Between Zoom meetings, remote collaborators and days at the office, today's managers are navigating a complex universe: that of hybrid management. This new work organization, combining telecommuting and face-to-face work, promises flexibility and efficiency... but also poses new challenges. How do you maintain hybrid team cohesion, drive performance, and keep communication flowing?

Here are some concrete keys to regaining control and managing effectively in a hybrid environment.

Setting up the right rituals

Understanding what a hybrid team is

A hybrid team is not simply a mix of "Zoom meetings" and face-to-face meetings. It's an organization where team members don't all share the same constraints, schedules or workplaces. This can sometimes lead to misunderstandings: some feel "invisible", others overexposed. Without clear rituals, this configuration can undermine cohesion and generate imbalances.

The manager must therefore adopt a conductor's posture: clarifying rules, guaranteeing access to information and establishing common connection times. The aim is not to monitor, but to create clarity in an environment that, by its very nature, lacks it.

For example, employees who often telework and others who work in the office create an imbalance in communication.

Organize useful and engaging team meetings

Team meetings are often the rare moments when everyone gets together. It is therefore essential that they are clear, useful and motivating. They shouldn't just be a list of points to be dealt with, but a time for structured exchange.

Here's an idea for a structure to give meaning to your meetings:

• Setting the course: defining the objectives and role of the meeting.
• Synchronize actions: distribute tasks and channels.
• Share progress and priorities: communicate, for example via a shared document.
• Giving meaning to collective work: giving feedback, organizing milestones and recognizing employees.

Best practice: start by making a quick review of the current information. Use tools (shared document, Loom, Miro, Notion...) to facilitate your exchanges and finally, take time to step back from the meeting.

Hold regular weekly updates

Weekly check-ins link tasks, adjust priorities if necessary, and support the team in its projects.

To prepare for these exchanges, send three questions in advance, the day before, and use a shared document to keep a written record. This will make it easier to track progress from one week to the next.

Maintain a good balance between synchronous communication (meetings) and asynchronous communication (faster, more formal messages). This approach simplifies exchanges and avoids information overload.

For example, you could organize an individual zoom session every Monday to define priorities and objectives for the week ahead, which you can then report on a Notion.

Efficient performance management

Using distance learning for short-term performance

For some people, telecommuting allows them to concentrate more effectively and work more efficiently in their own environment, without having to travel. Fewer interruptions, greater autonomy, a personalized rhythm: all these elements boost productivity in the short term...provided the framework is clear.

The manager must :

• Set clear objectives and expectations
• Suggest suitable tools (Notion, Slack,Teams, shared Docs, voice notes...)
• Set explicit communication rules (cameras on, posture, environment, etc.).

The aim: to keep track of progress without multiplying meetings. And focus on the impact of the work rather than the number of hours spent in front of the computer.

For example, instead of blocking five meeting slots in three days, use Loom to record a quick brief for everyone to consult later.

Using face-to-face meetings to strengthen long-term cohesion

Time spent in the office should be chosen... not suffered. It's particularly useful for moments of intense collaboration: launching a project, passing on strong messages or for complex feedback.

For example, if a project is stagnating and creating tensions, organize a few days of face-to-face meetings to resolve problems and encourage direct communication.

The right reflex: depending on the subject, choose the right channel - there's no need to do everything by video.

Improving hybrid collaboration

Maintaining human communication

When working remotely, exchanges can quickly become cold or purely functional. To avoid this, it's important to keep in touch and communicate in an embodied way:

• Talk: use audio messages or quick calls to share information.
• Watch: Maintain eye contact during exchanges, for example with video briefsing via Loom or videoconference meetings on Zoom.
• Informal exchange: It's important to create moments of light-hearted exchange, whether through informal discussions, anecdotes or sharing light-hearted content.

By reintroducing these elements, not only do you maintain a more human and emotional relationship, but you also strengthen the social bond between team members, fostering smoother, more enjoyable collaboration.

Make your schedule visible

In hybrid mode, not having visibility of everyone's availability can complicate collaboration. Conversely, good communication between team members on the organization of their diaries can really make for greater efficiency and peace of mind on a day-to-day basis. To achieve this, the team manager can encourage everyone to give maximum visibility to their organization, and this can be achieved through various means or rituals, such as :

• Display on your calendar your "Available for meeting or meeting point" slots and the slots reserved for "deepwork" on which you do not wish to be disturbed as much as possible.
• Regularly update your Slack or Teams status with an explicit mention of your work mode (e.g.: "En deep work", "En déplacement", "Dispo pour un point rapide") to give a clear signal to your colleagues about your level of availability.
• Proactively communicate with your team about your availability slots via, for example, a slack message every Monday. "This week, don't hesitate to ask me for points or meetings on the following slots: ..."

Sharing priorities and bottlenecks

Lack of visibility creates silos. To avoid this, everyone needs to be able to express their priorities and constraints. This avoids micro-management and the "policing" of tasks.

For example, in your close work group: share a weekly message with 3 priorities, 1 sticking point, 1 success.

Clarify your operating mode

We don't all have the same way of working. In hybrid mode, these differences can quickly become a source of tension. Everyone needs to express their preferences, their way of working, and define times when they can be disturbed and others when they can't.

The right reflex: write a "user manual" at the onboarding stage: each member explains his or her preferences (best time to talk, favorite tools, feedback style, etc.).

Hybrid management is not a constraint, but a tremendous opportunity to rethink the way we work. By combining clarity, trust and adapted rituals, managers can create more autonomous, committed and aligned teams. The aim is not to master everything, but to cultivate listening, experimentation and common sense. It's up to each individual to find his or her own pace... and to involve his or her team in a sustainable, human dynamic.

For more in-depth hybrid collaboration, discover our dedicated formats.