Two years ago, few of us could have envisioned what lay ahead. In the span of a few weeks in early 2020, our lives changed dramatically. Most of us began working from home, cancelled travel, and began balancing home life while performing our professional responsibilities. We renegotiated our relationships with other members of our households in order to do our jobs without face-to-face contact with colleagues, clients, or vendors. The challenges were multi-layered and ranged from the personal to the highly technical.

Today, we are beginning to return to the office. Yet we can never go back to the way things were, as global events like this change us forever. They are the seed of many fundamental societal shifts, and this pandemic will be no exception. Things we thought could never be done online have been tried—in many cases successfully. Things we thought we could not do without have been cancelled. We have had the opportunity to experiment with what works and what doesn’t in all arenas of life.

It is important to recognize that a return to in-person professional activities is as big a transition as the lockdowns were almost two years ago. It will impact both employers and employees in significant ways, and we have an opportunity to manage this change well to create great opportunities for our people and our businesses, whether they’re entering full-time in-person work, remaining remote, or entering a new hybrid work model.

TIPS FOR EMPLOYERS

• Each person had a unique lockdown experience and will experience the return to work differently. Don’t make assumptions about how people are feeling. People will have different levels of stress: ask them and listen to the answers. This is an opportunity for employees to feel supported by being listened to and for you to better understand what is and what isn’t working.

• Recognize that things will not go back to the way they were. Relax rigid thinking where possible (it is usually produced by stress) and think through what is essential for the business and what is flexible. For example, what percentage of time do you need various roles to be in the office versus at home, and what can be adjusted?

• Have conversations that look for creative solutions to meet the needs of your key employees.

• Be patient as people adjust to their new routines. Everyone is going through massive change, which means emotions and stress are heightened—be as supportive as possible and create a workplace environment that recognizes the transition period and supports everyone’s mental well-being during this time.

TIPS FOR EMPLOYEES

• Take time to reflect. Ask yourself what you gained and what you lost over the course of the pandemic. Determine what kind of post-pandemic work arrangement you want. Use this as the basis for planning your transition. Many different possibilities exist for your future—knowing what you want is a key to creating a next phase that really works for you.

• Communicate with your employer about what your transition will look like. Share any challenges you are facing, and work together to find solutions that let you transition back to work as smoothly as possible.

• Communicate with your family about the transition. Do not underestimate the deep emotional impact of this change in routine for every member of the household. Let everyone have a voice to talk about what they are experiencing. Come up with creative ways to stay connected during this time—for example, you might choose to have a family mealtime. 

• Give yourself time. It will take a few weeks to figure this all out—maybe more depending on your circumstances. Be sure to take care of yourself by giving yourself the physical, mental, and emotional care that you need.

Many readers of The Analyst are both an employee and employer. Remember to take the time to attend to both aspects of this transition.

Change is an opportunity for growth. The best way to handle change is to let it be chaotic for a little while and then allow things to come together in a new form that is even more productive and profitable than the old one. It takes intention, presence, and self-care to navigate this transition, and I know we are up to the task.