The question we should be asking isn’t whether hybrid or remote work can be successful. Hybrid work is here to stay, and forcing teams back into the office won’t address the fundamental shift that’s already happened. Instead, the focus should be on what skills leaders, managers, and employees need to develop to thrive in this new work landscape.

In my experience, I deliver over 90% of my negotiation training via Zoom. Why? Because more and more negotiations are happening virtually, and simply wishing for things to go back to normal doesn’t solve the need for new skills. To succeed, we need to stop being told what to do and actually practice these skills.

Here are the essential skills that leaders, managers, and employees need in a hybrid world, alongside specific activities to practice these skills and feedback loops to ensure continuous improvement. Additionally, I’ve included specific Negotiation Card Tactics that can further help with skill development.

Hybrid Work For Leaders:

1. Empathy and Emotional Intelligence

Hybrid work makes it harder to connect personally. Leaders must develop the ability to sense emotional cues, even without physical presence, and respond with care.

Practice Activity:

Schedule regular one-on-one check-ins with team members over video calls. Ask open-ended questions about their well-being and listen actively. Take notes on how they communicate non-verbally (tone, pauses, etc.) to gauge their emotional state.

Feedback Loop:

After each session, ask team members for feedback on whether they felt supported and listened to. Were you able to pick up on emotional cues? Follow up later to see if they felt the check-in was helpful.

Negotiation Card Tactic:

Use In My Shoes to practice putting yourself in your team member’s position. This tactic encourages empathy by asking you to consider their viewpoint and challenges, helping to build a stronger connection.

2. Adaptability

The hybrid environment demands flexibility in handling change, whether it’s adapting to different time zones or new technologies.

Practice Activity:

Introduce an unexpected change, such as moving a deadline or switching a tool. Guide the team through the transition while remaining calm and supportive. Avoid micromanaging but stay available for questions.

Feedback Loop:

Ask the team how the change was communicated and whether they felt supported. Did they feel prepared or blindsided? Use this feedback to improve your adaptability in managing future shifts.

Negotiation Card Tactic:

Practice Pause, Consider, Respond when facing unexpected changes. This tactic reminds you to slow down before reacting to sudden developments, ensuring that you remain calm and collected during transitions.

3. Vision and Communication

Leaders need to communicate clear, concise goals and a shared vision, especially when teams are scattered.

Practice Activity:

Schedule a short 5-minute meeting where you clearly articulate a vision or goal for an upcoming project. Afterward, ask the team to summarise the vision back to you.

Feedback Loop:

Send a follow-up survey asking if the vision was clear and whether team members feel aligned with it. Were there any points of confusion, and do they understand their role in achieving the vision?

Negotiation Card Tactic:

Use Summarise to regularly confirm that your team fully understands the vision. This tactic helps ensure clarity and alignment, especially when information is communicated in short bursts.

Hybrid Work For Managers:

1. Effective Virtual Communication

Virtual environments require managers to be precise and clear, ensuring that messages are understood without ambiguity.

Practice Activity:

Role-play a virtual scenario where you need to deliver a sensitive update about workload or deadlines. Record the session and analyse your tone, clarity, and conciseness.

Feedback Loop:

After the role-play, ask participants how clear and concise the message was. Did they understand the key points? Was the communication overwhelming or just right?

Negotiation Card Tactic:

Incorporate TED Questions (Tell, Explain, Describe) to ensure you extract detailed and meaningful responses from your team. This tactic improves the depth of communication and encourages clarity.

2. Trust and Accountability

Hybrid teams thrive on trust, and managers need to balance trust with accountability without micromanaging.

Practice Activity:

Assign a small project with clear goals but without frequent check-ins. Use a shared tool to monitor progress passively and avoid stepping in unless necessary.

Feedback Loop:

After the project, have a discussion with the team member about the level of autonomy they felt. Did they feel empowered to complete the task? Did the expectations for accountability feel clear?

Negotiation Card Tactic:

The Anchor tactic can be used to set clear expectations upfront, allowing the team to understand where their efforts need to be focused. Anchoring provides a reference point for accountability without constant oversight.

3. Remote Conflict Resolution

Managing conflicts remotely is more challenging but critical for team harmony.

Practice Activity:

Conduct a role-play exercise with two team members having a disagreement over workload or project direction. Practice mediating the conversation while staying neutral and ensuring both sides are heard.

Feedback Loop:

After the session, ask both participants how they felt the conflict was handled. Did they feel heard and respected? Did the resolution feel fair?

Negotiation Card Tactic:

Use The ‘F’ Word to carefully navigate the emotional aspects of conflict resolution. This tactic helps you acknowledge frustrations without escalating the conflict, ensuring a balanced and composed approach to disagreements.

Hybrid Work For Employees:

1. Self-Motivation and Discipline

Without the structure of the office, employees need to develop strong time-management skills and stay motivated on their own.

Practice Activity:

Try time-blocking, where you schedule specific times for tasks and breaks. Use the Pomodoro technique to break work into focused sprints. Track your productivity and progress.

Feedback Loop:

At the end of the week, assess whether the time-blocking method worked. Where did you struggle? Check in with a peer or manager to review whether your productivity improved or if adjustments are needed.

Negotiation Card Tactic:

Practice Saying “No” to distractions that interrupt your focus. This tactic helps build discipline by encouraging you to assertively manage your time and maintain focus on key tasks.

2. Virtual Collaboration Skills

Collaborating effectively online requires clear communication and the ability to navigate virtual platforms smoothly.

Practice Activity:

Organise a virtual brainstorming session using a digital whiteboard tool like Miro or Google Jamboard. Focus on contributing ideas clearly and building on others’ inputs.

Feedback Loop:

After the session, ask your team how well the collaboration went. Did everyone get a chance to contribute? Were there any challenges with communication? Collect this feedback to improve your virtual collaboration skills.

Negotiation Card Tactic:

Use Build Relations to focus on creating rapport with colleagues in virtual settings. This tactic is essential for maintaining strong collaborative ties, especially when face-to-face interactions are limited.

3. Negotiation in a Virtual World

More negotiations are happening online, and employees need to adapt to negotiating through a screen.

Practice Activity:

Set up a mock virtual negotiation using Zoom or Teams. Choose a scenario—like negotiating a project deadline—and practice the conversation, focusing on building rapport and maintaining clarity without physical cues.

Feedback Loop:

After the session, ask your negotiation partner for feedback on your virtual negotiation approach. Did you manage to build rapport? Did the virtual format affect the negotiation? Use recordings to review and analyse your tone and delivery.

Negotiation Card Tactic:

Try using Mirror Words during virtual negotiations to build rapport by reflecting the key words or phrases of the other party. This tactic can be particularly effective for enhancing communication and understanding in online negotiations.

The bottom line is this: hybrid work isn’t going away. Leaders need to inspire and adapt, managers need to foster trust and communicate effectively, and employees need to take ownership of their time and skills. Developing these skills requires practice, not just theory.

By engaging in structured activities and using feedback loops to improve, teams can thrive in the hybrid world and embrace its opportunities.