Three Top Tips to Working with a Hybrid Proposal Department

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a dramatic shift in people’s lives. As the pandemic raged, many people took the opportunity to relocate. While everyone was working remotely, location was a minor concern. However, in the coming weeks and months, more firms will begin to welcome people back to the office. As the world continues to recover from the events of the last 2 years, those returning to the office face a changed landscape, not least of which is dealing with a hybrid workforce.

Proposal professionals have long operated in hybrid environments, with some collaborators across the table in the war room and others across the country or even halfway around the world. The same approach we use to manage our geographically dispersed bid teams can help keep our hybrid departments functioning smoothly. Below are three tips you can use, no matter your position, to keep connected to and productive with your team.

Maintain Open Channels of Communication. Being a part of any organization requires clear and frequent communication. The need does not change based on geographic proximity. However, the change from walking to someone’s desk to checking in on an individual miles or time zones away takes two key mindset shifts.

First, you need to find the right communication channel(s) that work for you and your team. Teams need a multi-layered approach to engagement. For people who are in person, this includes both digital and physical tools. Management needs to walk around the office and drop in on colleagues and direct reports. As people get more comfortable with social settings, it is also valuable to resume any informal interactions (such as happy hours, team building exercises, etc.) to strengthen relationships.

To ensure the entire team is included, teams need to leverage digital tools as well. Depending on your team’s comfort level, sending text messages is one way to cut through the formality of email. At a minimum, teams should have dedicated chat platforms to encourage engagement. There are many options out there – Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Slack, WhatsApp, and GroupMe are just a few options.

Finally, make sure you have regular contact. I have found the Manager Tools’ approach to weekly one-on-ones with all direct reports to be the best possible tool. I highly recommend looking at their tools and podcasts about one-on-ones to make sure you keep in regular contact with your team.

Find New Ways to Build Team Spirit. Keeping your team engaged is critical. However, part of that engagement is not directly related to work. Allowing our team to have a feeling of comradery is important, especially in a high-stress, long-hour environment like proposal development. When we are all in one place or all remote, this can be easier to execute. Doing the same for a hybrid team requires some additional attention to detail and commitment.

During your weekly staff meetings (and everyone should be doing weekly staff meetings – a topic for an upcoming blog post), make sure everyone has their cameras on. Set this expectation ahead of time – make sure your team knows you expect them to be camera to avoid any potential surprises. Have your in-person staff meet in a conference room with a camera set up. The face-to-face connection, even over a screen, helps build that team spirit.

One of the biggest challenges for a hybrid team is to capture the banter and informal communication that occurs at the printer or in the break room. Be creative. Use digital tools to replicate that environment. You can set up an “NWR” (non-work related) channel in whatever chat tool you are using. Look to have a virtual lunch or happy hour with two rules – cameras on and work talk off. Finally, look for potential virtual team building activities. Use virtual tools and options to do a team workout, watch a movie, or play a game.

Finally, make sure you celebrate everyone’s successes through kudos and rewards. Getting recognition from your teammates and leadership helps your team feel connected to the broader mission.

Do Not Discriminate. This might be the hardest guidance, especially when a significant portion of the team is in person (including the manager). If you are in person, it is so much easier to go chat with someone in the break room. However, taking little steps to engage with your remote personnel can be really helpful. Using your chat tool or a simple text message to keep in touch is a great way to maintain contact. As I discuss in the last suggestion, make sure to balance work and small talk. It allows you to make the best connection with your team and keep them engaged.

Conclusion. As more people get back to work, managers and team leads need to remember their mission is to bring the entire team together. Building comradery for a hybrid team is critical to success in 2022 and beyond. Using the three tips above can help your team develop and maintain that important chemistry that leads to success.