Some people still don’t show up in the office, even though it’s a volatile job market. I canvassed some reluctant returners to find out what they wanted: structured flexibility, clarity and buzz.
1. Security and clarity
Structure is reassuring in a scary world. We want firm boundaries between work and home and we don’t like ambiguity. Tell us when you want us in the office. Surprisingly, some people wanted this mandated so that they had less choice to make in their busy lives.
When we commute, we want to sit with our colleagues in the place we always sit, with our stuff exactly where we left it. It’s vital that our office feels like a secure base. If we must hot-desk, it is less stressful if we can book our desk in advance.
Don’t waste our time. We want to get on with impactful work. Organisations have way too many conflicting and overwhelming change projects. Focus on just a few priorities.
People are overwhelmed. Some felt like they were pulling in too many confusing directions. They worried that if they went into the office they’d get lumbered with even more work.
Remember the words of Jack Welch: ‘in real life strategy is very straightforward. You pick a general direction, and implement like hell.’
2. No forced fun
Start each meeting with laughter! Have a happy hour! Create a fun squad! Designate a humour corner! Play Never Have I Ever!
Take the internet’s advice with a pinch of salt. Of course fun increases creativity and bonding, but handled badly, enforced play can be awkward, intimidating, even anti-inclusive (golf days come to mind). Be respectful of non-drinkers. According to the UK alcohol education charity Drinkaware, most of us are drinking less post-pandemic and 26% of 16 to 24 year olds are fully teetotal.
The way to build a happy, high performance culture is to give people meaningful projects to work on together. They’ll get to know their colleagues by solving real business problems. Socialising will follow on naturally.
3. We want buzz
Although we don’t want forced fun, the office should be an enticing source of energy and ideas. We’ll have FOMO if we aren’t there.
Good managers make all the difference. They advocate for their teams, make sure their workload is reasonable, coach and develop, create opportunities and leverage their network across an organisation to get things done.
Managers should hold better one-to-ones and learn insightful questions. I’ve lost count of the number of people who tell me that they have no one-to-ones scheduled with their direct manager.
As ever, it all comes down to leadership. Well trained managers and team leaders are the main reason why people want to come into the office – or not.
Obviously some businesses and individuals make remote working a permanent choice. When you do get together the advice still stands: be cautious about the forced fun and make your event meaningful.
Please share this with your networks and contact me if you need support.