My team is split, with some working online from home and some in the office. It feels harder to get cooperation from those working online than from those physically present. Is there a way to handle this?

We are amid a great paradigm shift in understanding how people work and where they work best. Everyone must adapt and rethink their traditional expectations, and it will be critical to establish clear expectations about attendance, participation, communication, and availability among your team.

You can best do this by meeting frequently with your team one-to-one and also one-to-group. In these discussions, describe your concerns about remote working and emphasize your desire to accommodate it, but more importantly, to build the best team no matter where the members are located. Challenge them to help develop policies and procedures for getting what they need from their work and their teammates.

Ask those in office if they are having problems with the remote workers and, if so, to be specific regarding who and what. Ask remote workers the same about the in-office workers. By stating the problem, meeting often, offering opportunities for both sides to express difficulties, and establishing an environment where they can control to some degree the policies they work under, you should be able to close the gap between those working remote and those physically present. E