid workplaces a competitive edge.
Improved Well-Being and Mental Health: Reduced commuting and the freedom to design personal workspaces improve mental health. Greater control over schedules reduces burnout and increases job satisfaction. The American Psychological Association found that workers with schedule control report higher well-being and reduced stress.
Environmental Sustainability: With fewer commuters, hybrid work significantly reduces carbon emissions. An IWG survey found that if urban workers telecommuted half the time, 54 million tons of emissions could be saved annually. Reduced office usage also lowers energy consumption, aligning with sustainability goals.
Job Satisfaction and Retention: Flexibility is key to retention, with 83% of workers in a 2022 Accenture survey preferring hybrid work. Companies accommodating hybrid preferences retain talent more effectively, reduce turnover costs, and enhance their reputation as desirable employers.
Hybrid work has proven to be effective when the right strategies and support are in place. With targeted training, managers can adapt to hybrid work and lead their teams as effectively as they would in a traditional setting. PRC’s team training programs bridge these gaps by equipping managers with the skills and support they need to foster productivity, culture, and engagement across both hybrid and in-office environments.
Meetings are the cornerstone of cohesive, connected hybrid teams. Creating rhythms and routines with meetings helps hybrid teams stay aligned, foster trust, and ensure consistent communication, boosting overall productivity and connection. Bridging the gap in hybrid teams requires intentional effort, especially during meetings where alignment and collaboration are key. Leaders must strike a balance between the in-person and remote experience to ensure all team members feel equally included, engaged, and valued. This involves careful planning, using technology effectively, and fostering an environment where everyone’s voice is heard, regardless of location. By implementing thoughtful practices like structured agendas, leveraging video conferencing tools, and encouraging active participation, leaders can transform hybrid meetings into opportunities to build trust, drive innovation, and strengthen team cohesion.
Here are five ongoing meeting practices and activities that can be easily integrated into team meetings, making them perfect for hybrid environments. These practices keep team members engaged and motivated—regardless of their physical location.
1. Meeting Icebreakers
Starting each meeting with a warm-up or an icebreaker is a great way to engage and connect teams. A simple yet effective activity, “Two Truths and a Lie,” asks each participant to share two true statements and one false statement about themselves, leaving the team to guess which statement is the lie. This game can be conducted over video calls, making it equally engaging for remote and in-office participants.
Why It Works: For remote team members, this game helps bridge the gap between virtual and in-person communication by fostering personal connections and building empathy. A study by the American Psychological Association shows that empathy within teams enhances trust and promotes more effective collaboration. By sharing personal stories, team members learn to understand and relate to each other, which is essential for hybrid team cohesion.
Pro Tip: Encourage team members to elaborate on their truths, sparking further conversation and creating a more personal and inclusive atmosphere.
Other warm-ups or icebreakers include:
➡️ Emoji Check-In
Ask everyone to describe their current mood or week using only emojis in the chat or on camera.
➡️ Would You Rather
Pose fun or work-related “Would you rather…” scenarios (e.g., “Would you rather work from a beach or a mountain cabin?”).
➡️ Two-Minute Shoutouts
Take turns giving a shoutout to a team member for something they’ve done recently.
➡️ Lightning Poll
Use a poll tool to ask fun or insightful questions, like favorite work snacks or dream vacation spots.
➡️ Theme Song
Have each person share a song that describes their current mood or how they feel about the day ahead.
ACTION STEP: Strengthening Communication Skills to Foster Cohesion
In hybrid teams, communication gaps can easily arise due to the lack of face-to-face interactions. PRC’s training programs offer practical strategies to keep communication clear, inclusive, and engaging for everyone on the team, whether they’re remote or in-office. Learn more.
2. Scheduled One-on-One Check-Ins
Regular one-on-one check-ins are a straightforward yet powerful way to stay connected with each team member outside of meetings AND for the sake of future effective meetings. For remote employees, these sessions are especially important, providing dedicated time for open discussions, guidance, and personalized support.
