Transitioning to hybrid work, Afiong Afuape found growth opportunities in the unexpected, transforming global team management at Dell.
Twelve years of remote work creates powerful habits. But when Afiong Afuape had to transition to a hybrid schedule at Dell, she discovered that adapting to change meant finding opportunities in unexpected places. Managing global teams across Texas, Massachusetts, and Malaysia, she had to completely reimagine how to balance deep work and collaboration. Her solution? Turn what could have been limitations into opportunities for growth.
In a hybrid environment, having the right digital tools becomes crucial for maintaining team connection and productivity. "We had various ways with Teams, chat, emails, phone calls, to maintain that connection," Afuape shares. She emphasizes how these tools helped her build strong relationships even before meeting teammates in person. "A lady I worked with for six years on my previous team, I'd never met her until I moved to that team. But because we already had a relationship and knew how we worked, meeting in person was just icing on the cake."
Quick Win: Create a clear guide for which communication tools to use in different situations - chat for quick questions, email for formal requests, video calls for complex discussions.
Making hybrid work successful requires intentional planning about where and when work happens. "If it's a meeting I can control, I try to have those meetings when I'm at home," Afuape explains. "In the office we have open seating so there is noise, people that sit around you. At least at home there's less distraction and background noise."
This deliberate approach helps Afuape maximize both focused work time and collaborative opportunities. "Deep thinking work, I try to do a lot of it at home if I can. And then maybe the administrative stuff in the office where the distraction or noise, someone tapping you, all that kind of stuff would not be as much of an interruption."
Quick Win: Map out your typical week, identifying which tasks need quiet focus and which benefit from in-person interaction.
The shift to hybrid work opened unexpected doors for cross-functional collaboration. "I've tried to use that opportunity to network with those other people I meet in the office," Afuape shares. "Even though I'm not working with these sales folks, I'm getting a chance to learn more about what they do, some side of their business and eventually how it ties to my own."
These new connections led to broader involvement in the organization. "I got involved in ERGs, actually join a leadership role in one of our ERGs here in Nashville. Now that I'm in person more frequently, I've been encouraged to be more active and more intentional in contributing in those community service opportunities, leadership opportunities."
Quick Win: Schedule one coffee chat each office day with someone outside your immediate team.
With team members spanning multiple continents, Afuape approaches process improvements carefully. "When an issue comes up, I may have to go to our other partner and say 'hey, this issue happened, could you research and find out why?'" she notes. "What works for us in North America doesn't mean it works for them the same way."
This global perspective requires extra diligence in communication. "You have to be very careful with what you say. So before you really find out what the issue was, you want to do some internal meetings to say, what do you guys think happened?"
Quick Win: Create a simple checklist of regional considerations to review before implementing any process changes.
Success in hybrid work comes down to intentional planning and flexibility. "I try to start my day with a list of the high priority things I need to get to," Afuape explains. "If I'm intentional and flexible when those unplanned things come up, I'm able to slot it in because I have some wiggle room to get the work done."
By focusing on the opportunities rather than the limitations, even significant workplace changes can become catalysts for growth and connection.
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