It seems like we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Pretty soon all your staff is going to get back to the office together working to achieve those corporate goals. It can be an exciting time but also a frustrating time for both Team Members and Managers. Why? Because for over a year everything was different! Now “the new normal” is the only normal and the old normal seems strange. So how do we get our team to be enthusiastic about the office again? How do you connect with each other in a meaningful way AND get the job done? Here are three powerful and easy strategies to help you:
1. Connection on a personal level.
This does not mean becoming besties and blurring the lines of the organizational chain of command. Instead, it means humanizing the relationship and the chain of command that presently exists. How do you do this? By integrating into your weekly work meetings, a Q&A time where you find out how your team is actually doing. This is a leadership tool that every manager/supervisor must make a part of their process in a post-pandemic work. People will forget what you do for them but they won’t forget how you make them feel. So make your team feel seen and heard at every encounter.
2. Collaboration with your team.
As a Manager or Supervisor, it is true that you have the ultimate decision-making power. You set targets, goals, and agendas for the department. However, to smoothen the transition back to the office, you need an inclusive approach. Give your staff the opportunity to actively weigh in on the goals and objectives for the department. Let them participate in setting goals for the first 2-3 months of your return to the office. The truth is, you are likely to end up with the goals and targets that you would have set anyway. The difference is that because they were included in the process, there is now greater buy-in. Buy-in means greater motivation to get the job done. Your staff will be happy to come to a space where their plans come to fruition.
3. Normalize the transition process.
The worse thing you can do is pretend as nothing happened. A lot happened in the past year, not just for your business and workplace but individual lives. When everyone is back in the office remember that there will be a transitional process. Take the time to listen to the things that your staff says when they return to work. Observe the way that they’re functioning. Observe the way that they are interacting. You should allow that information to guide the way you set your agenda on a weekly basis. It’s not that your staff doesn’t want to be in the office. It’s that they’ve grown accustomed to doing the work their way and on their own set schedule. Now, they have reacquainted themselves with the new normal of work in the office.
Remember, as you show flexibility as a leader, you can more easily integrate the actions of everyone. That way, you can collectively cultivate a positive office dynamic. One that works not only for the individual but also your department and the achievements of your KPIs.
If, in reading these tips, you feel like you need additional support for your Managers so that:
- they can become leaders who get results,
- leaders who motivate their team, and
- leaders who make this transition back to the office an easier one,
feel free to schedule a call so that we can discuss the available training option to help in this area of productivity and transition back to the world of the office.
Written by Dana Hayes-Burke