A little bit, and walk you through some key strategies for leading remote and hybrid teams.We will cover those practical tips, navigating challenging time zones, building trust and cohesion, all of those, great tools that you need to manage a team effectively and workflows effectively. So wherever you are on your journey, these insights are designed to help you lead with clarity, empathy, and impact. So I've already gotten a bit of an intro. Yes. I've been working in HR in a variety of industries for the last twenty some odd years. Joining ImageX several years ago, I did take some time off to make some humans, and then returned just before things got really crazy, at the onset of COVID. But just like all of us, I am more than just a professional. I'm more than a title. I'm more than just what's on my resume.

And then one of the biggest lessons that I think we've learned over the past few years is that we are multifaceted. Work, life, family, they all blend together. And now whether it's kids asking for snacks during meetings and I am no exception to that, I am exception to that, I am sure I'll have a child knocking on the door at some point, hopefully after this. But the line shifted and effective leadership today means recognizing and embracing that reality. So today, we will go through all of that. So let's dive in. The first one is strategies for remote and hybrid dynamics. Remote work isn't just about location. It is a mindset shift. At ImageX, we lead with clarity, candor and celebration. One of our core values is effective communication and that means more than just staying in touch. It means being intentional, intentional with everything. We use the right tools for the right job. So Slack for quick async check ins like an open office door.

When you're unavailable, the Slack status reflects that just like closing your door. Google Meet is for real time conversations that matter. Tasks and priorities live in Asana or Jira with clear descriptions, due dates, and ownership. Clarity is foundational. We're clear on our expectations, on our goals, and how and when we're available. Our teams span North America, Europe, and Latin America, so we're not just working that nine to five time zone. We're not all in the same time zone. Our calendars have to stay up to date. We identify those overlapping windows, and we make sure that that we know when everyone's available. So for example, within my team, there are two hours each day where my team in Ukraine and Brazil are both online.

So the three of us have that overlap and that's our sweet spot where we get a lot of our meetings in. When things don't go according to plan, like missing a stand up, we just pivot. We drop updates in our private Slack groups, we keep Asana aligned and we move forward together. Managers meet weekly with their one on one direct reports. Performance reviews happen twice a year and by then, there are no surprises. And that is a rule of ours, that there are no surprises. And I personally check-in with every hiring manager across their entire organization on a biweekly basis. And we'd stay on top of the scope of workloads, engagement for every single team member we work with.

And we work really hard to make sure that we kind of are on are aware of those things and stay on top of it at all points in time. That kind of clarity ensures we're not just working, but we're succeeding together. Next is radical candor, a core part of how we grow. And this is not easy to speak directly, but it is essential. We encourage feedback, clear, kind and constructive. In reviews, we ask, how could this person be even more effective? Not to criticize, but to elevate. This is what we mean by authentic optimism, another one of our core values. We believe in each other's potential and we approach feedback with care because on the other side of that screen, isn't just talking pixels, it is a person and kindness does matter.

We also listen and adapt. Our team jokes that there's always another survey, but they're not wrong. That is how we evolve. We don't do things just because that's the way it's always been done. We ask, we learn and we improve. And as we say, another one of our core values, always evolving. Finally, we celebrate everything from big wins to small gestures. We show gratitude. Our kudos Slack channel is a steady stream of thank yous and shout outs. When great work is acknowledged, it spreads. One team celebrates and others follow. That's how we reinforce our another one of our values, which is quality obsession. When we care deeply and celebrate openly, the bar rises across the board. So yes, remote leadership requires effort, but it also unlocks extraordinary teamwork with clear communication, mutual trust and a little celebration. We're not just managing, we are thriving.

