The Driving Force Behind RTO is a Quest for Collaboration
Is your office a melting pot of collaborative ideas or a source of conflict and anger? Your answer to that question might determine the future of the corporate approach to office collaboration and work from home.
The push to return to office environments is primarily driven by a desire to rekindle the essence of collaboration and community among teams. Deeply rooted in the belief that virtual collaboration tools can only take you so far and that in-person interactions hold a special value, return to office orders have proliferated across various industries.
Why are Businesses Returning to Office?
A report by VTS, which analyzed responses from over 400 business leaders, strongly highlights this movement. The foremost reason for mandating a return to the office, named by 36% of respondents, involved the pursuit of in-person collaboration and the fostering of a sense of community.
Similarly, the Eptura Workplace Index, which encompassed analysis of over 2.6 million desks at more than 8,000 companies and included responses from 6,714 employees, found that when asked what they appreciate most about going to the office, senior managers and middle managers both rank collaborating with colleagues as the biggest benefit.
From my own experiences as a consultant helping companies navigate their strategies for returning to the office, I've observed this belief first-hand.
The clients I've worked with consistently express a common theme: there is an undeniable “magic” in physical interactions that simply cannot be duplicated through virtual platforms.
Whether it's the spontaneous exchange of ideas over a coffee break or the dynamic brainstorming sessions in conference rooms, these in-person experiences are seen as vital for nurturing creativity and building strong, cohesive teams.
This collective belief has a strong basis and is one I generally share and support. Studies have long pointed to the benefits of physical presence in fostering trust, understanding, and a shared sense of purpose among team members.
It's about the nuances of non-verbal communication, the energy of a shared space, and the serendipitous moments of collaboration that often lead to breakthroughs and innovations.
The Reality Check Around the Value of RTO: Conflict Amidst Collaboration
Unfortunately, the journey back to the office, envisioned as a path to enhanced collaboration, has unfolded with its own set of complexities. While the anticipated increase in collaborative efforts has materialized, it has brought along an unexpected companion; conflict.
This reality suggests that the dynamics of in-office work involve more than just the facilitation of teamwork. They also encompass the challenge of navigating interpersonal issues that are less prevalent in remote settings.
I've witnessed this phenomenon across different organizations. My clients, eager to re-establish the office as a hub of collaboration, have found themselves addressing an uptick in conflicts among team members. Issues range from simple misunderstandings to more deep-seated disagreements, highlighting the intricacies of human interactions in a shared physical space.
To gauge the extent of this issue beyond my immediate professional circle, I conducted a survey on LinkedIn, targeting a diverse group of professionals. The findings were revealing.
Out of 302 respondents, 57% reported experiencing more people-related issues while working in the office. In contrast, only 12% indicated a higher occurrence of such issues while working remotely.
It’s worth mentioning that 31% of the voters observed no notable difference in the frequency of people issues between the two settings.
The data around RTO underscores a critical insight: the return to the office isn't merely a logistical change, but also a cultural and social transition.
The increased rate of conflicts and people issues in the office setting, as evidenced by my experiences and the survey results, points to the need for a deeper understanding and proactive management of workplace dynamics.
It suggests that while physical co-location can indeed foster collaboration, it also requires a renewed focus on communication skills, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence to maintain positive employee relations.
Etiquette Training for New Norms
To address these challenges among our clients, we introduced training programs focused on in-office collaboration norms and etiquette for the staff.
This initiative aimed to equip employees with the skills and understanding necessary to navigate the nuances of physical workspace interactions.
A survey conducted by ResumeBuilder.com, involving 1,548 business leaders, revealed that these issues are pervasive across corporate America and responses to them are in motion.
The study found that 45% of companies have already launched etiquette classes, and an additional 18% plan to implement such training in the next year. The response to these classes has been overwhelmingly positive, with two-thirds of the organizations currently offering them reporting high levels of success.
Who needs this?
You might think that only younger segments of the workforce who spent little time in the office after graduating from college require such training. However, that’s not what my clients found: and the same story emerged from the ResumeBuilder.com survey where only 10% of the companies planning or currently offering these classes targeted exclusively Gen Z and new college graduates.
Instead, 60% of these companies have recognized the importance of such training for their entire employee base, regardless of age or experience level.
The implementation of etiquette training in response to the return to the office signifies a broader recognition within the corporate world that the skills required for successful in-person collaboration have evolved. Or at least, that everyone grew rusty in such skills during the enforced remote work period.
As the nature of work continues to transform, these training programs will increasingly become essential tools for organizations to ensure their teams can interact productively and harmoniously regardless of the environment they’re working in.
For example, modern office management systems can enhance collaboration by centralizing resources and communication tools for all employees.
Addressing Diversity and Inclusion Challenges
A particular concern for several of my client organizations involved notable challenges with complaints from minority employees. These complaints often centered around experiences of microaggressions, discrimination, and a general sense of exclusion within the office environment.