Why It Matters: According to Harvard Business Review, employees are three times more likely to be engaged with their team members when they have regular check-ins with their managers. For hybrid teams, these check-ins build consistency and reinforce a sense of belonging, ensuring that remote employees don’t feel overlooked or disconnected.
Pro Tip: Make these one-on-ones a two-way conversation. Encourage feedback and listen actively to remote team members, asking about what’s working and where they feel challenged. This dialogue can provide valuable insights for improving team dynamics and addressing potential gaps. Watch how this practice optimizes your next larger team meeting…
Other ways to stay connected to team members routinely and consistently:
➡️ Weekly Team Huddles
Short, focused meetings to align on priorities, celebrate wins, and share updates.
➡️ Virtual Coffee Chats
Schedule informal, non-work-related conversations to build rapport and foster connection.
➡️ Buddy System
Pair team members to support each other, share knowledge, or work on projects together.
➡️ End-of-Week Wins and Challenges
Encourage team members to share what went well and any obstacles they faced to promote transparency and support.
➡️ Pulse Check Surveys
Quick, regular surveys to gauge morale, workload, and satisfaction.
ACTION STEP: Building Trust Through Autonomy and Accountability
In an office setting, trust can often be built through visibility—observing team members as they work and engage. In hybrid settings, however, managers must focus on outcomes rather than presence. PRC’s training programs shift the focus from micromanagement to results-oriented leadership, teaching managers how to set clear expectations and foster accountability based on deliverables. Learn more.
3: Goal Setting and Progress Tracking
Encourage team members to set individual and collective goals and report on progress during team meetings. This practice allows everyone to stay aligned on objectives, supports accountability, and creates transparency within the team.
The Payoff: Research from McKinsey shows that teams with clear goals and accountability structures are 2.3 times more likely to meet their performance objectives. By shifting from a focus on visibility to one on outcomes, managers build a culture of trust and autonomy, empowering employees to take ownership of their work.
Pro Tip: Use collaborative project management tools like Asana, ClickUp, or Trello to track progress and celebrate achievements. These tools not only facilitate goal tracking but also provide a visual representation of each person’s contributions that can be seen online and offline or reviewed at meetings, building mutual trust and respect.
Other ways to practice goal-setting and progress-tracking to consider:
➡️ Quarterly Goal-Setting Sessions
Dedicate time each quarter for the team to define individual and collective objectives that align with broader company goals.
➡️ SMART Goals Framework
Train team members to set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound for clarity and focus.
➡️ Shared Goal Tracker
Use a collaborative tool like Google Sheets, Notion, or Asana where everyone can update their goals and track milestones in real time.
➡️ Accountability Partners
Pair team members to regularly check in with each other on individual goals and offer mutual support.
➡️ Open Goal Wall
Create a virtual or physical “goal wall” where team members post their objectives to promote transparency and alignment.
ACTION STEP: Setting Collaborative Goals That Align With Strategy
Encouraging hybrid teams to approach goal setting and progress tracking as a collaborative, process fosters open communication and continuous feedback. Setting up regular virtual check-ins where team members can share updates, adjust goals, and offer support to each other is a powerful practice. And utilizing shared digital tools to track progress collectively, allows everyone to contribute and celebrate milestones. PRC’s training programs help to facilitate this dynamic process by teaching managers how to maintain engagement, ensure alignment to company values and strategy, and empower teams to adapt and grow together. Learn more.
4: Empathy Mapping
Routine meetings provide valuable insight for empathy mapping by offering regular touchpoints where managers can better understand the challenges and stressors their team members are facing. These meetings help managers visualize the day-to-day experiences of remote workers, from balancing family and work responsibilities to managing isolation and digital fatigue, allowing for more personalized support and informed decision-making.
Why It Matters: A report by Catalyst found that empathetic leaders lead to higher employee engagement and a more resilient team culture. When managers understand their team’s experiences, they can offer tailored support, fostering an environment where everyone feels valued.
