Returning to the office: It’s not a race, it’s a balancing act.
The last few months have taught us a lot about how we respond to change, deal with uncertainty, and rise to a challenge. This unique moment in time has also revealed much about our traditional ways of working – shining a light on some of the processes and tools that have proved essential during a crisis, as well as those that feel outdated or obsolete. (And perhaps, should never have existed in the first place.)
Inspired by fresh survey data and analytics, these learnings are often distilled into provocative, eye-catching headlines like ‘The death of the open plan office’ and, ‘Is working from home increasing productivity?’ But those snappy headlines don’t provide the whole story. Now, as organisations start laying the groundwork for a return to the office, how can we turn what we’ve learnt into a tangible plan for a better, more productive and more sustainable work culture?
Hint: The return to the office isn’t a race – it’s a balancing act. And those that rush are delivering a temporary solution to a long-term problem, like a bandaid on a broken leg.
Data without context is just words and numbers
So then, let’s take a closer look at one of those headlines…Are businesses working from home seeing a rise in productivity?
It’s a sentiment we’ve seen in articles, often supported by survey statistics and certainly echoed by a number of our clients. In isolation (pardon the pun), the ramifications of this statement are huge. We’ve spoken with clients considering scrapping their renovation plans, relocating to a smaller office, even moving entire departments to a permanent WFH model. After all, if employees are more productive at home, why are we spending so much to keep them in an office 5 days a week?
Of course without the proper context and consideration of all external factors and correlations, we’re only getting half the story. In this instance for example, what is actually driving the spike in productivity? Is it the change of physical location, or is it the fear of unstable employment in a particularly trying time? Or is the change of scenery itself encouraging productivity? A refreshing change of pace that’s ultimately unsustainable in the long term. How else has working from home affected people and how are those effects different for different personality types? Has increased productivity come at the expense of employee wellness and mental health?
With every headline, comes multiple new questions that need answering. New data from Ginger, a leading on-demand mental healthcare service, shows sharp increases in stress and stress-related injuries and a decline in overall mental health. In fact, 62 percent of workers reported losing at least one hour a day in productivity due to COVID-19 related stress. Only with the full context can your organisation make effective, long term, strategic decisions.
Be a shipwright, not a weathervane.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the future of work and it’s important to remember that while we’re all in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat. The new normal will be different for everyone, and a holistic understanding of your organisation and your people will be essential to developing new ways of working that work for all of you. Listening to and understanding your people is one of the most important things you can do to set your business up for long-term success, right now.
Speak to your people– Use surveys, focus groups and team meetings to find out how your people are feeling, what they need now and what they want from the future. Uncover the insights you need to make informed strategic decisions.
Keep yourself honest– It’s hard to escape unconscious bias, especially when self-assessing. Make sure the questions you’re asking are independent from your desired outcomes (and use external surveys where available)
Context is king– Take into account all variables of your data, as well as the context in which it was gathered. Statistics won’t help you make better strategic decisions unless you understand the why.
Navigating the storm might help you now, but building a more resilient fleet of boats will ensure you’re well prepared for the next one.
Future-proofing is a process not an action.
The return to work is happening, slowly but surely. Just as we continue to track and trace cases in our plans to defeat COVID-19, organisations must continue to test, learn and iterate their way toward stronger, more stable ways of working.
We have an extraordinary opportunity right now to shape a new way of working that is sustainable well into the future. One that builds resilience and adaptability and encourages innovation and progress. It will take a little bit of time and a little bit of balance to get it right. Slow and steady, after all.