In just about every conversation I have these days, the subject of returning to work comes up almost inevitably. 15 months of working from home busted a lot of norms and expectations we used to hold about productivity and having to be in an office.
It changed a lot of our own perspectives on our preferences: do I like working in an office? Do I want to live in a city, near an office, or somewhere else?
And it's also led to a high degree of burnout. Working from home, it turns out, is no vacation.
It's also meant, for most companies, a total re-thinking of the way we work: as COVID-restrictions ease and we can re-emerge from our homes safely, how do people return to work? Do they have to be in an office? Do they have a culture where people feel valued for more than just their sheer productivity?
Two truths are clear, even as company cultures are undergoing a massive shift right now:
First, the world of hybrid working is here to stay. Employees want flexibility in where and when they work. And they are willing to leave companies that don't have a culture that allows them that flexibility. A recent Pulse of the American Worker Survey showed that more than 1 in 4 people (even more among millenials) plans to leave their job as the pandemic wanes -- because they want flexibility in where and when they work, and because of burnout.
Second, communication and empathy are the way to effectively manage this major shift and to cultivate a culture that's productive and inclusive. I can't teach you empathy, but I CAN share some thoughts on how to communicate effectively and successfully in this new work environment.
In each of the next four weeks throughout June, I'll be sharing some thoughts on how to communicate effectively and how to think more explicitly about redefining your ways of working in this new work of semi-remote, semi-virtual, semi-in-person working. I want to hear what you're thinking about and what you want tips on. Let me know what you need.
A world of hybrid working is inherently more complex and more challenging to manage than an all-remote or all-in-person work environment. It will mean leaders have to be much more deliberate in setting expectations, providing clear guidance and direction, and more disciplined around how to bring people together and why. And much more human in how we approach our interactions.
The tips I share each week in June will be focused on these areas. Topics include principles to guide in-person gathering, having hard conversations about remote work and time away, best principles for personal leadership communications, and more.
TIP 1: REMEMBER THE NEW BASICS OF COMMUNICATION: Successful communication is personal. It's about a common, shared understanding. It's more about the relationship you build than the words you speak. It's also about the truth. All of us have a deep desire for truth and trust -- gained through experience and respect and appreciation. Truth and trust require good listening and seeking to understand. Be clear about your purpose and your audience. It's important to remember that different people have different relationships with their health, their family's health and their sense of security. Being seen as empathetic -- trying to put yourself in someone else's shoes -- is especially important now more than ever.
TIP 2: RE-ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS: Going back into an office after 15+ months, especially if you have new colleagues or people in different roles -- requires re-introduction. Re-establish your relationships. Rarely if ever at work do we get a chance to begin again -- and yet here we do. Who are you as a team, and what do you like about working here? What are the areas you want to focus on going forward? What are your expectations around work and time away? How do you want to motivate, inspire, and connect people on your teams?
TIP 3: HAVE AND SHARE YOUR PERSONAL STORY: As a leader, what's your perspective on the pandemic? How have the last 15 months been for you? What words would you use to describe how you're feeling about the last 15 months? What is one thing you've learned about yourself or about how you work? What lessons would you want your colleagues to take from this time? What is still challenging? Especially now, people want leaders to be as human and relatable as possible. Focusing solely on goals, metrics and output makes you less relatable. How can you be more human? It starts with vulnerability, which starts with telling your personal story.