Pro Tip: Consider creating an anonymous “team empathy map” where everyone can share common challenges. This not only provides insights but also builds mutual understanding and a culture of support within the team.
Other ways to build empathy on a hybrid team:
➡️ Persona Development
Develop personas for different team roles to better understand their unique challenges and motivations.
➡️ Team Listening Sessions
Host open forums or small group discussions to hear directly from team members about their experiences and needs.
➡️ Shadowing Opportunities
Spend time observing team members’ workflows to understand their daily pressures and identify process improvements.
➡️ Digital Well-Being Assessments
Evaluate how digital tools impact work-life balance and look for ways to minimize digital fatigue (e.g., reducing unnecessary meetings or emails).
➡️ Stress Mapping
Collaboratively identify sources of stress in workflows or team dynamics and brainstorm solutions as a team.
➡️ Story Sharing
Encourage team members to share their challenges and successes through anonymous platforms or moderated sessions.
ACTION STEP: Empathy-Driven Leadership for Hybrid Success
Empathy is one of the most valuable skills a manager can develop, especially in a hybrid environment where employees have unique challenges. PRC’s training programs equip leaders with tools to foster empathy, helping them better understand and support the diverse needs of their team members. Learn more.
5: Emotional Intelligence Moments
A quick exercise to gauge the team’s mood and set the tone for a meeting, whether remote or in-person, is a “One-Word Pulse Check.” At the start of the session, each team member shares one word that describes how they’re feeling at that moment. It could be something like “energized,” “stressed,” “motivated,” or even “distracted.” This exercise opens the door for honest communication and helps leaders understand the team’s current state of mind, creating space for empathy and support.
Why It Works: "One-Word Pulse Check" is a simple, low-pressure activity that encourages team members to be open about their emotional state. It also gives managers a quick sense of the team’s mood, allowing them to address any immediate concerns or adjust the meeting’s pace if necessary. This exercise fosters connection and understanding, even in hybrid environments, and serves as a reminder that everyone’s experience matters.
Pro Tip: To make this activity even more impactful, ask a follow-up question for any challenging words shared, like “Is there anything we can do as a team to support you?” This approach deepens connection, reinforces trust, and creates an inclusive team environment.
Other ways to integrate emotional intelligence moments into your hybrid team structure:
➡️ Mood Meter
Use a visual tool or chart (like the Yale Mood Meter) to help team members identify and share their emotions at the start of a meeting.
➡️ Energy Check
Have participants rate their energy levels on a scale from 1-10 and optionally share why they feel that way.
➡️ Gratitude Moment
Start the meeting with each person naming one thing they’re grateful for that day or week.
➡️ Pause and Breathe
Begin with a one-minute mindfulness exercise or deep breathing to help everyone reset and focus.
➡️ Intentions for the Meeting
Invite participants to share one word describing their intention or goal for the session, such as “collaborate,” “learn,” or “resolve.”
ACTION STEP: Building a Workplace That’s Healthy, Vibrant and Trustworthy
Promoting emotional intelligence is a cornerstone of healthy, vibrant teams. By training managers to be self-aware and attuned to their team members' emotions, hybrid teams can thrive, consistently and cohesively. Encouraging leaders to practice active listening, empathy, and emotional regulation in their interactions is key. PRC’s EQ training programs provide insights for managers to recognize and address team dynamics, fostering an environment where open communication, trust, and support thrive. Learning how to regularly assess team morale and offer feedback, ensuring emotional intelligence becomes a core aspect of leadership and team culture. Learn more.
As the workplace continues to evolve, leaders must adapt to a new set of challenges that demand more than traditional management techniques. Hybrid work has proven its potential, allowing organizations to offer flexibility while maintaining productivity—but the transition is not without hurdles. Many managers find themselves navigating the complexities of hybrid work with little training, facing concerns about productivity, team cohesion, communication, and culture. With the right support, however, these challenges can be transformed into opportunities to build stronger, more connected, and more resilient teams.
