The past year has seen flexibility and adaptation in the face of large-scale changes—with companies investing in tools like chat, content, scheduling, and more to collaborate. That said, organisations haven’t seen a meaningful uptick in productivity. That’s because all those tools aren’t doing what they’re supposed to—helping teams manage and coordinate work.

Agile meetings have two specific features that set them apart from regular meetings: they are focused on delivering value, and are strictly time-boxed. In fact, these two features make them quite productive, in contrast to most other regular meetings. These meetings are inseparable from an effective agile approach to product development. The reason is ingrained in the nature of agile approaches.

You’ve probably heard the old sentiment about “too many cooks in the kitchen.” Or, maybe you’ve experienced it yourself. In many cases, it can be true — too many hands working all at once can feel like chaos. But here’s the thing: When you have a clear handle on who’s doing what, extra cooks can actually lead to peak efficiency and superior quality. Fortunately, a swimlane diagram can help you get a clear handle on everybody’s responsibilities.

Are you struggling to adjust to a hybrid team model? Here are 5 time management and productivity tips to make project management more effective in a hybrid team setting.