It’s been more than a year since we pushed the reset button. During this time, many of my clients and colleagues began to be “home-based” members of a team. Moms have been pushed to the limit with work, schooling, child-care, and stress. There was a time when it was taboo to talk about the stressors of work/life balance in the physical workplace. My clients report that now is the time when it is okay to make the personal professional. After all, how many times, when on a Zoom or Teams call, has a child entered your workspace (whether it is a real space, the kitchen island, or a bedroom)?
Some companies pushed reset by shuttering satellite offices, knowing full well that employees are perfectly capable of maintaining productivity in a home setting.
We have become much more flexible, and there are many facets to flexible:
- Shifting work hours or job-sharing to accommodate school schedules and drop-offs plus the formidable child-care crisis that occurs between 3 and 5 pm
- A shorter workweek which has been successful in Europe for many years
- Support for those who work from home, including a budget for a desk, chair, or desktop monitor
Who owns a great work environment? It is a shared responsibility that is owned by the employer and the employee. It’s time to push reset and acknowledge that shared responsibility. The employer can ask direct reports about their preferred styles of working and what support they may need. Continue to schedule remote or hybrid team meetings to enhance engagement. If onsite, maintain a safe setting and reread the three facts of flexibility!
The employee can maintain boundaries, advising kids and partners of dedicated work time, and may need privacy. Keep regular hours, whether remote or in-person. Take the time to take care of yourself, allowing downtime, hydration, and small talk to support your own physical, emotional and social needs.
It’s been more than a year, and we are ready to return to the workplace or to maintain a more flexible workspace no matter where that may be. The Big Reset is here…and we all own the responsibility for making that work environment a great one! Are you ready to push reset?