Thriving in a hybrid working environment, advice from the Balance team

Navigate the hybrid working landscape — advice to help you find your Balance and thrive in this new paradigm. 

Since the beginning of 2020, the shift in how we work together has been enormous, to say the least — what’s more, all signs point to the fact that hybrid working is here to stay.  

That’s why we place emphasis on our progressive approach to hybrid working and our continued efforts to make Balance innovative and inclusive. 

Having two different workspaces, one at home and another at the office, has many perks, but it also comes with a unique set of challenges. For example, how do you keep up your productivity and passion for your career when switching locations throughout the working week?  Or, overcome feeling isolated from your team while working remotely.  

We know from research conducted with our team earlier this year that our capacity to thrive in a hybrid model varies dramatically according to our personal preferences. This tells us that it’s essential to create an optimal environment at an individual level, a one size fits all approach doesn’t work for hybrid working.  

We’ve put together some of our team’s best advice for thriving in a hybrid working environment. Here’s what they had to share:  

#1. Stay visible and connected, from anywhere

To help everyone in your team feel connected in hybrid meetings (where some team members are in the office and others are joining remotely), try to always include a virtual link to join, as well as a physical location.  

All too often, in hybrid meetings, remote joiners can be drowned out by those in the room at the office location. We suggest adjusting the volume of remote attendees so their contributions can be heard and they remain visible which helps to encourage active participation. 

Rex, Melbourne 

#2. Be mindful of everyone’s time

Be mindful about how your team is managing their time while working remotely or from the office, for example how much time per day are you spending in meetings vs deep-work time and collaboration time. Is it the right mix for your productivity or could it be improved? If you’re not sure, open up the conversation with your manager to understand what changes could be made. 

Sebastian, Melbourne 

#3. Up your meeting game

At Balance, we try our best to schedule face-to-face business and team-focused meetings several times a month in addition to our daily stand-up to leverage connection time.  

In addition, we encourage everyone to attend hybrid meetings as they would in person — be on time, be respectful of each other’s time and be intentional with the purpose and objectives of the meeting. 

Alexandra, Melbourne  

#4. Create healthy boundaries

Think about what time of day you are at your best and use that to determine your work schedule. For example, maybe you are most productive in the morning or the afternoon; work that into your schedule and then try and stick to it. Creating a healthy boundary between when your work day starts and ends is essential to creating a thriving hybrid working environment. 

Vanessa, Melbourne  

#5. Celebrate the wins

One of the great things about the hybrid work model is that we don’t need everyone in one place to acknowledge hard work and show appreciation for each other.  

Celebrating individual successes, big and small, and team achievements can help everyone appreciate their teammates’ contributions and feel a part of something bigger than themselves.  

Aaron, Melbourne 

#6. Talk about what does and doesn’t work

The hybrid working model is new and different for many of our team members. We make a point of talking about what works and making adjustments as required. It’s an iterative process to create an environment that works for everyone.   

For example, we know how people work best can vary, even across identical job roles, driven by factors like career stage, location, and level of introversion/extroversion. Some team members can thrive in certain working conditions, while others might struggle, which is why we need to talk openly in the spirit of continuous improvement. 

James, Melbourne 

#7. Communicate openly

Because many of our team members at Balance work in different locations, getting everyone on the same page can be challenging.   

We have found that creating channels in our team chat tool to provide quick updates, raise issues and work together to resolve problems helps with open communication. This way, regardless of location, everyone receives updates and messages and can work together in real time, which helps keep the spirit of teamwork alive. 

Anthony, Melbourne & Hanoi 

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In Summary, the past few years have shown us that the new hybrid work model required a complete rethinking of how our team gets work done. We are always working to master the shift to a hybrid working model for a more satisfying environment and experience for our team. 

Hybrid working is new territory and we are committed to evolving our hybrid working model as we learn what works well (and doesn’t). 

Want to love your job? We’re always looking for talented and dedicated individuals to join our team of thinkers and creatives that have a passion for delivering exceptional digital commerce solutions. Join the team at Balance.