Many teams are preparing to return to the workplace, in some capacity. Whether full-time or hybrid, it will be an adjustment from the remote work that has been taking place for so many over the past nearly year and a half. Though some companies are delaying the timing to return to the workplace due to the increase in Covid-19 cases and the Delta variant, many are still planning for some form of in-office work.

What’s Important to Consider

Companies are evaluating what will be important to be successful in this “new” environment. In addition to how to set up the office, when to expect employees to be in the physical workplace, and how to ensure employees feel valued – to name a few, companies realize that teams will need some support coming back together to be most successful. And, in many instances there are new employees on these teams that were hired when the entire workforce was remote. Those new employees may not have ever met their colleagues in person. So, what should this “onboarding” and “reunion” look like?

In speaking with leaders of various companies, they are recognizing that investing in individual and team development will be helpful to reengage their employees as they return to the workplace. Various approaches are taking place from:

• One-on-one coaching, specifically with managers who need to reengage their teams and with newer employees to help them to engage most effectively and improve their connection to key stakeholders
• Team coaching, to ensure team members and their manager are all reacclimating, reconnecting personally, communicating clearly and are ready to work collaboratively to achieve desired results
• Workshops to overcome communication challenges that may have become even more prevalent when the workforce shifted to a remote environment
• Retreats to help teams come back together and reconnect in healthy and fun ways
• And, group gatherings to explore how the team or organizational culture may need to shift to support the “future of the workplace” and ensure employee engagement!

Evaluate the Health of your Organization

Some managers and companies have more work to do than others, and that often depends on the health of the team and/or organization pre-pandemic.

Now is the time to focus on your team(s) and organizational culture to ensure success going forward. It’s important to recognize that change has occurred and is likely to continue to occur. And, some may find it more challenging than others to move onto the “new normal”.

Where do you need to focus to ensure success? Looking for a partner to work with your managers or teams? If you answered yes to any of these questions, let’s connect.

“Being a great place to work is the difference between being a good company and a great company.” – Brian Kristofek