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Tips for efficiently managing a hybrid project
10 May 2023by Jen Lowthrop
We share tips and advice on how to manage a project when you have a hybrid team working in different places
In today’s world, many charities are working with a hybrid team often only meet all together once a week or less. Hybrid working has many benefits, including the ability to hire people from across the country, or even further afield.
Not being together in the office every day for those quick questions and problem-solving moments can be challenging, but with the right strategies it can be done successfully.
Communication is essential when managing a hybrid project. At the start of the project you should agree how and when you will have regular check-ins and occasional in-person meetings.
This might include a short daily or weekly morning stand-up to share progress and any problems or questions that have arisen and a regular longer planning meeting that could take place monthly and ideally be in person to help creativity.
You might also want to set some communication rules or guidelines, such as not using Whatsapp or not expecting replies after or before a certain time.
Use technology to your advantage
There are many different tools that can help you keep track of a project from afar. Trello is great for managing a project, including being able to assign tasks and set deadlines, the free version will give you most of the functionality you require too. There are other tools such as Asana and Monday which have additional functionality, but cost more and can take a bit more getting used to.
Work out as a team the best tool for your needs and budget and make sure everyone knows and agrees how you will use it.
Use meeting time wisely
Getting everyone together online or in person can be tricky, so when you are together, make sure you use this time wisely. Ensure there is a clear agenda and outcomes of you meeting together, so nobody feels like they are wasting their time.
That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be time for fun too, but work out the aims of the meeting and plan the agenda accordingly, ensuring there is time for everyone to be heard.
Build your team culture
It can be harder to build a team culture from afar, but it is possible. Make sure you have time for some of those more general ‘getting to know you’ chats you have in the office. Celebrate different milestones and achievements together and remove blame culture.
You may want to ensure you have set and agreed clear expectations for everyone involved, including project goals, communication, and deadlines. For a successful project, it is important to set these at the start and ensure everyone is aligned and agreed to them.
Allow for flexibility
If you have a hybrid team, but then force them all to be online at the same time, it doesn’t offer flexibility. There may be certain meetings that aim to get everyone together, but allowing flexibility for people to work at different schedules can help with team morale and productivity.
You might also want to change the days of different meetings to allow for flexibility.
Monitor progress
When you’re working remotely it is even more important to ensure you are continually monitoring the progress of the project to ensure you don’t get too far behind. This is why regular, honest catch-ups are really important.
Many of the project management tools will help you monitor progress in real time. However, you also need to ensure you are regularly going back to the project goals and outcomes to monitor progress too.
Regular updates for stakeholders
Whether you have stakeholders who are internal or external to your organisation it is important to keep them regularly up-to-date. You could have full transparency and invite stakeholders to access your project management software so they can see the progress, or you could have regular online meetings to share developments.
Work out ahead of time what kind of updates they are expecting, and if realistic, factor these updates into your planning.
Trust your team
When working on a project remotely, building trust is absolutely essential. With clear goals and project outcomes you should build a sense of trust within the team, knowing that together you will get the tasks done. Trust helps allow for autonomy within the team to do the work the best way each team member sees fit.
Have regular team retrospectives
All of the tips for working with a hybrid team involve getting team buy-in and agreement and this is never more important than working remotely. Make sure you are regularly checking in with the project team and offering support where needed.
One way to check in is to have regular team retrospectives. This is a chance for the team to get together and review their ways of working, what is working well, any issues, and ideas for improvements. Things are constantly changing so it is important to do this regularly and build an open and honest culture to ensure you are providing the project team with what they need.
Working with a hybrid project team can be challenging and requires patience. It can take time to embed the team into the ways of working that work for them, but with regular communication and an open and honest culture it’s amazing what you can achieve.
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