Episode 60 | Re-Boarding Back into the Office after Covid

Sophia Noreen: Hello, everyone. Welcome to another fantastic episode of The Boss It Podcast. My name is Sophia Noreen, and I'm going to be your host for today. And today's topic is a little bit more serious and is meant for our friends who are in the traditional nine to five or are working a split between a traditional career or job, and also working on their side hustle. And as many of you know, I'm in that situation in which I work as a clinic manager part-time, and I also work on my product-based business, Also Sophia. So I am definitely in this boat where I'm doing both at the same time, and I love both. So I will try to hang onto both as long as I can. But right now, what's happening is many people are going back into the office after COVID, after the worldwide pandemic. And we're having a reboarding. That's the term that has been coined in the HR world where we are reboarding our team members back into the office. And that's great. Everyone's like fantastic. But many people are finding it difficult to transition back into the office. And as leaders or as managers, it is our responsibility now to understand the situation and then help our team transition as smoothly as possible back into the workplace, either full-time or back to a hybrid model of some sort. And this is primarily for people who have been off for 20 months. Many people, many of our team members may be working remotely for the past 20 months. 
 
Now, in my situation in our clinical team, I would say approximately 50% we're onsite the whole time. And then approximately, the other 50% were working from home the whole time. And mind you, the job was being done. People were still doing their clinical work from home, but they just didn't require their patients to come on-site.  
 
Now, if you are a team member who has been working from home or was furloughed and let go for that period of time, you are going to be faced with many challenges emotionally because now you have to realize that you're no longer the same person who left back in March 2020. Twenty months ago, we're recording this in the fall of 2021. So we're almost coming to two years of not being in the traditional workspace, five days a week. Many people were working five days a week on-site but now have transitioned to working five days a week at home or offsite. And many workplaces, Google has announced it in many bigger industries like Apple, many of the tech giants are not bringing the workforce back a hundred percent in office. Because they realize that people are just as productive at home, and they have less distractions. Actually, some people say we're more productive at home, but that takes a toll on you. So those are a few things that we'll talk about during this episode.  
 
I'm going to offer four tips for anybody returning back to the office. And also these tips are for leaders in the workspace. And the reason I'm doing this is because I feel like a lot of people are not acknowledging that we cannot just ask people to return back to the office without considering these four things.  

So the first thing that we need to consider when we are going back to the office is we need to consider the fact that we are going to have mixed emotions. We are not all going to be extremely excited to get back to the office. Going back to the office means that there is more energy that we're going to have to use from a day to day. Many of us will not be excited to get back to the workplace. It is going to be riddled with anxiety and fear of the what ifs, or how am I going to deal with meeting so many people after so many days. Some of the areas are still requiring masking. So are we going to be wearing masks in the office? Is everyone vaccinated in the office? 

So a lot of anxiety around the fact that we have to go back to the office. Plus many people adjust not looking forward to it because it's a change, and change management is a real thing. You will not want to potentially get up every morning, get dressed and get in your car or get on the bus, or transit to work. That's extra energy that you have to use every single day. So acknowledging your feelings is the first step in a smooth transition back to the workplace. It's the first step that leaders also need to take. They have to understand that their team members are no longer the same individuals.  
 
The global pandemic has caused the whole world to change emotionally and physically. We no longer feel the same. It's a different environment. And so, we have to acknowledge that we need to re-introduce ourselves to each other. And knowing that feeling of change and insecurity around walking into the unknown has to be acknowledged by yourself and by your team. A good strategy or a good exercise that you can do at this moment is you can understand what the worst-case scenario could be for you and the best-case scenario for transitioning back to work. 
 
You have to remember that before you went off to a work at home environment, a hundred percent you had enjoyable moments in the office with your colleagues. And the exercise, basically, is for you to recall those positive events that were taking place before you left the office. And so for me, we used to take long walks during lunch. It was a really gorgeous park. We would walk together as colleagues after eating our lunch. We would go and get coffee from McDonald's, and it was a great time. It was social. It was fun. And it was a great break during the day. And then, of course, you went back to work. 
 
Even when I worked in the hospital, that 2 o'clock coffee break was paramount. I needed to take my coffee break. Remembering those great times that we had in the office will help you put together your best-case scenario. You may want to also acknowledge your fears and your anxieties, and what the worst-case scenario is. So worst-case scenario could be that, I'll get COVID. That could be a worst-case scenario. Or I will be extremely stressed out because I hate traffic and I hate commuting every day to work. That could be the worst-case scenario. So acknowledge your feelings for the first time. And then, of course, acknowledging what the best-case scenario could be, and then the worst-case scenario.  
 
