RTO — Still?

So according to the Verge, Amazon’s CEO told remote workers, “It’s probably not going to work out…it’s past the time to disagree and commit.”

Following in Jamie Dimon’s footsteps, the corner office exerts its clout once again in a “my way or the highway” approach. Look, the leader gets to set the tone and it might not be a popular note to sing too. From where I sit, mandates like this aren’t the optimal way to build a culture of trust. But clarity from the top, even when unpopular, is better flip-flopping — or worse, being wishy-washy — on what the stance actually is.

While this drama plays out in very public settings, some of us in Outsell remain surprised there is still so much agita about return to office and the flexible and hybrid work schedules that have emerged. The pandemic taught us working digitally was feasible. It wasn’t always ideal, but it had many benefits — so much so that many team members just don’t want to go back to a full-time 9-to-5 workplace. Why can’t we listen and find a way where it can be win-win-win? It might take longer, but isn’t that worth the effort and energy to figure out?

Don’t get me wrong; we are not judging. We simply do not understand what the “fusaria” (as they say in Greek) is all about. Each company and culture is doing what it thinks is best. Each company and culture is different. There aren’t right or wrongs here. The setup each company chooses either feels right or needs adjusting. When/if a bunch of team members are moping about the policy it might be time to adjust.

Sometimes we have to lead by feel even when we have facts. And it’s important we have the facts for execs and for the team because the alchemy is in the gap between the two or knowing there isn’t a gap after all. Why do people want to work from home more? We need to find out because there are a lot of benefits. What are leaders’ real objections? What would it take for conditions of satisfaction to be met on all sides?

To do the hard work we have to find out where people stand. So, here’s an informal set of 10 questions to start and foster a dialog inside your company. Treat this as an informal survey and see what comes back. Then use it for informal listening sessions with team members who represent cross-sections of staff by age, tenure, function, rank, or whatever demographic “mix” is important in your culture.

1. Is our company now:

a. Fully remote

b. Hybrid — set days of week for entire company and/or set by department

c. Hybrid — flexible, employees can choose

d. Fully back to office

e. Other _____

(It’s important to see if people have a universal understanding of what the frame actually is)

1. Why did this route get chosen and who is it working for (and not) and why?
2. What’s been the biggest benefit and biggest drawback of your current approach?
3. What kind of activities are best carried out face-to-face in an office?
4. How is your culture fostered and a sense of connection and belonging created?
5. How has onboarding, training, mentoring, and professional development evolved?
6. Are hybrid meetings allowed where some participate in office and some on video? How is this working? Is 100% one way or the other better? Why or why not?
7. What happens (or doesn’t) when individuals don’t support or adhere to the policies, norms, and expectations set?
8. Is trust in your culture higher or lower than when Covid was in full bloom and we were all remote? Why or why not?
9. Is innovation better or worse? Why or why not?

Ask a demographic question so you can sort the data by hierarchy (this will yield important findings)

• Are you an individual contributor?
• Supervisor, Manager, or Director?
• A VP or Above?

Then ask one open-ended last question:

Finally, what else is on your mind about this topic?

Compare and contrast the results. Use this for town hall meetings. Find out what’s working and what’s not and explore better ways to move on. Covid changed our world in many ways — some positive and some not so great. But we have to make alchemy out of the cards it dealt. Going back to 2019 is just so yesterday. Let’s create a great future together. Challenge why we think it can’t work. We owe it to our team members, our culture’s morale, and the art of the possible. Must RTO be all or nothing? Out with either/or and in with both/and.