Back to the Office: A New Normal

One of the privileges of being an independent consultant as opposed to an operating manager or executive is that you can often serve others by being the first fool. This is the person who confidently proposes an answer to a vexing question without benefit of data or evidence. As H.L. Mencken once said, “For every complex problem, there is a solution that is clear, simple, and wrong.” The first fool brings this solution crisply to the fore. What benefit is there in that, you ask? Well, it turns out that few people are comfortable creating brand new ideas out of thin air, but most people excel at explaining what is wrong with someone else’s idea once it has been proposed. So, when the first fool puts out the first proposal, it’s really just a way to get the party started. With that in mind, here’s how I think we will be going back to the office if and when we can get the COVID dust settled.

We’re not going to change the space

People need private places to work, semi-private meeting rooms to collaborate, and public places to socialize. Depending on your company’s culture, you will be going back to larger or smaller offices, more or less open space for teams working in tandem, and more or less formal venues for engaging with prospects and customers. These reflect who you are, and despite all that we have been through over the past year, that has not changed very much.

We are going to change our attendance

Reflex commuting is dead. Going forward it will be intentional. Some people will go to the office every day and be all the better for it. This will likely include managers of Productivity Zone functions like finance, HR, and IT, where being accessible on an “on call” basis is core to their role in the enterprise.  Others will do most of their work remotely, again all for the good. This might apply to individual contributors doing research or creating content, either in the Performance Zone or the Incubation Zone. A whole swath of people, perhaps the majority, will conduct some part of their work in teams, and here it is critical that they commit to congregate on a calendared basis so that all the band members are present when the music needs to play. 

Video is core to the new normal

We have all seen how effective a Zoom call can be when everyone is on video in gallery mode. That is a game changer. What does not work well, on the other hand, is combining video with in-room meeting attendance—you lose a ton of energy and can never get people really focused. Nor is video particularly good for presentations, as it marginalizes people’s faces for the sake of foregrounding the slideware. So, we do not want to “video enable” our conference rooms. Whiteboards and comfortable chairs should still rule there.

Food matters

Remember, we are mammals. We like to socialize, and there is no better way or time to do it than at lunch or on a break. Food sets the context for these connections—the better the food, the better the mood, the better the exchanges. And, yes, healthy food options are important. But at least once a quarter, someone should bring glazed donuts.

Management will be digital

Whether it is Slack or Teams or Hangouts or something else, the new normal is going to organize around a “digital first” paradigm. The older you are, the bigger the adjustment this will mean for you. In the old HP days, the notion was to manage by wandering around. That won’t work in the new normal, at least not as a go-to play (it will always be useful in its own right). Instead, we will assign, supervise, coach, track, and review atop a digital platform that will provide an ongoing record of the relationships we manage. Becoming fluent in this medium and its emerging protocols will be a hallmark of the next generation of leaders.

OK, your turn

I’m not sure I have been foolish enough here. I think I have played it a bit too safe. So, please weigh in with your thoughts, and maybe we can get this thread humming.

That’s what I think. What do you think?

Follow Geoff on LinkedIn | Geoffrey Moore Mailing List

__________________________________________________________________________

Geoffrey Moore | Zone to Win | Geoffrey Moore Twitter | Geoffrey Moore YouTube