Two years after Covid-19 disrupted the entire world’s functioning, the United States workforce has been in a two-year flux of re-imagining the way we work. Many businesses had no choice but to close their doors to business as usual and found themselves working remotely, often under much more stressful demands. As we both worked and taught our kids from home, we were forced to reassess our priorities. We learned just how resilient we are. Today, we are looking for normalcy and wondering how things will fall back into place.
Many of us in leadership have begun discussing how to reset. As many companies look to bring employees back full-time, leaders are wondering if it will be harder to keep employees engaged. However, a study from PWC shows that 87 percent of employees believed returning to work has distinct benefits: collaboration and stronger relationships with their team. I agree; working in the office ensures a better, stronger team that can collaborate more seamlessly and reach goals faster.
As we look at resetting our businesses, here are a few critical points to think through to get back to your pre-pandemic roots.
Encourage kindness in the workplace
Stanford psychologists encourage us to use the adversity we experienced through the pandemic to grow. The research Stanford published encouraged cultivating numerous traits on a social level to move forward positively. Many of these traits can be fostered in the workplace as well. To build stronger relationships, encourage your teams to work on remaining curious. They should be open to hearing viewpoints that are different from their own. They should also ask questions to clarify differing opinions. Teams with many viewpoints are stronger when they work together. Also, encourage kindness among your team. It may be as simple as treating a colleague to coffee or grabbing their lunch. Little things sometimes make the biggest difference to resetting in a positive way.
Re-think your core goals and values
The pause we experienced through the pandemic gave us all a chance to look at what’s important to us on a personal level. You should be doing the same for your business. As more people return to full-time, in-person work, and the landscape of consumers has changed, ask yourself: have this company’s goals and values changed? It’s a great time to reassess what you say you stand for, and then make any necessary changes if something seems off. You may need to encourage more innovative thinking and collaboration from your team. It could be providing a safer space or added flexibility for your employees. You may even be considering whether your company’s needs changed through Covid-19. Are you delivering the same type of product in the same way, or did the pandemic force you to shift your business strategy? Ensuring your goals and values still align with the way you do business can help your team reset, and customers know what to expect from you.
Re-evaluate your culture
Reports show that employees became burned out by the pandemic and that millions of Americans quit their job through 2021. If your company is experiencing this stress, now is a great time to look at your company culture and make any necessary changes. For example, your team deserves to feel valued and heard. They also need to feel as if they are engaged in their work. If they feel less-than in your organization, it’s time to reset. I’ve written about how to build incredible teams in the past and a big bulk of that is always ensuring you have a great culture. As we continue to reset, take the time to look back at what worked and didn’t work through the pandemic so you can grow and move forward. And no matter what, be sure to let your employees know how important they are to the team and to your business. Your company couldn’t function without them.
Be willing to communicate
Transparency became critical throughout the pandemic, both inside and outside of companies. When it comes to your internal reset and bringing your team back into the office full-time, you must be clear about expectations and any new workplace needs that will become the new way of life. A survey from SHRM showed that among those Americans who say the culture improved as the pandemic drew on, nearly 60 percent gave the credit to transparent communication. Be sure to ask for feedback from your team and invite open discussions. This dialogue will help your team know where the company stands and ensure everyone is on the same page. Open communication works wonders for creating a culture of trust and honesty.
Looking toward the future
The pandemic forced us all to rethink the ways we had to interact with our businesses. As we move towards resetting and aim our sights on reaching new goals, consider what might make the transition easy. What tips do you have for companies as they look to make this return to the workplace?
Jim Allen is a business leader and entrepreneur who has built one of the top-producing real estate groups in the Triangle. He is President of The Jim Allen Group, which is consistently named one of the top real estate teams in North Carolina and even North America.