Returning to the office — how great leaders make it easier
Over the next few weeks and months, companies that closed their offices when the pandemic hit will be determining how and when to reopen. It feels like a moment we’ve spent 15 long months waiting for — but it will come with challenges leaders have never faced.
What’s changed? In short, everything. The world has changed and workers have changed. But as the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “Change is the only constant,” and that’s certainly true in business. Great leaders are skillful at adapting to change, and ensuring their companies and teams are able to adapt as well.
Here’s what those high-level leaders can do to handle the back-to-work transition — and to turn the changes and challenges into golden opportunities.
1. Be patient and tolerant with your returning teams
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
Employees have been home for nearly a year and a half, but they’ve been busier than ever. They’ve been helping their kids adjust to remote learning and helping their parents stay healthy and safe, all while completing their own work on a remote basis.
Needless to say, their mental states and conditioning have shifted and been tested — and they’ll have heightened new needs and expectations of their bosses and companies.
High-level leaders will explore ways to meet those needs and handle this period with incredible patience and empathy. What will this mean at your company? Consider trying this…
Allow your employees to ease back into onsite work
Perhaps even let them establish the onsite/offsite balance that works best for them
2. Whatever the platform, communicate with great care
Photo by Matthew Osborn on Unsplash
It’s often believed that leaders thrive in the locker room, but I happen to believe that leadership matters more during uncertain times like these than absolutely anywhere else. Your employees will look to you for understanding and reassurance. Yes, the words you choose have to be just right — clear and decisive, yet empathetic and inspiring. But how you listen will be every bit as important as how you speak.
Leaders will have to put their active listening skills to the test, because personal input from your employees will be so important. Try this…
Send emails where you invite your employees and teams to share their stories, feelings and feedback
Create spaces (both group meetings and one-to-one sessions) where you ask the people in attendance a few key questions
Then listen to them. Just listen. This will help you make hard decisions regarding flexible schedules, time off, etc. It will also build camaraderie amongst your team and make individual team members feel valued and heard.
3. Be flexible and embrace the change to come
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
Returning to the office won’t just be a big adjustment for your team and employees. You, too, will face great uncertainty. Leaders will have to be flexible in this moment and embracing the possibility of change will help you make shifts, improvements and sacrifices that sharpen every part of your business. Remember, if we’re flexible we bend, if we’re rigid we break
This is where leadership coaching will be so valuable. A good coach will sit with you to listen, offer objective perspectives and feedback, and help you think beyond your comfort thresholds, by asking: “Have you ever thought about it this way…?” Or “What would happen if you did something like this…?”
Questions like those will help you set successful policies and determine just how much your staff needs to be together in the office — or even if you need an office at all.
Effective leadership is much more than helping your employees grow their careers and perform their best. Great leaders also provide guidance and reassurance during times of uncertainty — and employees will feel plenty of that as they gradually return to life at the office after 15 months.
Just remember to treat those employees with patience, flexibility and empathy as they navigate a new work world — and trust a leadership coach to help you see things from valuable new angles and vantage points.