What does the evolution of retail and WFH have in common? A lot actually…

Early on in my training career I would train new hires entering Target’s buying offices.? I was training the position I had previously held (inventory analyst) before I moved over to training, and it was a lot of fun.? One of the very first classes I trained was the history of retail.

This class was a bit of a case study as to what could happen to Target if we ever lost our identity.? We chronicled numerous retailers that had failed because no one knew what they stood for.? Montgomery Ward was one of our prime examples – no one really had a specific reason to visit, and so they ceased to exist.

I’m not sure if the history of retail is still being trained to new hires, but much has changed since the 1990’s.? Back when I was training merchant new hires, the content of your assortment dictated your identity.? In the advent of Amazon and online shopping, how you receive the stuff you want is now almost as important as the merchandise itself.? To say this was a seismic change to how people shop is an understatement.

Another Seismic Change

No one could have predicted what would happen in March of 2020.? The pandemic changed every aspect of our lives, including how we worked (at least for office workers).? What was once considered unacceptable for full time work in many company cultures (working remotely) - suddenly became a necessity.?

Fast forward to now, the landscape of how we work has permanently changed.? While some organizations are requiring workers to return to the office five days a week, most (that I have observed) are formulating hybrid strategies – some time spent in the office, and some time work from home.? And with this seismic change have come some growing pains.?

In a recent article feature in Harvard Business Review (you can read it here), there is empirical research that suggests 100% remote workers are much lonelier than their hybrid counterparts.? And the jury is also out on whether or not people are more productive at home (read the LA Times article here), although how we measure productivity and who “feels” more productive seems to be up for debate.

The Amazing Parallel

The evolution of retail is amazingly similar to the evolution of work.? To no one’s surprise, shopping in our pajamas is more convenient that visiting a mall.? Likewise, working in our pajamas is infinitely more convenient that dressing in work wear, fighting traffic, and being interrupted by our colleagues.? Malls in many communities are ghost towns, and so are many office buildings.?

And yet with this evolution there is incredible tension.? As human beings we are inherently social.? The current Surgeon General has identified loneliness as the biggest health crisis in the U.S.? And there are certainly times when even the most introverted people want to hang out with their colleagues… or go shopping with their families in a physical retail store.

As a retail veteran I know full well that most retailers would like you to shop in their physical stores… maybe not for everything, but for discretionary categories such as clothing, home, and electronics.? And to do this they need to give you a reason to show up – be it unique merchandise, a great in-store experience, or exceptional customer service.? Online is also vitally important – one has to think about the entire ecosystem of touch points with the customer.

Likewise we need to give people a reason to show up in-person at work - maybe not every day, but on some sort of a cadence.? I know many of you have to go in, but in order for the loneliness issue to be mitigated, we need people who actually want to be there.? Just like retailers, we need to apply some level of attraction strategies to the workplace.? How?? Read on…

Differentiation

Like experiences in a retail store, teams need to be able to create differentiated experiences to foster team cohesion.? Essentially we need to leverage our time together in the office to accomplish things we can’t do alone.? Here are some things that have come to mind recently:

• Foster spontaneity:? There’s a fair amount of research that suggests that physical proximity of workers can create more innovation and creative problem solving.? ?This means banter over cube walls can actually be productive if it’s in service of gaining an opinion towards solving a problem.? At the same time one of the most treasured aspects of working from home is not being interrupted by your colleagues.? What to do?? During the days you are in the office, designate one hour that you might call “freestyle” in which anyone can bug anyone with anything work related.?
• Create team working meetings:? My former Target team was actually doing this before the pandemic, and it can be very effective.? Instead of your normal weekly team meeting, substitute it with a working session where one person brings a project they are working where they need the collective mindshare of the team.? It involves a little preplanning on the part of the presenter, but the help you get is well worth it (and everyone gets greater visibility to the work of the entire team)
• Get intentional about making meetings more productive:? There’s nothing worse than going to a meeting where informational updates are given that could have been sent (and read at home).? Try forming tangible outcomes to your meetings where you actually brainstorm a problem, come up with a point of view, or formulate a process.? Tangible progress on an important project is one of the main motivators for satisfaction at work

Create Great Team Experiences

For those of you who are highly task oriented, this could feel very flaky and a waste of time.? And yet all of us want to be recognized as human beings at work – people with families, friends, and outside interests.? ?Research shows that the more people feel that others take a personal interest in them at work, the more productive they are (and the more they’re willing to stay).

The tricky part of this is honoring the level of self-disclosure that people feel comfortable with.?? Here are some quick/easy ways to do this:

• Ask people on the team what they want to know about each other (as opposed to mandating something)
• Allow the first 10 minutes of every meeting for mindless banter
• For the days you are in the office, try to eat lunch together at least once or twice a week (Managers:? you need to model this behavior or it won’t happen)
• Whether you are in-person or online, how often do you ask people how they really are?? If they respond “fine” or “good”, I will usually follow up and ask “Are you really good, or are you just saying that?”.? To be sure, this involves risk – they may tell you something heavy.? But wouldn’t you rather know (and take the time to listen)?

Your Team Needs an Identity

When everyone was in the office, no one thought twice about the team’s identity.? It was obvious because we got to observe what everyone was doing every day.? When that level of interaction is taken away, it’s easy to only think about just the work that you do.

Like retailers, teams need an identity too.? Much of the purpose and meaning in a person’s work is lost if people don’t feel like they’re contributing to something greater than themselves.? If you think your team already has an identity, here are some questions to ask:

• What is your team known for by others outside your area?
• If I asked your team what value they contribute to your organization, what would they say (and would it be the same across each person on the team)?
• Could each person describe both the “what” and the “why” behind what your team does?

It’s Not About You

I want to be clear:? I’m not advocating that we go back to the style of work we were doing in 2019.? That ship has sailed… and people want choices.? What I am saying is that if we want people to be in the office (whether it’s a few days a week or once a month), we need to be more intentional about making those interactions meaningful.

Is coming into the office convenient?? Probably not.? Does it cause disruption with your household compared to working from home?? Sometimes.? Is it more productive than working from home?? That’s up for debate.

It’s no longer a given that people are going to show up; so just like retailers we all need to give people a reason to come.? We can try to mandate it, but from what I’m seeing so far that isn’t working very well.? But unlike retailing, there’s something bigger going on.

Here’s my question:? Are you willing to occasionally forgo your own personal preferences for the sake of your team (and potentially the mental health of certain people)?

I think I know what your answer would be.