Often, we neglect to ask the simplest of questions at work, a question which children are especially adept at asking: Why?
As increased attendance in the office becomes expected, the narrative put out to employees as to why this is necessary talks about team building, connection and collaboration. Yes, those are important considerations. But another factor is much more likely to be driving this attendance edict, even if managers and employers are unaware of its influence. That factor is control.
People always get stuck when it comes to control. Control is a strong coping technique for uncertainty. Uncertainty, in turn, is one of the most maddening and uncomfortable emotions for people to manage. For example, think about how frustrating sitting on a delayed train with no information from the conductor is. Now think about that same situation with the conductor letting you know you will be stopped at a red light for 15 minutes to let another train pass. Sure, it's slightly annoying, but unlikely to cause any real internal rage. We've collectively spent 18 months in a state of uncertainty; it's not so far of a reach to assume people are looking to control more parts of their life — and that could extend to their colleagues.
There has been much conversation around the trust issues remote working has surfaced in some companies. Employee monitoring software and other means of surveillance is up 50% since the pandemic began. But perhaps this isn't about trust at all. After all, if a manager doesn't trust an employee to perform the job, then they wouldn't be on the team for long. Trust is just a convenient proxy for control. That behavior is not going to fly.
The psychological and physical contract employees have with their employer is shifting. Businesses are going to have to support employees on a more human level — which means dropping the 'R' part of human resources. In some cases, working from home can enable these more human interactions. We can learn so much more about someone’s hobbies, interests, and home life with a 5-minute look at their living room background. Things that might have taken months or years to learn in an office, because it doesn't come up naturally in conversation. That insight can enable relationship building on a whole new level, which can then improve team building and connection — the very things the office environment was supposed to do.
Companies still have an opportunity to create a more human-centric approach to work. This also means enabling people to perform at their best — and their working environment is a large part of that. Help people discover for themselves which types of work is best for them to do at home, and which types of work is best accomplished in the office. Coach managers on how to provide remote working guidance and communicate expectations around responsiveness and working hours. Finally, remind managers that when we let go of control, we gain so much more. We gain goodwill, trust, creativity and a level of openness in the business that enables people to flourish.
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November 19, 2021 at 08:33PM
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The Real Reason Employers Want Everyone Back In The Office - Forbes
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