Complicated “Return to Office” plans abound. Some are so granular we can’t understand them. Reading them, we have zero idea if we are supposed to return to the office ever, let alone when. Some are so high level, we read them and have no idea what we read—and, again, no idea if we should return anywhere EVER.
We’re figuring it out—it’s complicated, and we’re confused, and that’s okay.
Keep these three things in mind as you shepherd the people in your leadercare back to the office:
People are worried. Being in public spaces with others can be difficult for them in ways you, as their leader, and with your own experience, may not be able to imagine, let alone understand.
This is a moment of extending trust. In early March of 2020, you sent people home with “emergency trust” because there was no other option but to trust them—you had to trust that they would join you in figuring out their own productivity, in making the numbers, meeting the OKRs, doing the right work, and collaborating in a virtual environment. Avoid withdrawing that trust or wondering if they’re “taking advantage” by choosing to come to the office less frequently, or not at all yet.
Extend that trust, double down on it, and appreciate the feats of effort and application they’ve made and assume it will continue with the same intensity of commitment.
This is not a return, it’s a REUNION! If you were holding a reunion of people who’ve been through a terribly difficult time, who are worried and wondering about how safely you’ll hold the perimeter of their work life, how would you do it? How would you show up as the host of that reunion? How would you welcome and reassure and reinforce people—how would you actively help people reconnect and re-join one another’s worlds in a changing and uncertain environment?
The old ways of working are over, there is no “going back”—the world has changed, and so have we. There’s one direction to look at this whole return to office thing—and that’s forward—with joy, a welcoming spirit, lots of appreciation, and the heart of a trusting leader reuniting people and teams to do good work in the best ways they (already) know how.
If you’re looking for a way to reunite the people in your organization, build community and accelerate results, we hope you’ll consider the Action Learning Process. The Action Learning Process is a powerful intervention for organizations looking to rapidly prepare leaders for the next level. Over the course of 90-120 days, cohorts of 28-35 emerging leaders work on revenue-generating or cost-saving projects while identifying, practicing, and applying the foundational elements of compelling leadership. Now, more than ever, developing your organization’s next cohort of great leaders requires a strategy and process that integrates core values, leadership competencies, and business strategy.
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Corey Jamison brings more than 30 years of experience partnering with executives and teams around the globe to drive dramatic, sustainable organizational transformation. She has worked with leaders at all levels of some of the largest brands, and offers a level of experience, acumen, partnership and courage that inspires leaders and teams toward the hard work of taking it to the next level.