Flexible distributed workstyles are here to stay. No one I’ve asked (and I’ve asked many people) can imagine a mandated 5-day in-office workweek.
But there seems to be a divide between what leaders and employees want. Execs are saying, “Come back to the office. It’ll be great for teamwork and for culture.”? Employees are saying, “Thanks but no thanks: I can do my job just fine from home.”
Part of the gap in thinking comes from some myths around in-person work in the office, particularly in a post-pandemic context, I believe. Here are my thoughts on some of the myths I’ve heard from the leadership side of things.
- Of course people do personal tasks throughout the day when working at home, but not while at the office. (Nope!) “Homing from work” is a concept that’s been around since before the pandemic. In a nutshell, people do a ton of non-work-related tasks from their desks and even run errands outside of the office throughout the day. My guess is that it's about the same when you compare in-office work and working at home when it comes to doing personal tasks.?
- Teams need to be together in person on a weekly basis. (Not really) Why is the workweek the assumed frequency needed for in-person contact? Many teams would do fine with a monthly or even quarterly face-to-face gathering. Before setting an RTO policy, it’s probably worth checking what teams actually need rather than mandating things unnecessarily.? See more of my thoughts here.?
- You can’t form strong working relationships with completely distributed teams. (Well, actually you can) Intentionality trumps proximity. With an intentional set of practices, you can absolutely design collaboration experiences with distributed teams that form bonds and connections. Conversely, going back to the office without introducing intentional practices does not guarantee a culture of connection. Either way, now is the time to upgrade your team collaboration OS to include much more structured and deliberate practices. It’s not about the WHERE of teamwork, it’s about the HOW.?
- Going back to the office means going back to our old ways.? (Not quite)See the above point about being intentional for starters. The important thing to remember is that the office and in-person gatherings have changed. We’re not going back to flipcharts and butcher paper on the walls with markers and sticky notes, for instance. Instead, teams need to work digitally even when they are together because tomorrow they won’t be. Even coordinating social time together changes in a hybrid workplace. We need to challenge the status quo and rethink everything, including the purpose of the office.?
- Connection and culture are a critical part of our business. (No duh)OK, this isn’t a myth but I still want to call leaders out on this. Since when did execs suddenly care about human connection and culture? It wasn't on their radar before the pandemic. And it's not quantifiable by traditional business metrics. So what are the RTO mandates really based on? No wonder employees don’t trust decisions to go back to the office. Until RTO policies are more cross-disciplinary and more inclusive of employee voices, people will remain skeptical.?
Oh, and by the way, people are spending a lot of time Zooming from their desks. Why spend the effort to commute only to be on calls all day because the rest of your team isn't where you are? This is a real problem that doesn't get nearly enough attention as it deserves.
What assumptions are you hearing that make your eyebrows raise? What other myths are out there?
UX Lead - My BMW / MINI App
1 年Great points. One additional thing. When I work in the office, I am on Teams calls at least 70% of the time. This means that I have to wear a headset for 5+hours a day. I would love to better understand how this will affect employees hearing in the future. Several studies suggest that prolonged headset usage leads to hearing loss. As a middle aged employee, I take this very seriously.
Data, learning analytics, measurement, technology, engagement => Impact @ Intel. ex-Amazon
1 年I mean it sounds like CEOs paid for the same “watercooler” study by probably the same consulting firm :)
Global Leader @ Mastercard | Driving Operational Efficiencies | LinkedIn Top Voice | Mentor
1 年Great read and on point across the board. RTO policies generally show a great disconnect between executive 'leaders' and those they are meant to lead.
Leader of Change. PMI - PMP, ACP, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Agile Coach and Facilitator.
1 年Agree with your points, Jim. Of the conversations I have in the office with colleagues, unless it is in a deliberate meeting, the discussion is normally chit chat and catching up. Yes, that is interesting and builds rapport, but not necessary 5 days per week. I also agree that we drive to the office to sit on video conference calls. My new organization (HR) has settled on one mandatory day at corporate with exceptions for those who are based at on of our hospitals. They celebrate birthdays monthly, have 2-3x per year all hands gathering with social time following and it feels much more sincere and connecting than what I have experienced elsewhere. Managers can mandate additional days in the office if it applies, but most do not. Also partially agree with the end of stickie notes and flip charts. I still do some of that, but inevitably it has to be digitized as people scatter back to their work locations. Until we have a really good and robust hybrid physical to digital collaboration technology, it will be labor intensive. Interesting topic and fun to follow the trend. Time will tell, but the 5 day work week in the office is dead for most non public facing service & manufacturing/hands on jobs. Thanks for sharing!
Leader, Experience Lab @ Chubb
1 年Thanks for sharing what feels a bit like you read my mind on how I have been thinking about this. Most notably, your last point about the skeptical “value” of connection and culture. Well done as always my friend!