March 13, 2020. The last time I was with clients in person… before last week. That’s a long stretch. 417 days.
The end came as I facilitated a retreat for senior leaders of a major hospital system. Everyone wore masks. All social distanced. A dozen people in a room designed to hold more than 80. There were two former nurses and a current physician. I felt safe.
As the U.S. continues to open up there are differing opinions around returning to work. Many employees are anxious to get back in the office. Others not so much.
During my 40-year career, 27 are working from a home office, including the past 17. The biggest benefit is my commute is 40 feet. The biggest drawback is no one stops by and asks me to go to lunch.
It takes focus and discipline to master work from home. Yet, during the past 14 months most people have proven they do it well. Some of my clients said they work more hours than before… capitalizing on the time they would have spent commuting.
Requiring employees to return is a tough call for business leaders. There is the benefit of having everyone nearby – and often in the same conference room – to work together in an environment that doesn’t lead to Zoom fatigue. On the other side of the ledger, employees like the freedom they’ve come to enjoy and, perhaps, expect.
Companies that take a hard stance about returning to the office will lose talent to ones that are open to a more flexible lifestyle. Maybe that’s not a major issue with older leaders who grew up in those cultures. When the younger generation moves up the management ladder, things might change.