PRC’s team training programs offer a comprehensive suite of tools that prepare managers to lead with confidence in both in-office and hybrid settings. By focusing on targeted, research-backed skills—like empathy-driven leadership, clear communication, structured collaboration, and results-oriented accountability—PRC provides managers with everything they need to thrive in a hybrid environment. Each program is carefully tailored to address the specific challenges faced by executives, managers, and teams in achieving alignment, strengthening communication, and building trust.
ONE Vision: Executive Team Alignment
The ONE Vision program fast-tracks CEOs and senior leadership teams toward unified strategic alignment. It’s an intensive, results-focused coaching program, centered on setting clear, shared objectives to create “One Team, One Approach, One Agenda.” In just five facilitated sessions, PRC helps leaders foster accountability, speed up decision-making, and improve cross-team communication. Leaders emerge with a cohesive plan to execute their vision across the organization—driving not just alignment, but real business results that elevate individual and team performance.
The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team
Built on Patrick Lencioni’s trusted Five Behaviors® model, this program is a powerful approach to activating team potential through trust, conflict resolution, commitment, accountability, and results. Offered as either a Personal Development or Team Development track, the program’s assessments help individuals and teams better understand how to collaborate effectively. Through tailored insights, participants gain the skills to “team” better—improving the way they work together across any environment, from remote to hybrid, to in-office setups.
Leveraging Diverse Team Strengths & Styles with DiSC
Our DiSC-based training empowers teams to tackle common challenges like miscommunication and stagnation head-on. By helping participants understand their own and each other’s unique strengths, work styles, and communication preferences, this program creates a foundation of mutual respect and trust. With practical DiSC exercises and access to the Everything DiSC® on Catalyst™ platform, team members leave with insights and a lifelong resource for ongoing communication and collaboration improvement.
Strategic Team-Building Retreats
Designed as a relaxed, off-site experience, PRC’s strategic retreats bring teams together in a peaceful setting that encourages connection and open dialogue. Teams have the chance to explore each member’s unique contributions, reconnect with company culture, and align on key priorities. These retreats go beyond planning; they give teams the space to celebrate wins, tackle process improvements, and set a collaborative roadmap for future success.
PRC’s Virtual Team Effectiveness program, led by author and virtual team expert Tara Powers, provides essential tools for creating high-functioning remote teams. With a focus on trust, productive conflict management, and virtual communication strategies, this program arms teams with the skills to thrive in a dispersed work environment. Participants learn to identify team strengths, establish effective communication agreements, and utilize PRC’s Virtual Team Communication Matrix to stay connected and aligned, whether they’re fully remote or hybrid. See Virtual Teams for Dummies by Tara Powers and Working from Home for Dummies by Tara Powers.
The future of work demands flexibility, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to fostering connection and belonging across diverse work environments. PRC’s programs recognize that these qualities are essential for every successful team, and they provide managers with hands-on, actionable solutions that can be implemented immediately. These tools are not just about bridging gaps but about equipping leaders with the ability to empower their teams, cultivate a strong culture, and drive meaningful results—no matter where employees are working from.
By investing in PRC’s comprehensive training, organizations are preparing their leaders for the long term, fostering a new generation of hybrid-ready managers who can handle change with resilience and lead with compassion. As workplaces become more dispersed and diverse, this type of leadership will be the key to building teams that are not only productive but also happy, engaged, and unified in purpose.
In a world where work is no longer bound by traditional office walls, the right approach to leadership can make all the difference. PRC is at the forefront of this transformation, offering tailored, research-backed training that equips managers with the skills they need to thrive. As leaders embrace the nuances of hybrid work, PRC’s team training programs provide the structure, tools, and support necessary to create teams that are not only high-performing but also deeply connected and resilient. Embracing these strategies is not just about adapting to a new work model—it’s about redefining what successful, inclusive, and adaptable leadership looks like in the workplace of tomorrow.
Start your team-building training with PRC to close the gaps and strengthen your hybrid workplace!
