As we enter the next chapter of the Covid-19 Pandemic many people who have been on enforced working from home (WFH) will be returning to working face to face. For some this can’t come soon enough whilst for others they’d prefer to stay working from home. There are organisations that are now embracing WFH as the preferred business model, organisations that are mandating returning to the office and those which are adopting a hybrid model.
Leaders of the vast swathes of people who will be returning to the office after working from home would be wise to take a moment to consider the human aspects of the transition back to the office.
At the start of the first lockdown in March 2020, WFH became an overnight reality. There was very little opportunity for preparation or structured implementation of the transition. As a result there were a multitude of challenges faced, albeit in the face of adversity, many were overcome much more swiftly that in ordinary times. Many industries experienced changed working practices almost overnight that would ordinarily have taken months (if not years) to navigate and successfully embed.
As Leaders are welcoming their staff back into the office it would be unrealistic to expect the same overnight implementation. Whilst much business has been conducted virtually, the differentiator for successfully returning to face to face working is going to be re-connecting well.
Here are 10 tips for re-connecting well. Consider yourself – using questions 1-3 and consider others – using points 4-10
- How do you honestly feel about returning to the office or hybrid working? What are you going to gain and/or lose?
- What do you need to put in place for yourself so that you can manage yourself through the transition?
- What do you need to put in place so that you can lead your people well through the transition?
- Recognise that everyone has a different perspective and enthusiasm for returning to face to face working. Assume nothing!
- Provide full and complete information about the arrangements and expectations for returning to face to face working for your staff and be ready to respond to questions.
- Listen out for any underlying concerns. People who raise lots of questions/challenges may be really concerned about something that they’re not actually articulating.
- Create an environment that respects everyone’s preferences re social distancing, handshaking etc.
- Notice how everyone is collectively re-integrating back into face to face working. Don’t be surprised by surprises – yours and theirs.
- Spend more time than usual chatting and really re-connecting at a human level and truly check-in with people on a regular basis – a quick couple of minutes at the start of a meeting is time well spent.
- Encourage self-care because the first month of returning to face to face working may well be over-stimulating and much more tiring than usual. (We’ve all got used to not commuting and only having to leave the room to be in our own space.)