ConvergenceCoaching©, LLC

Blended Teams Require Consistency, Parity and

Transparency
At ConvergenceCoaching®, we are huge proponents of remote and flexible work, or what we like to call
Anytime, Anywhere Work™ (ATAWW). We’ve been working under an ATAWW paradigm ourselves for over 21
years, allowing us to hone our skills and develop the necessary philosophical mindsets to support this way of
working.

Today, most firms are working toward a blended approach to work, with some working in the office, at client
locations, from home or from “anywhere.” To embrace a blended workforce and create workability within
teams, we must strive to be consistent, fair and transparent. In this post, we’ll explore what that means.

Consistency: When we’re being consistent, all departments and operational areas offer flexibility around the
place that work gets completed. That flexibility will vary depending on the client situation or the nature of the
work, but leaders must buy-in to the philosophical values of flexibility and strive to apply the principles with
their team members.

As firms transition to a truly flexible workplace, they often encounter resistance and therefore inconsistencies.
Here are a few common pitfalls to watch for and mitigate:

• “Not on my jobs” or “Not in our department.” Some Partners, Managers or Engagement Leaders will
seem to buy-in to flex philosophies, while later they’ll individually follow different protocols or raise
objections that block team members from participating in the firm’s blended culture. As an example,
at a Leadership meeting, a Partner might nod and agree that remote and blended is a viable strategy
to help build and strengthen the talent pipeline. Later, a manager serving as engagement leader of the
XYZ company audit proposes a remote audit due to long team member commutes and poor working
conditions at the XYZ company site. It isn’t uncommon for us to see the Partner react with resistance,
something like “that will never work,” without stopping to explore the request fully. Remote and flex
are not “all or nothing,” and certain (yet increasingly fewer) jobs will need to be completed in-person.
That said, leaders should watch for instances where they are objecting instead of looking at ways to
move to a truly blended culture.
• “Our people have to earn the right the work remotely, so we only allow managers and up to take
advantage of remote work.” This is outdated thinking that doesn’t apply when there’s a tight talent
pipeline. Firms across the country ARE allowing their staff and seniors to work remotely, even as
interns or first-year hires. To stay competitive, firms must rise above this concern and look for ways to
make it work for all levels. Set clear expectations for performance and check in with individuals
regularly to ensure they stay on track.
• “Staff need to be onsite so they can learn from more senior team members.” With the technology
nearly all firms have in place today, learning and development can happen no matter where people
are working. More important than place of work is a commitment to learning and setting aside time
intentionally to transfer skills. Additionally, as Partners and Managers work in a blended manner, they
won’t necessarily be onsite or available in an in-person or 3-D manner. Instead, staff and leaders will
connect over the phone and video to further projects and transfer skills.
• “Our admin team members can’t work remotely due to the nature of their work.” This is also
outdated thinking based on old paradigms. Instead, group certain tasks that can be completed from
anywhere and allow your admin or operational people to work from home to manage those specific
tasks. With most phone systems, even incoming calls can be forwarded and answered from a non-

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Blended Teams Require Consistency, Parity and
Transparency
office location. Challenge your admin team members to develop more digital processes to facilitate
more remote or blended work.

Firms should encourage their team members to kindly point out when individual firm leaders are not
consistently embracing the principles of flexibility and blended work. Work together to make incremental
progress towards a consistent blended or “more remote” leadership approach.

Parity: Ideally, you’ll create an environment where onsite and remote employees have a similar experience
and similar opportunities when working for the firm. Contrast that with the historical remote employee who
might work hard “behind the scenes” but was not considered a viable option for progression into a leadership
role. In a blended environment, these old ways of thinking must be discarded so firms can truly leverage all of
their talents.

To put parity into practice, firms must look at how they offer opportunities to advance and ensure that remote
talent are given fair consideration. For instance, are the firm’s “A” clients only managed by people working in
the office? Are people in the office given preferential treatment when the firm is scheduling or assigning work?
If so, why? When you create a new committee to implement a technology stack in the CAS department, are
remote members of the team allowed to participate in the selection committee or the pilot of the new
technology?

In addition to these philosophical refinements, there are tactical changes to make that will support a fair
experience for those working remotely:

• Going forward, all meetings should be hosted with a video and dial-in option.
• Conference rooms must be updated with additional cameras and microphones to allow those
connecting virtually to see who is talking and hear what is said. A larger screen may be required in the
conference room so those onsite can see the remote meeting participants.
• When hosting firm-wide “fun” events, include a blend of in-person and remote activities.

Firm leaders should commit to working remotely on a regular basis to learn from the experience and gain
empathy for those working outside the office. Some leaders might work a few days a week from elsewhere,
while others may do so only once a month. Either way, it will help move leaders away from saying “I can’t work
remotely” to “I’m trying out remote work and parts of it are working for me.” To be a firm that truly embraces
a blended environment, it takes leaders who are shedding old stories and striving to understand and
successfully employ team members no matter where they work.

Transparency: There are times when in-person work is required, like in-person, traditional networking events,
an annual lunch with a client’s finance team, or when working with a key client whose documentation is highly
paper-based. In these instances, firms may need to make assignments to team members who can be easily
onsite. As firm leaders, we should be transparent about those in-person or proximity-based decisions and
explain why in-person is being required. When leaders “talk straight” and disclose their thinking, it builds trust
among team members. In addition, when the team understands the thought process behind a decision, they
are better able to input to it or offer alternative suggestions for how to handle it. Transparency is critical to
building a trusting blended team that works together toward successful client and team outcomes.

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 ConvergenceCoaching©, LLC
Blended Teams Require Consistency, Parity and
Transparency
Change rarely occurs instantly like a light switch; instead, we make incremental progress through small
adjustments in mindset and actions. What changes does your team need to make to support remote and
blended teams? What old norms do you need to shed? Where can you be more consistent, fair and
transparent? Tweak your approach and watch trust build, creating more engaged and motivated team
members in the process.

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