Such issues, unfortunately, are not isolated incidents but are reflective of a broader trend observed widely during the return to office transitions.
We did anticipate some DEI challenges given prior research. For instance, a study conducted by Future Forum before widespread return to offices revealed a stark disparity in the preferences of Black knowledge workers compared to their white counterparts. Only 3% of Black knowledge workers expressed a desire to return to full-time on-site work, in stark contrast to 21% of white peers.
In response to these challenges, I worked with clients to revise their training programs. Our aim was to address and mitigate instances of microaggressions and discrimination in the workplace in the context of hybrid work.
The training focused on awareness and recognition of microaggressions, understanding the impact of unconscious biases, and developing strategies for inclusive communication, balancing remote and in-office interactions.
Insights from Neuroscience on RTO Value
While dramatically improving outcomes, the training programs haven’t fully mitigated the reality of people issues. As a result, there's a growing trend of reassessing the amount of time employees spend in the office.
This shift in thinking aligns with research conducted by Slalom's HabLab and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Neuroscience Initiative.
In an experiment, HabLab employees watched several videos while wearing brain-monitoring headsets. A key observation was that employees who considered each other as close colleagues exhibited similar patterns of brain activity and shared comparable feelings about their work environment.
Remarkably, the research found that these patterns of brain activity stayed consistent whether the employees interacted in person or virtually.
According to Natalie Richardson, director of Slalom’s HabLab, “We proved through our research that you can create virtual friendships that are just as strong in the brain as in-person friendships.”
This statement holds significant promise for organizations navigating the complexities of hybrid and remote work environments. It challenges the conventional wisdom that strong, meaningful workplace relationships require physical presence.
The brain needs a break
The researchers also shed light on the impact of seemingly minor adjustments in a virtual work setting.
HabLab employees got brain-monitoring headsets to wear during their workday. The study focused on two scenarios: days with back-to-back meetings lasting 30 minutes or longer, and days when employees had the option to take at least a 10-minute break between meetings.
Unsurprisingly, researchers found significantly higher brain activity signals associated with lower stress levels and enhanced creative thinking on days when employees took regular breaks. This underscores the importance of structuring the virtual workday to include breaks, enhancing both employee well-being and productivity.
Technology to the Rescue
Another study, a collaboration between Jabra and the London School of Economics’ Behavioural Lab, delved into the impact of technology on the quality of meetings.
The research revealed that the use of professional headsets and web cameras by remote participants significantly enhanced the perceived quality of meetings. Notably, remote teams experienced a 22% increase in trust levels for other remote participants using similar professional equipment.
Meanwhile, in-person participants in hybrid meetings rated remote participants as 32% more expressive and contributing 25% higher quality input when using professional equipment.
The study also highlighted that in-room participants rated remote participants using professional audio and video technology as having nearly twice the level of engagement (84%) compared to those remote participants using standard laptop hardware.
When both in-room and remote participants used technology, remote participants reported a 56% increase in the quality of input from those in the meeting room, along with an 11% higher trust rating.
These findings point to a clear conclusion: the key to successful remote collaboration lies in the strategic use of technology and the adoption of effective virtual work practices.
By investing in the right video conferencing software and being mindful of the structure and pacing of virtual interactions, organizations can significantly enhance the effectiveness and satisfaction of remote collaboration.
Physical Importance
That doesn’t mean that offices have no use case for in-person work. While most of my clients adopted a hybrid-first model, two chose a fully remote model. Still, even these clients provide office spaces for teams who want to get together occasionally for team bonding and strategic discussions. Here, you can use an office space management platform to reserve space as needed, instead of setting up permanent daily desks.
Research bears out these benefits. For example, Atlassian - a virtual-first company - has a few offices around the world, and encourages teams to meet there several times a year, focusing on team building and bonding.
Their research finds that such gatherings boost team connection by 27%, with this boost lasting 4-5 months. On average, new hires get the biggest boost in team connection after an in-person gathering. This data aligns with similar findings from my other clients.
Value of In-Person Collaboration: Many businesses are pushing for a return to office work to enhance collaboration and community among teams. Studies and experiences highlight the unique benefits of in-person interactions, such as spontaneous idea exchanges and dynamic brainstorming sessions, which are challenging to replicate virtually.
Challenges of Returning to Office: While increased collaboration is a key benefit, the return to office settings has also led to more interpersonal conflicts. Addressing these conflicts requires improving communication skills, conflict resolution, and emotional intelligence among employees.
Importance of Etiquette and Inclusivity Training: Implementing in-office collaboration norms and etiquette training has become essential. Training helps employees navigate physical workspace interactions, addressing issues like microaggressions and ensuring inclusive communication. This is crucial for maintaining a harmonious and productive office environment, especially in diverse workplaces.
Reassessing Time in the Office: Despite the benefits of in-person work, there is a growing trend to reassess the amount of time employees spend in the office. Research indicates that strong virtual relationships can be as effective as in-person ones, suggesting that remote work can foster meaningful connections and collaboration just as well.
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