How To Rethink Your Back-To-Office Plans In A Post-Pandemic World

The old office is dead. The new office is here!

It may seem premature to claim that we are living in a post-pandemic world even as cases and hospitalizations continue to increase in some parts of the world. However, the reality is that we are approaching the endemic status of the pandemic. We may see other variants in the future, but governments are becoming increasingly unwilling to lock down economies.

The most surprising element of this stage is how quickly some things will go back to normal. Back-to-office plans will be needed this year, and that can be either an easy transition or a painful one. 
 

Some experts claim that the office is dead and that we all work from home for the rest of our lives. I think that's nonsense, but companies need to redesign how they approach their offices. Simply going back to whatever you were doing in 2019 won't cut it. 

You should consider three things in your return to the office. First, what makes an office enticing. Second, what kind of work is best done in an office versus elsewhere. Third, who are the right people for your new office plans.

What Makes an Office Enticing?

For some people, being asked to come into the office sounds like an exercise in futility. They have to deal with a long commute, parking troubles, and office distractions—all of this to do the same work that they could have done while sitting on their couches.

Offices should be exciting places. You shouldn't even look at them as offices. Instead, think of them as "community centers" where people gather to exchange ideas, relax and spend time with their colleagues. Consider scheduling days where teams can work on collaborative exercises — brainstorming, strategy formulation, sharing of best practices, etc. — instead of bringing people to be on their laptops all day.

Perks always help. We have seen companies adding better food options, gyms, massages, and other benefits within the office. However, the perks should be aligned to make the office a collaborative environment. Simply adding perks as carrots is not going to change how employees feel about being in the office.

What Kind of Work Is Best Done in an Office?

As it turns out, you can just as well host a meeting in-person or virtually, especially if you're merely attending and not engaging. The days of walking into an office to see a sea of people wearing headphones and on their laptops are gone.

You should help teams divide work into office-friendly and remote-friendly in your company. Lawyers, in particular, discovered that the bulk of the paperwork could be done from anywhere and while wearing pajamas. Of course, this kind of remote-friendly work won't disappear, but there's no need to force employees to do it at the office. 

Who Are the Right People?

Every company will approach the office slightly differently. For example, companies like Shopify and Deloitte are taking a remote-first approach, while companies like Apple want to bring people in a couple of days a week. Regardless of your final schedule, you need to ensure you have the right people for it.

I have talked with some people who say that they will never return to the office. If they work for a company that expects at least 1 - 2 days in the office, this is not a good fit. The person and the company would be better off if they parted ways.

Companies and employees will need to compromise. It's unrealistic to expect a full-time return to the office, but it's also unrealistic to expect that no one will ever come back to the office. As in most things in life, we deal with shades of grey. 

It is true that the office, as we knew, is dead. But, it is also true that the new office environment will be even better than the first. We have come a long way from rows of cubicles. It is time to change how we work, and our offices are the first step in the journey.

Ruben Ugarte is the global expert in Decisions, Strategy, and Data and author of the Data Mirage and Bulletproof Decisions. He helps executives at the most innovative medium, and large enterprises find their hidden treasures and use them to dramatically boost performance, increase profitability, and make their teams world-class. He has done this across five continents and in three languages. His ideas have helped hundreds of thousands of people make better decisions. Visit https://rubenugarte.com/  Connect Ruben Ugarte