Return to the office is happening. One quick look at the morning rush hour in Pittsburgh and finally people are complaining about running into traffic again. Because of the pandemic, working from home is now established across multiple industries. And, while many find that working from home is a highly effective and efficient way to get their job done, it isn’t necessarily ideal in the long term. The office still has a critical role to play as we look toward the future. Many of us are thrilled to sit in traffic again and return to the office.
First, collaboration and creativity happen best in the office. The office works as a communication and collaboration machine, providing endless opportunities to run into people, test ideas, formally and informally brainstorm allowing creativity to thrive. Don’t we all love the old water cooler conversations?
Second, mentoring is crucial for employee opportunities, promotions, and growth. As ErikKostelnik, Founder and CEO of Postal IO said, “When everyone was working remotely earlier in the pandemic, my “A players” were self-sufficient and thriving but my B and C players weren’t benefiting from the knowledge and experience of their colleagues.”For many business leaders, if you’re not in the office, it’s incredibly difficult to increase responsibilities and work towards promotions for your team.
Third, many in management positions believe that culture and community are even more important than strategy. The office your employees drive to represents your organizational culture and being in the office encourages employees to identify with the organization. It’s extremely difficult to build culture on teams or zoom. You end up working in a bubble. The more engaged someone on your team is, the more likely they are to thrive.
Fourth, networking is more important than ever. Oftentimes, to get a job done or to close a deal, you need to know and trust more than just the people on your own team. Working in the office allows you to network with other teams/team members, gaining their trust and establishing valuable relationships. You cannot underestimate the importance of the conversations that happen while walking to grab a bite to eat, or to your car in the parking garage at the end of the day.
Finally, face-to-face interactions help to minimize the potential for miscommunication and are essential to building trust, community, and culture. And face-to-face interactions only happen in the office! Are you ready to return to the office? Check out this article from CNN. Make your workplace a place people want to be, not have to be. Reach out to our team at Rise. Check out some more blogs here.