You also have to acknowledge the feelings of your team members, because they're also going through something very similar. And that brings us to step number two, which is to be patient and compassionate. Many people are still in the rush, rush, go, go, let's get things done mentality. But I feel like we do need to slow down as we reboard back into the office. We do need to reframe that we are essentially starting over again. During the pandemic, at the height of the situation in March 2020, we shut down completely. And many businesses were offline. They had to transition online. In the retail space, many healthcare services were in person. They needed to transition to virtual care. And so, at that time we had to slow down. And there's no different now. We, as an organization, as team members, have to slow down as we reboard people back into the workplace.  
 
And so, if you have initiatives happening, you may need to take a back seat or take it a step slower as you have that change process occurring. You also have to be patient and compassionate with team members. So mistakes might be made, people may not be operating at their optimal level at this point. So you have to acknowledge that as well. If you don't acknowledge this and you don't have the self-compassion for the team members, it will cause a ripple effect and it can destroy your entire work culture. So being patient, taking a step back, and understanding that there's a change occurring and we can not operate at a hundred percent efficiency at all times because we are trying to bring people back into the office in a healthy and secure manner. 

And as a team member, you have to remember that you have to slow down as well. Going back into the office, you are going to feel tired. You're going to feel lethargic. I remember when I went to go help at the COVID clinic a few days a week, I think I went there twice on site, and I had to speak to 60 people that day as we brought them in and out of the clinic to get their vaccinations. And I was super exhausted. I came home and I'm like, why am I so tired? I was only there for six to seven hours. But it's because I had not spoken to so many people in the last, at that time would have been 12 months. So keeping that in mind that you are coming from a situation where you may not be interacting with as many people each day, and you will feel lethargic and tired because your cognitive function has to fire at a different rate because you're now having to interact and mingle with more people when you go onsite. 
 
So as a team member, you have to remember that you need to drink water. You need to take your breaks. You just stand up and stretch. You cannot be sitting at your computer all day long. I know many of us to do that when we're working from home. It's not good for you. And being cognizant of how you are feeling throughout the day. You may need to slow down. You may not be able to get all the things that you had planned to get done that day, because there will be a physical and emotional strain or upbeat that you'll have to keep up that you are not needing to do so for the 20 months or so before this.  
 
Okay, let's go on to tip number three. This is a good one. Many people don't do it. Can you guess what it is? It's asking for help. Many people don't ask for help. You would be shocked. People just muscle through it. They just want to get it done, and they don't ask for help. So you need to ask for help from your colleagues, and you have to ask your colleagues if they need help from you. I'll say that one more time. You need to ask for help from your colleagues, and your colleagues need to be able to ask for help from you. And when I say able, you need to be inviting enough for them to say, hey, I ask you for help? If you are not open to that and you portray that, then it becomes a very concerning culture within your organization. And you want to be in a healthy workplace. So be compassionate, and ask for help. And then, of course, be open to invitations when they need help from you. 
 
Asking for help could also be in the form of going to your managers or leaders and asking for help through different programs that your company may provide. If you need to have a bit of coaching or a bit of therapy, there are organizational opportunities that can help you move through this change of going back into a hybrid model or a hundred percent onsite. So be sure to tap your managers on the shoulder as well and ask them, is there any supports, is there any HR supports for me? I think I would like to look into those. 
 
And then tip number four, probably the most important tip, you have to be able to have important conversations with your managers and leaders if you're not a hundred percent confident about the onboarding plan or reboarding plan into the office, or their strategies for bringing people back into the office at the correct amount required for job completion. I know it sounds really technical, but not everyone can see what you can see. Not everyone will understand what your job role may be. And if you don't acknowledge that and let your managers and leaders know, then there'll be making decisions for you and you may not be as satisfied with them. Which will lead to an unsatisfied workplace and then potentially, you may look for another job. 
 
So rather than go down that rabbit hole, it's best to have the conversation early and say, you know, I really do like this plan. This is amazing. And we all share the same goal because we want to complete X, Y, and Z. So whatever your goal would be, our goal in our clinic is to provide the best patient care possible, then you provide the problem. What is causing your reason for concern? So for us, it could be that we don't have enough places to work in our office. So we need to come up with a solution on how we can optimize our shared workplace. So everyone has an opportunity to come back into the workplace without overcrowding their workplace. 
 
