Transitioning Back to the Office

Much of the office-based workforce spent all or part of the past year working from home to accommodate logistical limitations due to COVID-19. This resulted in immense lost productivity and a sense of detachment from the overall organization for many. Customers suffered, organizations suffered, and employees have suffered as well. Managers were largely at a loss as to how to manage continued productivity while keeping team members engaged but being sensitive to childcare needs, health concerns, and technology shortcomings.

Many organizations are now transitioning back to centralized offices or have discovered that work-from-home or hybrid versions of it are more economical for them and are finding ways to make the changes long-lasting and beneficial for all. Let’s discuss some tips for establishing new norms for the workplace, regardless of how or where it’s configured.

Clarify Expectations. It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that everyone needs to know exactly what their job is and isn’t. So often we bring people aboard without a clear review of all their job requirements, resources, chain of command, and a written how-to process for everything expected of them. It’s hard enough for them to perform to expected standards when in the office, but then we sent them home and expected them to perform at the same standard. When they didn’t, we often held it against them.

Take time to explain their exact job description, who they can turn to for answers, what their technological and documented resources are, and exactly what acceptable performance looks like in the eyes of their boss. If they need training or additional resources to achieve it, then set a clear timeline for when these will be provided and by whom. Take time to listen to their concerns about their ability to meet the standards, understand their feedback about any limitations they may have, and agree together on regular communication to review progress.

Open Lines of Communication. A simple graphic display of the organization hierarchy, an organizational chart, can go a long way in improving communication. As organizations grow or disburse, the chart changes with it and unless lines are drawn to explain the flow of information and permissions, feelings can get hurt and boundaries unintentionally get crossed. Create and communicate your org chart to smooth information flow, especially with a remote workforce. Be sure it includes names, titles, phone numbers, and email addresses!

Establish regular team meetings to discuss goals and priorities within each team. Systems as simple as Green, Yellow, Red charts can shorten meetings and ensure time is spent covering the most important issues of the day. Have an agenda and adhere to start/stop times for scheduling purposes. Remember to praise performance publicly and often, and to provide corrective feedback privately off the group call. Unmet goals can slow revenue, team performance, timelines, and growth targets. They must be addressed promptly, ideally while they can still be corrected. Establish one-to-one check-in meetings. If your team is used to walking into your office or catching you in the hall, a system of regular pulse checks over the phone or video conference can help replace the lost face time for them, and help you check on engagement during the workday for your remote workers. Don’t over-do it! Nobody wants to be micro-managed.

Return to Work Plan. Communicate your intentions for returning to the office, when, and under what conditions. Doing this well in advance and continuing to update it to your teams as circumstances change will allow them to voice concerns, overcome fears, prepare for daycare, and whatever else they need to do to make the transition. As part of the transition, you might also consider individual reviews of job expectations, and performance achieved during the past year. Many people will have performed better than expected and deserve recognition, while others may struggle to get back up to an acceptable pace. Either way, good communication can highlight great performance, may avoid the loss of a valuable employee, or rectify any misunderstandings.

Bring in Outside Help. Any big transition in an organization, whether acquiring a new division, hiring new C-Suite Executives, or managing a transition to a new normal is a prime time to consider outside help. CEOs and Executive teams benefit greatly from an education, understanding, and an action plan for better serving the 5 Constituents every business must satisfy (Company, Customer, Team, Stakeholders, and the Community) and how to implement the 5 Disciplines: Strategy, Business Development, People, Execution, and Mission into the organization. Programs such as this will help your executive team enact better company-wide discipline in the areas of revenue, margin, profit, customer acquisition, customer retention, employee engagement, employee retention, and community involvement.

Dave Lakin is a nationally recognized Executive Development Coach and founder of Acacia Business Solutions. Are you an executive who wants to take your company to the next level? Do you want more engaged staff, emotionally committed customers, and leadership who executes and stays focused? The AddingZEROs executive development process on the 5 Disciplines will help you lay the groundwork for your company to add zeros. Contact Dave today to assist you in determining the service that will best move your company forward.

[email protected] | Acacia-Solutions.com | Linkedin.com/in/davelakin

#Growth

#Coaching

#Leadership

#Business

#Speaker