How equipped do you feel to be successful in a hybrid environment? 2020 accelerated a trend that was already underway:some people   working in person; others working from home, co-working spaces, or elsewhere. All of them scattered across times zones and dependent on a patchwork of tools, technologies, and systems to facilitate communication and collaboration.

We are hearing many people expressing relief that things will be easier now. We actually forecast that the next shift will be more difficult   before things get better. We are entering what we call “the messy middle” of hybrid, which is uncharted territory on how people will remain productive and how work will get done. When some people have immediate, in-person access to leaders and resources – and others do not – many organizational difficulties arise: conflict, turnover, ineffective communication, lack of team cohesiveness, reduced engagement.As more and more people are vaccinated companies continue to plan for the next phase. Our experience and research tell us that there are two approaches:

1. A proactive/strategic about the next shift
2. A wait-and-see approach, and evaluate as things progress

Companies and teams that take the second approach may end up losing key talent and momentum.This session is all about showing you how to recognize and  overcome these challenges, using diagnostic models and a few best practices.

Speaker: Stefanie Heiter, Founder and CEO, Bridging Distance LLC

Stefanie has helped pioneer the field of dispersed teaming and leadership since 1997 and is among the nation's leading thinkers and consultants on the human side of virtual work.  She enhances people's ability to thrive in the digital workplace through improved productivity at the intersection of technology and relationship building.  Stefanie has authored numerous published articles in the area of virtual leadership, teams and communications.

Stefanie has earned a Master of Science in Organization and Management from Antioch University, where her thesis focused on trust and communications in virtual teams, and a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Clark University.

She is a dual citizen of USA and Germany and enjoys traveling, hiking, photography, canoeing and biking.