Next, talking about communication hacks for bridging multiple time zones. So first one is being mindful of others. When we're working across time zones, you need to be mindful of others. And this is very essential. It's not just about what works for you. It's about knowing where your teammates are coming from, quite literally. Before scheduling meetings, take a moment to check where others are based. Use a shared team calendar that displays multiple time zones, a small tool with a big impact. Whenever possible, establish agreed upon time slots that respect everyone's availability. That shared structure reduces friction and builds trust. At ImageX, for instance, my mornings are usually spent getting my kids off to school. But one day a week, I do make myself available as early as 7AM to accommodate our teens globally.

That little bit of flexibility keeps everyone connected and it shows that I care and it shows that we care. Number two, second up is effective communication and continuous feedback loops. Communication across time zones must be intentional. Random pings and overlapping threads don't work when half the team is asleep. We lead into tools like Slack video messages and well structured project updates in tools like Asana and Jira. These tools help us communicate clearly without needing everyone online at the same time. When we do have overlap time, as mentioned previously, those one to two sacred hours each day, we use them wisely for decisions, collaboration, and conversations that benefit from live discussion.

But the real magic is in the feedback loop. We encourage our teams to speak up, share what's working, and flag what isn't. Whether it's process tweaks, scheduling changes, or communication gaps, if we talk about it, we can fix it. This is what keeps us aligned and evolving together. Next step is developing effective time management skills. And this one is really hard too and I will be the first one to recognize it. Managing your own time in a distributed environment takes practice and discipline. We ask everyone to keep their calendars current, block out your focus time and clearly communicate those working hours. It's not about being constantly available. It's about being predictable and responsive. That clarity empowers everyone to plan better and reduce those unnecessary delays. And remember, time zones should not be a blocker.

They should be a part of your planning toolkit. With good habits, asynchronous communication, and a little flexibility, teams can collaborate seamlessly across continents. In summary, be mindful, communicate intentionally, and manage your time like a boss. When you do, distance stops being a challenge and starts being an advantage. Next step is building trust, cohesion, and productivity. Creating a psychologically safe workplace. This is one that does not happen by accident. It is built through consistency, safety, and human connection. It is something we work at every day that I work at tirelessly and I love to do this. It isn't just a buzzword for us. At ImageX, we're intentional about creating a psychologically safe workplace where each individual can show up as they are, speak freely and know that they'll be heard.

That means embracing differences and appreciating the unique perspectives each person brings to the table. When people feel safe, they contribute more authentically, and that's where real team cohesion begins. Hosting virtual events that build culture. Culture needs maintenance, especially when teams are remote. That's why we invest in virtual events. From casual coffee chats to theme celebrations, we have Pictionary games, we have movie watch parties, cross team socials of all sorts. These moments create shared experiences and reinforce that we're more than just avatars and usernames. They help people connect beyond work streams and projects, which in turn builds trust across departments and time zones. But my favorite one of all, we're not just doing virtual events. While we are a remote first company, nothing will ever, ever replace face to face time.

And we recognize that. Over the past few years, I have had the honor of organizing a variety of regional co working days and summits within all of our regions, giving the teams a chance to connect in person. And most recently, we went even bigger. We were able to do a global summit where we brought our teams in from everywhere into Cancun and we spent a week together getting to know each other, connecting. Watching teammates who've worked together for years finally meet in person was honestly magic. It reminded us that behind every message and meeting, there's a real person and investing in that human connection pays off in collaboration and productivity.

Next step is an open door policy. So at ImageX, our leadership team isn't locked behind layers. I try to keep my schedule flexible so that anyone can reach out to me if they need support. This is not circumventing their manager. It is open dialogue in every way. Whether it's HR, leadership, or peer to peer, we are we encourage that open dialogue across all levels within our organization. And the last one is empowering your team. Empowerment is trust in action. If you've clearly communicated your expectations, trust your people to deliver in a way that works best for them, then you're gonna have success. They are professionals and you did hire them for a reason. So it is helpful to remind ourselves of this.