So of course, you're going to highlight the shared goal. What is the goal that the organization is trying to achieve? What is your problem? And then it's best to provide a solution because if you are trying to negotiate anything and you'll learn this when it comes to the science of negotiation, you need to come up with a great solution that will satisfy both parties so that way your negotiation can be successful. If I just come and I offer you a problem and I'm expecting you to come up with my solution, I'm less likely to win that negotiation. You're going to be like, well, too bad. So sad. So best to come up with a solution to the problem, and then see if you can come to a great resolution. 
 
And if you can come to a great resolution, then you can have a great outcome for not just yourself, but for many people that are part of your team. So again, I know it might be scary to speak up at times. You may feel like, who am I to say this? But your voice is just as important as anybody else's including your leaders. And if you don't say anything, then you might as well stand back and just watch things unraveled because, at times, people don't speak up, and then it's too late and you'll have an unsatisfied work environment.  
 
So let's go from the top. I know, again, if you're going back to the workplace, congratulations because that means you're coming out of a pandemic and you're successfully reboarding back into your organization. And I think that means a lot for society as a whole coming through such a great experience once in a generational experience of going through a worldwide pandemic. And then being able to successfully come out the other side and speak about it and the teachings of it. 
 
So let's go from the top. Number one, acknowledge your feelings. Number two, you need to be patient with yourself and others. And for any organizational leaders, you need to be patient with any projects or initiatives that may have been in place. Number three, you need to ensure that you ask for help. Ask for help from your team members. Be open to giving help back to your team members. And then, of course, being able to ask for help from your leaders. There may be programs in place that will be able to assist you during this time. And number four, be able to have your conversations with your leaders and your team members about what is working, what is not working, and then come up with a great solution and a resolution so you all can enjoy the return to work reboarding process.  
 
Okay, guys, I know this is not a traditional type of podcast because I'm not speaking from the lens of a business owner at this point. I'm speaking from the lens of somebody who's leading a team because that's what I do for half of my day. I should say this, I do lead the team on both sides. So I'm leading a team when it comes to the business. And I'm also leading a team when it comes to helping manage a clinic.  
 
Regardless, if I'm speaking in the form of the business or in the form of a clinic manager, both are essential. This talk is essential for both parties. So even as a business owner, as many of you are, and you may have team members, and I know many of you are remote. You probably work from home 95% of the time. And then you may go onsite here and there if you are an online business owner, but it's the same concept. I think being cognizant of the term reboarding and the emotional stances around me boarding is important because it will affect not just your team if you are requiring them to come back to the workspace, but it'll also affect people around you, such as your friends and colleagues, your family members. And having this concept will not just strengthen your ideologies as a leader, but it'll help you connect with everyone else who is in that nine to five or in that traditional job setting.  
 
As a leader or manager, this conversation is extremely important. And so, being aware of how your team members are feeling is required, I think, by your job description. You should be able to at least understand what they're going through. And you may be also going through something similar, but it's your responsibility as a leader to make it safe for them to experience this reboarding in the smoothest way possible. I know there are going to be hiccups. So I say the smoothest way possible because it may not be that smooth, and you have to acknowledge that. We have many different people, different personalities, and different situations inside their homes. And there will be situations that will occur where people are not always going to be happy with the outcome, or they may not be happy with the decisions that are being made. 
 
And of course, as a team member, this entire episode was for you. You do need to take an account of your feelings. You do need to take an account of the helpful resources out there. We all need to be open and patient with our colleagues and our team members. And finally, of course, you do have a voice at the table, so make sure you use it. Because if you don't use it, then lo and behold, you may not be always happy with the outcome.  
 
Okay, that's all for me for today. I hope this episode was helpful. And again, if you have any comments or questions, you can always send us an email at [email protected]. We do have some great initiatives coming up with Boss It Club. We are currently in the phase of launching new lines of products at alsosophia.com so that has definitely been taking my attention away from Boss It Club for the moment. But we do have a great new program coming up. It is a behind-the-scenes mentorship program where we mentor our up-and-coming business leaders and business owners because many people have been asking for help. And of course, we're there to help you. So keep an eye out for that. There may be a pre-roll added to this in the future. So you may have already heard about the opportunity and I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity if you are looking to starting your own business or your own side hustle. We're definitely there to help you grow and enjoy the entire journey of entrepreneurship.  
 Okay, guys, that's all I have for you for today. Remember, if you are enjoying these episodes, you can always hit subscribe or follow on wherever you're listening or watching the podcast. And we will see you guys again next week. Same time and same place. Talk to you later. Bye.