Becoming the Coach & Mentor Leader: 3 Strategies for Leading Flex Teams Using Relational Intelligence

Denise Brouder

Founder, Head of Data & Insights

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Introduction

Leadership is changing fast in today's global work environment. With teams spread out across different locations and time zones, old-school management just doesn't cut it anymore. This new era demands leaders who excel in remote collaboration, communication, and building connections. Smart managers are adapting, taking on a new role: the flexible work Coach & Mentor.

Mastering Relational Intelligence is key to this transition. It's more than overseeing daily tasks; it's about actively fostering connections within the team. Relationally intelligent leaders use innovative communication methods and build trust through empathy, creating an environment where collaboration thrives. This skill is essential for building strong team relationships in the digital age.

Let's explore three practical strategies for leading flexible teams using the principles of Relational Intelligence.

3 Actionable Strategies for Leading Flex Teams

Strategy #1: Implement a Work-From-(Near)-Home Strategy

The first actionable strategy in leveraging Relational Intelligence for modern leadership focuses on recognizing the expansion of the workplace beyond physical office spaces into homes and third places. Managers can extend their support and understanding to accommodate these diverse environments unique to each team member. The aim is to cultivate a functional workspace that contributes to the teams' overall work-life balance and mental health.

• Action 1: Evaluate and Improve the Home Office Setup: Initiate conversations to assess the effectiveness of each team member's home office. Ask questions about the ability to close doors for privacy, the presence of a dedicated workspace, and strategies for minimizing noise disruptions from family members or pets. These discussions can help identify and mitigate unspoken challenges, ensuring everyone has an environment conducive to focused work.

• Action 2: Encourage Healthy Work-Life Boundaries: Encourage team members to establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. For instance, adopting habits like powering down the computer at the end of the workday can signal the transition to personal time, helping reduce burnout and promote rest.

• Action 3: Promote the Use of Third Places: Introduce the concept of third places — environments neither home nor office — that can enhance well-being, creativity, and productivity. Managers can encourage their teams to explore coworking spaces, libraries, or coffee shops as part of their weekly routine. This approach breaks the monotony of working from a single location and provides a refreshing change of scenery that can boost engagement and motivation.

Strategy #2: Level the Playing Field

The second actionable strategy in leveraging relational intelligence for modern leadership is to focus on proximity bias. This unconscious preference for those we see in person can undermine the cohesion and experience equity of flexible work teams. To counter this, managers can consciously adopt and promote a location-inclusive mindset, valuing contributions equally and ensuring all team members feel included and important, irrespective of their physical location.

• Action 1: Implement Inclusive Meeting Practices: Adopt meeting practices that ensure remote participants have the same visibility and voice as those in the room. This includes using technology that enables equal participation, such as video conferencing tools that highlight speakers regardless of their location. Encouraging the use of cameras and engaging remote participants in discussions actively combats proximity bias by making their presence as significant as those in the office.

• Action 2: Foster Informal Virtual Interactions: Replicate the informal banter and back-channel communications that occur naturally in office settings. Managers can create virtual spaces for casual interactions. This could be in the form of scheduled virtual coffee breaks or using chat platforms for spontaneous conversations. These interactions help bridge the gap between remote and in-office team members, ensuring everyone is part of the team's social fabric.

• Action 3: Advocate for Experience Equity: Lead by example in valuing contributions equally, regardless of where they originate. This includes recognizing achievements publicly in team meetings, ensuring remote workers are considered for projects and promotions, and distributing tasks fairly. By promoting experience equity, managers set a standard for the entire team to follow, reinforcing the value of every team member's contribution.

Strategy #3: Architect Moments That Matter

The third actionable strategy in leveraging Relational Intelligence for modern leadership focuses on transforming physical and virtual office time into opportunities for connection and engagement rather than obligations. This strategy hinges on the understanding that work is inherently a social structure, and by curating moments that fulfill human desires for connection, collaboration, and purpose, managers can foster a more cohesive and motivated team.

• Action 1: Cultivate Synchronous Moments: Identify opportunities for the team to engage in activities simultaneously, whether returning from a break or starting a new project. For example, ritualizing sharing experiences after a long weekend can reignite team spirit and rejuvenate the work environment, making office time attractive and meaningful.

• Action 2: Facilitate Collaborative and Curiosity-Driven Interactions: Encourage the team to coordinate their schedules for synchronous collaboration on projects that benefit from in-person interaction. Use in-person or virtual gatherings to provide context, explore new ideas, or discuss the broader impact of the team's work. Bringing in speakers, hosting lunch-and-learns on varied topics, or reviewing workflows can spark curiosity and innovation.

• Action 3: Create Moments of Meaning and Purpose: Design experiences that resonate with the team's core values and individual motivations. Highlighting the real-world impact of the team's work can profoundly enhance a sense of purpose. Celebrating individual achievements, creating opportunities for networking with senior leaders, and organizing activities aligned with team values (e.g. autonomy and accountability) can strengthen the team's cohesion and commitment.

Conclusion

Today's managers are transitioning from classic office roles to coordinators of networked teams, emphasizing community-building over traditional team management. They emphasize enhancing transparency, collaboration, and inclusiveness, valuing team dynamics and employee engagement above individual achievements. This identity is referred to as the Flex Work Coach & Mentor.

Embarking on this journey is both invigorating and fulfilling. It requires empathy, strategic foresight, and enthusiastic readiness for change. Let's pledge to develop managers capable of inspiring, engaging, and empowering their teams worldwide.

Together, we can shape the future of work, one team at a time, turning challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

About the Author

Denise Brouder
Founder, Head of Data & Insights at SWAYworkplace

As a visionary at the forefront of flexible work research, Denise combines her expertise in systems thinking, futurist insights, and human potential to shape how we understand and implement flexible work environments. Her innovative approach has positioned her as a leading expert in the field, adept at navigating today’s dynamic work landscape complexities.

At the heart of Denise's work is SWAYworkplace, a trailblazing learning and development enterprise where she serves as Founder and Head of Data & Insights. Under her leadership, SWAYworkplace has emerged as the go-to resource for Relational Intelligence (RQ)™ training, a critical skill set for fostering meaningful connections, communication, and collaboration in the digital age. Her work ensures that culture and relationships thrive, regardless of where teams are physically located.