As many organizations return to the office this summer, you and your team may experience some anxiety as you reconnect in person for the first time in over a year. Most teams experienced significant changes in social behaviors and routines during the COVID pandemic. A return to the office brings uncertainty and a new social environment that can cause stress and anxiety. There are some simple things you can do right away to make the transition back to the office less stressful for you and your team.
Be Visible — Return to the Office But Don’t Hide In It
During the pandemic, you probably spent most of your work hours behind the computer. This has probably become your new comfort zone, so you’ll need to consciously fight this temptation as your team returns to the office. They need to see you out and about… among the team. You should consider having regular walkarounds to check in with team members. These walkarounds should be to engage with your team members — not be seen as a “bed check” to find out who is in the office. One thing that worked for a fellow manager was taking a new path to the office each morning that would allow him to connect with different team members each morning. Just stopping by their cubicle to say hi and see how things are going will go a long way to making them feel more comfortable. Another approach to get out among the team is to go see them to address a question or issue that may have come across your email. Again, it will be easy to just answer this issue through e-mail. Try to get out from behind your computer and see your team members in person as often as you can…especially when you’re first back into the office.
Plan Some Fun Reconnect Activities
After over a year of remote work, most team members will enjoy reconnecting in person in an informal way…a sort of icebreaker for getting back into the office. You should plan something informal and light-hearted to get the team reconnected in person. This could be a lunch outside the work environment to celebrate the “return to normalcy”. Before the pandemic, we often had informal potluck lunches where team members enjoyed bringing in their unique dishes. Just be aware that many may not be comfortable with potlucks as we emerge from the pandemic. I recommend getting out of the office for a change in scenery. Escape from the cubicles and conference rooms. Most organizations haven’t been able to celebrate team members’ service anniversaries in person during the pandemic, so having a lunch offsite to celebrate these anniversaries is a great opportunity to reconnect.
Provide Some Flexibility
One of the benefits of working virtually that many team members enjoyed was the flexibility during their workday. As your team returns to the office, don’t be too rigid in enforcing pre-pandemic workplace norms. Most of us saw that the team was able to conduct their business while working virtually and having some additional flexibility. Don’t discard this valuable learning from the pandemic. Provide some additional flexibility for team members. Encourage them to take breaks throughout the day…maybe take a walk around the building or walk to the Starbucks next door. I’ve known some managers who had group walks with their teams. Getting out of the office periodically can ease much of the anxiety associated with returning to it.
Practicing these three things can help you and your team members reconnect and reduce anxiety as you return to the office. Your team members will most assuredly have their own ideas as well. You should ask them to share their ideas on how to reduce back-to-the-office stress in a team meeting shortly after you return. And don’t forget to take care of yourself while you’re focused on taking care of your team. Don’t feel guilty about taking some breaks for yourself to get out of the office. Enjoy the process of reconnecting in person with your team and lead them by example.