by Peter A. Arthur-Smith, Leadership Solutions, Inc. ®

“Should we expect our people to return to the office post-pandemic?”

You’ve likely seen this question posed many times in various media forums over recent weeks, especially as people at last sense the pandemic is probably abating.  Great strides in vaccination rates are encouraging optimism that the moment of “herd immunity” might be approaching and some sense of normalcy might prevail sooner or later. As this progress occurs, so the debate over recalling people back to the office or their collective place of work heats up. What do you think? 

Reality suggests, as in many things, that it depends. It depends on people’s nature of work and it depends upon the nature of their organization, among other things. One thing that has been shattered since the pandemic lockdown began: it’s our paradigm of workplace people commuting to their place of work every week day – sometimes many miles each way. People-roles that executives would normally assume to be performed under their noses every week have been metaphorically thrown out of the window! Has this even caused those executives to rethink their usual “management” role?

Of course, it depends upon whether you feel a strong urge to “manage” your people or whether you would prefer to lead them. Conventional managers so often feel compelled to put systems and processes in place that their employees should adhere to. That usually requires command-and-control environments for their people to operate within – so often designed that it requires relatively little thought by their “employees” to perform as needed. Just as if they were on a production line.

Often times those people are expected to perform somewhat like automatons. But at least their managers are happy in such situations, because they can closely monitor that their worker-bees are complying and are putting-in the required number of work hours. Just imagine the daily heartache such managers have endured since the lockdown, where their people have been dispersed beyond their immediate reach?

On the other hand, leader-types are more interested in people and progress. They will duly consult with their team members – by Zoom, phone or in-person – about the work-journey that needs to be accomplished. They will concur with their staff about the milestones, appropriate resources, and expertise that are important to fulfill their overall purpose and intent. Those same enlightened leaders will endeavor to give their people the latitude and empowerment – within realistic limits – to complete their commitments within an appropriate, although usually challenging, timeline. It includes permitting team members to work either from home or at a designated workplace that produces optimal results – such flexibility requires trust and leadership capability.

It becomes abundantly clear that manager-types yearn for their employees to return to the “office” because they can supervise them better that way. They feel more secure that staff members will be “earning their keep.” Too often they find it difficult to trust employees, because they haven’t put in the effort to build that trust. In fact, often times they feel uncomfortable spending overly much time with their employees for fear that it might compromise their own special status.

Enlightened leaders, on the other hand, know that to spend due amounts of time with their team members, be that in-person, by phone or Zoom, or electronic contact, can earn them many “trust tokens” and pay considerable dividends when they’re not co-located. Although some staff would prefer to be at the office to avoid “home-place” distractions, countless others have alluded to how much they have been able to accomplish when removed from many ad hoc meetings or casual interruptions…maybe even from a toxic workplace. In fact, when working from home, many have the opportunity to put-in extra hours at times that suit their most productive moments. They also don’t have to deal with daily commuting hassles and expenses.

Unfortunately the pandemic has produced much heartache, loss of loved ones, and many setbacks. On the flip side of the coin, it has prompted new opportunities, different ways of working, and has likely shone a torch on those who were tightly managed and those who were well led. We’ll let you decide – based upon overall sustained performance – which ones have handled the crisis well and which ones have likely suffered. It has also fostered the debate about the efficacy of command-and-control, “in-the-office” situations and the potential of hybrid arrangements.

There are some people – usually a minority – who welcome a commute to daily daydream, be away from a toxic home-situation, and work in routine conditions; in return for an average, guaranteed pay-check. Even so, there are countless others that prefer working for a venture that has a clear purpose: where they are also valued, experience regular accomplishments, enjoy a sense of team camaraderie, feel trusted to work on things that suit them, and have the opportunity to build their expertise. Such hybrid environments are co-located where enlightened leaders exist. Have you ever experienced such a place?

Let these thoughts guide your decision on what makes the most sense for your post-pandemic workplace. It’s likely that we will depend much more on people-leadership moving forward and placing conventional management  in its rightful place – where it’s a steadying and economical force, without squashing most people’s desire to contribute as much as is realistically possible.

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