Building and maintaining high performing organizations that thrive in the virtual workplace

The question is, how well can leaders adapt to this new reality? Can productivity be ensured while maintaining team morale with a cohesive, engaged workforce?

In this blog, we’re doing things a little differently. Sean Casey of Pender and Howe recently spoke with Shane Spraggs, co-author of “The Power of Remote: Building High Performing Organizations That Thrive in the Virtual Workplace.” His insights are featured throughout this post.

Onboarding remote or hybrid leaders

Getting the right leadership in place for a hybrid or remote workplace starts with the onboarding process. 

Effective onboarding is critical, especially for remote or hybrid leaders. The right onboarding plan serves two key purposes: it familiarizes employees with their new role and also integrates them into the company culture, fosters connections, and sets them up for long-term success.

However, a well-structured onboarding process needs to extend beyond the first week.

“For me, onboarding is everything that needs to happen to make a new employee a successful employee—getting to the point where they are working 100%,” Spraggs said. “So that's probably more than the first week; it's at least one month, likely three months, of a plan to get them from zero to 60.”

When onboarding remote leaders, it's essential to identify the key traits that help them thrive in a virtual environment. Strong social skills, curiosity about technology, and effective text-based communication are all vital. In Spraggs’ experience, empathy—the ability to recognize and understand others’ emotions—plays a crucial role in building successful remote teams.

Establishing connections as early as possible can pay huge dividends down the line. One helpful strategy that Spraggs advocates for is assigning an "onboarding buddy". This person should be someone who isn’t directly involved in the manager-subordinate relationship but can be a peer and a resource for the new hire.

Meetings and messaging: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Meetings are crucial for keeping teams aligned, but they can quickly become counterproductive if not handled and planned for properly. During the pandemic, when companies moved to remote work, the number of meetings increased because people started scheduling time for what would normally have been casual conversations in the office.

To put it mildly, meetings got out of hand. Having too many meetings is proven to be counterproductive.

Effective leaders need to ensure that meetings have a clear purpose and agenda. Spraggs suggests keeping track of action items from meetings to avoid losing track of commitments made during remote meetings.

He also advocates for leveraging technology to record and transcribe meetings. “This helps in creating minutes quickly and ensuring that nothing is forgotten due to the many distractions that can occur during remote meetings,” he said. 

For leaders, knowing how often meetings should be held is often challenging for remote teams. While the cadence can vary based on team needs, Spraggs said that most teams benefit from a weekly check-in, along with one-on-one meetings between managers and team members. 

In addition to virtual meetings, investing in periodic in-person gatherings—such as quarterly team meetups—can pay off significantly. “Think of the money you’re saving from reduced office space expenses,” Spraggs said. “These in-person connections strengthen relationships and help reinforce team culture in ways virtual meetings can’t replicate.”

So when to email and when to instant message?

According to Spraggs, email should be used primarily for facts and not for ongoing conversations or casual discussions. “New information should not be shared over email; other more dynamic tools like instant messaging are preferred.” After all, email is better suited for formal or in-depth communication.

What about RTO (Return to Office): Is it for everyone?

The debate over returning to the office continues, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. 

Just recently, Amazon has mandated a full 5 day per week return to work for corporate employees. Experts say other companies won’t be far behind in issuing the same RTO policy. 

It’s difficult to predict whether a full RTO will happen in your company. Instead of an all-or-nothing approach, many companies are adopting hybrid models that combine the benefits of both remote and in-person work. This flexibility caters to diverse employee needs and can enhance job satisfaction and productivity.

Whether RTO will work is dependent on many factors. According to Spraggs, Amazon may be an outlier, as larger enterprises face more challenges in mandating a return to office. Startups and smaller companies will find it much easier to maintain flexibility for remote work, while roles requiring physical presence, healthcare, and manufacturing typically require employees to be at the workplace. 

Ultimately, the suitability of RTO mandates depends on a nuanced assessment of the specific needs, culture, and logistical considerations of each company. “A one-size-fits-all approach rarely works, and listening to employee feedback and ensuring clear communication and expectations are vital to any policy's success,” Spraggs said. 

For many thought workers, remote work is here to stay, and leaders must adapt accordingly. However, companies should establish clear guidelines, ensuring that the decision to remain remote or return to the office aligns with the needs of their industry, workforce, and goals.