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As a manager, you always need to check your biases. As a manager of a hybrid team, it’s particularly important to quash “proximity” bias—the tendency to prefer employees you see in person over those who are more frequently remote. Start by instilling a culture of “excellence from anywhere.” Regularly show that you value high-quality deliverables, effective collaboration, and innovation over location. This signals to your team that you recognize and appreciate their work, even from afar. Next, establish a more regular check-in cadence with your remote direct reports. Try weekly or bi-weekly to start. This will help you level the playing field by building in personalized, one-on-one face time with the employees you’d otherwise see less often. Frequent check-ins will also give you increased visibility into remote workers’ workloads and performance—as well as a clearer sense of when they need your support. Finally, push for equity at a process level. Ensure that meetings and workflows don’t present obstacles that hamper remote employees’ ability to contribute, participate, and do great work. |
| This tip is adapted from “What Is Proximity Bias and How Can Managers Prevent It?,” by Gleb Tsipursky (from HBR) |
