How to Promote Open Communication in Hybrid Work

Last quarter I ran a hybrid workshop where our co-located team dominated the conversation and our remote colleagues went radio-silent. I realized my setup and approach (camera pointing in the room, no set meeting protocols) were effectively muting half the group. Studies show that without explicit turn-taking structures, remote participants speak up 30% less than in-room attendees. When you find yourself facilitating a hybrid meeting (of any length), consider these tips: ✅ Dual Facilitator Pairing: One in-room, one online. Each person watching for hand-raises and chat cues. ✅ Virtual First Round-Robin: Start each topic by asking a remote attendee for input first. ✅ Shared Digital Whiteboard: Everyone posts ideas in real time, no physical flipcharts. Give the virtual group the first chance to speak before going to the room. You’ll be surprised how quickly the energy shifts. What’s your hybrid meeting hack? Drop it below! 👇 #Facilitation #HybridWork #InclusiveMeetings #VirtualCollaboration #MeetingTips Sutey Coaching & Consulting ---------- 🎯 Want to elevate your hybrid meetings? Let's chat: https://lnkd.in/gGJjcffw

Almost every management issue comes down to communication, especially in a remote/hybrid environment. You can’t have communication without trust. When you have low trust and low communication, people get scared to talk about failure. They get frustrated. Issues get hidden. It’s a performance death spiral. At our last exec offsite, Jason Tan led an exercise for my team that started with, “If you really knew me…you’d know that…..” and you had to share something deeply personal going on in your life. It was intimidating. I kicked it off with something intense going on with my family. Once I shared, it started flowing. Everyone on the team shared personal challenges that they were dealing with. It was like someone hit the “communication ON” button from that moment forward. As a leader, showing vulnerability or sharing a challenge in your life has a profound impact. It allows others to feel 100x the trust and feel empowered to start speaking openly. We did this 1x, and it completely changed the way our team connects and communicates. It’s intimidating but I recommend giving it a try. DM if you have questions about how to roll this out with your team in a responsible way.

As we continue to navigate the changing nature of remote and hybrid work, one thing has become clear: effective communication is more important than ever. Here are a few key tips that have kept my team and I connected throughout this period:  • Be more empathetic and less robotic in your approach; take time to ask personal questions before diving into work - sometimes checking in on how someone's day is going has made a huge difference.  • Have regular check-ins, they matter. I schedule intentional one-on-ones and roundtable meetings. Keeping the camera on during these sessions helps humanize the conversation, and it’s proven essential in maintaining strong relationships with my team.  • Make the most of visual tools, as they help expedite problem-solving and decision-making. Being able to see something helps us all stay aligned and drive projects forward more efficiently.  • Let your team share how they adapt to remote work. It’s amazing how much we can learn from each other, from workspace setups to creative solutions for balancing work and family life.  • Reach out to colleagues. Sometimes a spontaneous message, even if it's just a casual chat, can spark a new connection and keep your team's morale high. Leading a remote or hybrid team requires intentionality, but when you focus on maintaining human connections, it can strengthen your team even more than before.