Brian Elliott’s Post

💯🎯 👇 NAILED IT: "Return-to-office is just a knee-jerk reaction trying to make the world go back to where it was instead of recognizing this as a point for fundamental transformation ... I call them return-to-the-past mandates." - Prithwiraj Choudhury, Harvard Business School, in the Washington Post. OK then. So, what's better than mandates? 👇 This: "Rather than grappling with mandates as a means of boosting productivity, companies should instead focus on structuring their policies on a team basis." "That means not only understanding the frequency and venue in which teams would be most productive in-person, but also ensuring that in-person days are structured for more collaboration." "Requiring employees to work in-office to boost productivity in general has yet to prove itself out." 👇 The bottom line: Asking employees to return to the office from time to time - with intention and structure - makes a lot of sense and can benefit companies and employees. Doing this in a smart, measured way (the opposite of arbitrary mandates) will provide a competitive advantage as employee interest in schedule flexibility remains incredibly high. #remotework #workfromhome #hybridwork #leadership

“Return-to-office is just a knee-jerk reaction trying to make the world go back to where it was instead of recognizing this as a point for fundamental transformation. I call them return-to-the-past mandates.” - Prithwiraj Choudhury, Harvard Business School --- There seems to be some imperative other than profitability behind executive demands for everyone else to come back to the office. Maybe the people who run these companies suffer from some form of "object permanence" anxiety. When I can't see ALL of my employees, the evidence of my indispensability ceases to exist;) People (especially new employees) do need regular connection with their peers and managers, but there are ways to accomplish this without a one-size-fits-all solution like requiring everyone to come back to the office every day. It doesn't make sense to try to make things go back to exactly what they were like before the pandemic.

Good read on #returntooffice mandates. Leaders should be considering many factors when making these decisions, and ensure in-office days are centered around productivity and collaboration.

Return to the office mandates could just be a way to lose your best performers. Research from MIT Sloan Management Review shows that your highest-performing employees want executives to focus on outcomes and accountability, not office badge swipes: https://lnkd.in/gvE4K9AE #BackToOffice #HybridWork #Performance #PeopleSideOfData

Return-to-office mandates: Trusting Intuition over Evidence? In the post-pandemic workspace, the term "return-to-office" has generated much debate. But are such mandates exemplifying evidence-based management? Not quite. Evidence-based management, akin to its medical counterpart, argues for decisions grounded in concrete data. Yet, many businesses seem to ignore this methodology, following intuition or peer pressure instead. Consider this: a retailer thrives in the pandemic but hits a slump once normality resumes. The snap judgment? Remote work must be to blame, and back to the office everyone goes. This reaction overlooks the fact that people returning to in-person shopping is a natural market correction, not a remote-work failure. Consequently, businesses endure unnecessary upheaval and attrition for misdiagnosing the issue. It's a trap Dr. Tatiana Andreeva of Maynooth University illustrates vividly. The impulse to call employees back is knee-jerk at best, often missing the richness of data already within an organization's grasp. Leveraging diverse evidence - from internal records, scientific studies, industry best practices, to employee feedback - paints a more accurate picture to inform decisions. The need is not for flawless decision-making but for informed choices. The goal should be knowing the situation inside out before hurrying to a verdict. Andreeva's insights hit home - management isn't showbiz. It's about making a real difference, not just feeling like you are. Before jumping to conclusions and enforcing office returns, let's ask, are we really listening to the evidence? #EvidenceBasedManagement #RemoteWork #LeadershipStrategy

Although I don't think this research will convince any company leaders to change their minds about returning to the office (RTO), it's still worth reading the new research from the University of Pittsburgh. Here's what they found: 1.) Firms with RTO mandates did not experience financial boosts compared with those without.  2.) The firms with a mandatory RTO policy had significant declines in employees’ job satisfaction. A few good quotes from the article: "Leaders are unlikely to backtrack on mandates once they have been implemented because that could be viewed as admitting they made a mistake", said Mark Ma. “Return-to-office is just a knee-jerk reaction trying to make the world go back to where it was instead of recognizing this as a point for fundamental transformation,” Choudhury (Harvard) said. “I call them return-to-the-past mandates.” Some people love going into the office, some people like a hybrid schedule, and some don't want to come into the office at all. Addressing all of these needs can be extremely complicated when you have 40+ thousand employees. But here's the take home message - humans have a desire for autonomy (having a feeling of choice). Even if you want people back in the office, offering them a choice of the days they come in, can boost autonomy and satisfaction.

I just came across this insightful article shedding light on the challenges of mandating a return to the office for employees. It's evident that the traditional "return to office or else" approach isn't yielding the expected results for many CEOs this year. As we navigate through this evolving landscape, it's crucial for leaders to acknowledge the diverse needs and preferences of their workforce. The one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn't cut it anymore. Instead, fostering a culture of flexibility and empowerment can lead to greater productivity, satisfaction, and ultimately, success. Let's reimagine the workplace together, prioritizing flexibility, trust, and collaboration. Check out the article for more insights and join the conversation on how we can create thriving work environments in the post-pandemic era. #FutureOfWork #WorkplaceFlexibility #EmployeeWellbeing

Companies should consider the happiness and productivity of their employees before mandating a return to the office. According to a recent article in Fortune, many managers are scapegoating their workers for not wanting to return to the office. However, remote work can be just as effective as in-person work, and many employees are happier when given the option to work from home. While RTO may be necessary in some cases, it's important for companies to prioritize the well-being of their employees. Read more about this issue here: https://lnkd.in/dnxWG-jY

If only they get it

Finally getting back into the work force after 7 months, but it's not remote (ok, 7 miles down the road isn't terrible) and the pay is less than ideal. Having worked from home since 2020, I don't want to go back to an in-person position. I don't want to get up in the morning, get dressed and presentable, get my coffee in my travel mug, get in the car and drive. I don't want to put those miles on my car, gas in my tank, travel poorly maintained roads that wear on my car and go to a job that isn't me...I just don't want to. And then to come home to a dog who meets me halfway up the driveway who is used to her mama being home every day, have to take care of things around the house, make dinner, and if I'm lucky put my feet up to decompress before calling it a night just for it to start all over again? I want my remote life back - I want to get up, get a cup of coffee and sit by the creek on the backside of my property in the morning before logging in for the day. I want to not worry about what I am going to wear or am I having a good or bad hair day. I want to not worry about if I have enough gas to last the week. I want to be able to go take care of things outside during my breaks so there is less to do before/after I work for the day. I want to be able to think of dinner at the last minute so I can throw it together, let it cook for a short amount of time and be ready when I log out for the day. Remote life - it's a lifestyle. A lifestyle many people have become accustomed to over the past 4 years, and seems to be taken away from us. Did production go down in the past 4 years? Or have employers become "paranoid" in their employee's capabilities?