Giving autonomy and backing it up with support is the most helpful thing you can do for yourself. Empowered teams aren't just more productive. They're more confident, they're more innovative, and they're more invested in the outcomes. So to sum up this slide, psychological safety, meaningful connection, virtual and in person events, transparent leadership and real empowerment. These are the cornerstones of trust and cohesion. When you build that foundation, productivity naturally follows. Next step, leadership styles for empowering teams. And I am a firm believer and I deeply appreciate that we have these these wonderful diagrams that kind of outline and you can take your test and see what sort of, what your leadership style is. And I think that that's a really helpful thing.

But I'm a very firm believer that there is no one size fits all approach to leadership, especially in a remote or a hybrid environment. The best leaders know how to adapt based on the person and the situation. Your role as a leader is to read the room, understand where your people are in their journey and flex your style accordingly. Next, it's essential to delegate and trust the process. Delegation isn't about handing something off and walking away. It is about clearly setting expectations and then stepping back and letting your team own it. This also means that sometimes our teams won't do things exactly the way that we want.

And we have to, again, trust that our teams know what they're doing and they will figure it out. We also lead with what we call authentic optimism. This means staying hopeful, forward looking, and solution oriented, but not ignoring reality. It's about learning from our state our mistakes, believing in your team's potential, especially during challenging moments and modeling resilience through change. And through all of it, we stay grounded in our core values, whether it's succeeding together, quality obsession, or always evolving. Our values guide how we show up, how we lead, and how we grow our teams. When decisions are rooted in values, leadership becomes consistent and credible. In short, adapts to your people, trust your team, lead with optimism, and stay anchored in your values.

That's how you empower teams to do their best work no matter where they're working from. Now we have our toolkit essentials for managing workflows. A high performing team is only as effective as its workflow and the toolkit behind it. So the first thing I would say is choose your tools wisely, whether it's project management, bug tracking, or documentation. The tools you use should fit your team's rhythm, not the other way around. We use platforms like Asana, Jira, and Confluence, and we're intentional about how and why we use each. The goal isn't more tools. It's the right tools used consistently. Next, version control. This is non negotiable.

Whether it's code in Git or docs and shared drives, your team needs a clear system to track changes, collaborate efficiently and avoid the chaos of overwritten work. It's about creating order, not extra overhead. KPIs or key performance indicators help us to stay on course. They give us early signals when priorities drift or blockers emerge, but they have to be meaningful. Not just what's easy to track, but what truly reflects progress and team health. Equally important is carving out time for retrospectives and continuous improvements. After every sprint or project cycle, we ask what worked, what didn't, what do we try next? This ritual of reflection builds a culture of learning and prevents us from repeating mistakes. And now let's talk about meetings, which balance is everything.

We aim for just enough structure to stay aligned without pulling people away from deep work. Only include the people who truly need to be there and make sure the purpose of each meeting is clear. Finally, make it visual. And for myself, I am a visual learner. This is a really important one for me. It is a powerful driver of accountability as well. So if it's a Kanban board, a road map, a flowchart, Seeing how the work actually should flow helps everyone stay aligned, motivated, and clear on what's next. In short, the right tools, clear metrics, visual workflows, and space for reflection is what keeps a distributed team not just moving but improving. So those were a general overview of what I feel are the important areas, for managing it, effectively managing a team, in a remote or hybrid work environment.

But the five key takeaways that I hope everybody has out of this. Intentional communication is non negotiable. So choose the right medium for the message. Use asynchronous tools for updates, synchronous time for connection and prioritize clarity over speed. Number two, trust is the foundation of performance. Create a psychologically safe environment through transparency, inclusivity, and support. Trust empowers autonomy and fuels innovation. Number three, adapt leadership styles to people and context. One size does not fit all. Flex your leadership approach based on team maturity, personality and situational needs without compromising your core values. Number four, make workflows visual and measurable. Visibility drives accountability. Use tools that support transparency and minimize ambiguity in distributed setups. And number five, culture is built, not just inherited. Culture doesn't fade in remote teams. It just becomes invisible unless intentionally cultivated. Celebrate those wins, invite feedback, and most importantly, stay human.