How to make in-person work … work
By Antoine Laganiere
More and more companies are now mandating employees to return to the office four or five days a week. Many employees, however, still don’t buy into the intangible benefits it will bring them. That it will help them be part of the organization’s culture. Provide opportunities for coaching and development. And ultimately, lead to more creativity, innovation, productivity, and efficient working spaces.
In many cases, we’re seeing this misalignment because leaders and employees are thinking of returning to a pre-COVID office environment. A lot has happened in the last five years, and the office experience won’t be what it once was. It also won’t be what the last few years of work-from-home and hybrid were. It will be something entirely different. And it’s up to each of our organizations, and every team or department within them, to decide what that will look like.
Returning to the office requires intentional planning
Many organizations are also missing a vital piece of the puzzle in making a return to the office successful – intentional planning. The benefits won’t come by themselves. Having employees in the office, but working separately, won’t create a successful at work environment.
Instead, we need to plan for and ensure we get the most out of working together in the office. Proactively block out time for teams to collaborate, being specific about what to discuss. Schedule regular coffee chats and team building activities. Ensure we all work together on ways to develop culture and our relationships with each other.
Not only do we need to be deliberate about what our work in the office culture looks like, but we must be transparent about the fact that it might not be perfect from the start.
That building this new culture and office environment – together – will take time. That as we integrate online and in-person tools, and come together in innovative and thoughtful ways, working at the office will evolve into something new.
We need to address and likely reset our expectations of what working in the office means. We’ve become so used to talking to each other from behind a screen, that we’ll have to think about and agree on the new norms for how we communicate going forward. Will we be able to talk face-to-face for 10 minutes and come to a decision – or will we need to send an email and wait for a response? Will monthly team meetings be enough – or will we need to collaborate more frequently?
We need to be aware of transition zones. In online interactions, once the discussion is over, we exit the Teams or Zoom meeting and move on. In person, we have time and space to talk to our colleagues in the room or on our way down the hall. Instead of thinking of these informal transition zones as inefficient or wasteful blocks of time, we can see them as spaces for making stronger connections and building trust. Or for focusing on ourselves – for taking a few breaths and renewing our energy.
A fully in-office work environment – while tough – can be good for us
It’s important to recognize that both sides of the equation have a role to play in making work in the office successful. Both need to contribute their perspectives on what will make the experience the most impactful for the individual and the organization. Both need to commit to its success.
For leaders or employees facing challenges with working in the office, we can think about how this new model can contribute to our own and the team’s happiness and fulfilment. That this transition to a fully in-office work environment – while tough – can also be good for us. That integrating ritualized stressors in our lives can help us feel happier and more fulfilled.
If we give it a chance.
IMPACT can help
To find out how we can help your leaders and teams better address challenging relationships and work dynamics, contact us.
