Making our Return more Inclusive

The Return to the Office is upon us. Many of us have been hustling for over a year at home – in makeshift offices, using our own laptops, our personal phones and whatever else we had at our fingertips to continue to see the work move forward. For some of us, we did this while also taking care of kids or even teaching them virtually. We made meetings in-between feeding the baby or doing the laundry. Some of us became sole providers as the economy took a turn and many were furloughed or laid off. Some of us did it while we were recovering from a virus most of us had never heard about 2 years ago.

We did all of this while watching a man suffocate on television. While watching innocent lives be lost again, and again. Many of us did our jobs while protests shut down some cities - or simultaneously did our jobs while we ourselves protested.

We made the shift to hit the bottom line – we showed resilience. We were as kind and full of grace with one another as we could have hoped for. We saw an awareness and caring for people as individuals that I have never seen in the corporate world before. We carried one another. We listened. We learned. We grew as a community even while spread across the country. We survived even if we couldn’t be together physically.

Now we are preparing for another shift. While this shift is happening, differing opinions are getting louder, trying to divide us. I want to remind you (and me) that we are stronger than that. We are better than that. We have spent the last year proving that we not only hustle at work, but we hustle for one another. Let’s keep that going as we return to the office.

Here are a few things to keep in mind while we return:

• Not everyone feels the same level of comfort going back – be kind. Ask someone if they are comfortable hugging before you move in to greet them.
• Research has shown that there is some vaccine hesitancy for racial groups caused by mistrust and a horrific medical history of experimentation on marginalized communities.
• Some people cannot be vaccinated for medical or religious reasons – it is NOT ok to ask if someone is vaccinated. People can share if they feel comfortable.
• You are entitled to your opinion about vaccinations, but instead of sharing your opinions, stay curious and listen to others. Everyone’s situation is unique.
• Rotational schedules can create an insider/outsider dynamic on your team. Find ways to engage those who you are not in the office with and make sure you stay intentionally inclusive.

As we go back, keep in mind several of the SEEDS biases that may come to play as you interact with others. Remember: if you aren’t intentionally INCLUDING, you are probably, accidentally EXCLUDING. Here are some common bias to be aware of while we return:

• Similarity – those who are like me (vaccinated or unvaccinated / masked or unmasked) are better than those who are not
• Experience – my experiences (beliefs about vaccination or our current policy) are right and others need to change
• Expedience – it will be quicker to just include those who are easiest to reach (rotational cliques may form)
• Distance – those who are not present will not be included in the same way (rotational / remotely located teams)
• Safety – speaking up with concerns might put me at risk (reputational risk, in terms of mobility, in terms of making health decisions without pressure or fear of reprisal from an employer)

As we move forward into another transition, let’s remember our history and what we have already accomplished together. Let’s come together again and continue to operate with grace and empathy. We are entering a new era with lots of changes. No one has ever done this before. We are going to learn together. We will make mistakes together. But let’s continue to be kind with one another and empathetic of one another’s feelings, experiences and situations.?