Thinking back to when we were just coming out of covid, there was an open mind for what the future (of work) could look like.
There was a genuine desire to design how and where we worked... a desire to find a way to be more productive yet balanced, more collaborative yet efficient, and more connected yet distributed.
However, the narrative has been quickly forgotten amidst the macro economic forces putting pressure on company profits and performance. As such, we've seen a growing polarisation towards return to office (RTO) mandates and pushback from employees (direct and indirect) in the dominant work narratives.
Whilst I agree that companies and leaders must take action to proactively shake things up about how people are working, it must be done with critical thinking and planning.
We've seen enough data to now know that generic RTO policies tend to be very ineffective for multiple reasons. And the reality is that most companies won't be changing the approach at a company level anytime soon.
So if you're a people leader, perhaps it's time for you to take charge of how your team works within the parameters of your company's global policy? And if you're in a bigger team, perhaps it's time for you to drive this topic forward in your team?
Below are 5 questions and comparisons you can use to reflect on your team's current approach:
