Reimagining the Office: Creating Compelling Reasons for Employees to Return

"Google adds in-office attendance to performance reviews"

That was the headline of the article I woke up to today.

We need to get beyond geography and start thinking of purpose.

• Why do we honestly want people back in the office?
• How does it truly benefit both them and us as leaders?
• How does it make us all more effective together, and what can we achieve together, meeting face-to-face that we cannot in a remote environment?

Let me be clear. A hybrid work arrangement, making sure people are in the office on a regular schedule, makes sense for many reasons. Having people in the same room, talking synchronously and bouncing ideas off of each other leads to opportunities that are stilted when working solely in an asynchronous web-based environment.

Working in the same location leads to people being able to communicate more effectively because you have the ability to read body language, intonation, inflection and pick up on subtle gestures that can lead you to realize that what you have said may not be understood the way you intended it. It also leads to greater trust, understanding and engagement.

So why is there such a pushback?

Is it merely the fact that people have become comfortable and complacent working from home? Because they have built routines and systems that they enjoy, no longer have the commuting time, and can wear more comfortable clothes. . . or is there more to it?

Could it be because we have not given people a reason to believe that being in the office benefits them?

Of course, it is easier for managers to have people at work. Command and control can be re-established, getting ahold of people is easier and decisions can be made on the fly. Owners also see vast amounts of real estate that are being underutilized and because of this feel a sense of frustration having outlaid capital on rent, utilities, insurance, phones, desks, computers and a myriad of other things and having the space unoccupied.

However, none of this justifies having people come back to the office. There has to be a reason that makes sense to those coming back. They have to know by doing so, their life is easier, more productive, and allows them to achieve their goals.

The purpose of having people back in the office needs to be quantified and communicated effectively. People need to be excited to be there and want to do what it takes to be in the office. Maybe it comes down to FOMO (fear of missing out) or the realization that those who come into the office get the best projects or opportunities for advancement? Maybe there has to be learning and leadership opportunities that are only available to those who come in?

Every company needs to have open and honest conversations with their employees about why they are not coming into the office and what can be done to make it beneficial. Companies may not be able to satisfy everyone, in fact, I will guarantee that they won't, but by having open, honest and frank conversations about goals, aspirations and purpose, compromises can be made that benefit everyone.

Employees need to realize that they are not going to get everything they want and so does leadership.

The dynamic has changed and one set of rules will no longer apply to everyone.