Organizations often find themselves grappling with questions about productivity, collaboration, and the optimal configuration of their workforce while navigating the intricacies of return-to-office (RTO) strategies. In a recent virtual roundtable hosted by McChrystal Group, a panel of experts with a host of senior leaders in attendance highlighted that the journey to finding the right answer isn't always straightforward and requires a nuanced understanding of a litany of factors.
Return-to-office strategies are shifting toward fostering collaboration rather than just physical presence. A successful strategy shouldn't just focus on getting bodies into office chairs but on creating an environment where collaboration thrives naturally. A collaborative environment will undoubtedly look different for every organization, and there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to this challenge that will likely define the workforce shift of this decade. While many organizations agree on the value of bringing employees back together face to face, they face a near-infinite number of options on how to go about doing so.
The key is finding the right one for them.
Below, you'll find a brief recap of the key topics covered in the roundtable discussion, as well as actionable strategies to ensure your organization gets this pivotal moment right for all involved.
As organizations grapple with evolving workforce preferences and operational realities, there's a growing recognition of the need to reevaluate existing RTO policies.
Leaders are – or should be – regularly reexamining policies to ensure they are purpose-built for today's conditions and objectives.
RTO policies made in the immediate aftermath of COVID may have degraded or no longer be optimized towards new productivity, wellbeing, and culture goals.
Data unlocks leaders' ability to find the policy that is right for their business, balances tradeoffs, and accounts for risks associated with these major decisions.
Solutions that work for one company, or even one part of a company, may be impractical or counterproductive for another.
Objective data often reveal surprising nuances. At one company that was used as an example, leaders discovered that individual contributors had a sharp increase in network ties when they were in the office 5 – 10 days per month but had diminishing returns beyond that. At the same company, senior leaders continued to experience more connectedness the more they were in the office.
Another example company was able to strengthen its information flow and exchange without making any changes to remote work policy by instead taking a proactive approach to fostering collaboration, in this case creating a liaison network within their organization that pushed the right information to the right people at the right time.
Discussions highlighted that for every organization that had these experiences, there have been others that found the opposite; simply following what worked for one organization or even team does not guarantee success elsewhere.
Public data can provide insights into the feasibility of RTO policies relative to labor market considerations, one of the most common concerns leaders face when considering RTO.
Internal sentiment data can provide an estimate of how many employees a company can expect to leave if they implement a new configuration with more on-site requirements.
McChrystal Group can couple this with aggregated public data that isn’t readily accessible to leaders to answer questions of how long it will likely take to backfill those positions or if the labor market in that area can even support it.
Equipped with this information, leaders can proactively make decisions such as phasing RTO policies, opening satellite offices, budgeting for above-market pay required to attract candidates, or planning for a dip in productivity to keep their business resilient to RTO risks.
When considering RTO policies, long-term productivity goes beyond the gross output of a firm.
Many participants noted that developing junior employees and the leaders of tomorrow is a core driver of their RTO policies.
Cultural cohesion, information flow, and alignment are critical success factors. Returning to the office can be a part of maximizing productivity, but choosing how and why to do so is not a static decision.
Even the perfect RTO strategy can fail without an intentional implementation plan focused on the outcomes and behaviors that allow your business to thrive. In implementing their plan, leaders must ensure:
Alignment and collaboration start with the executive team and cascades throughout the entire organization.
Shared consciousness with the ability to gather, share, and act on new information at the speed of your operating environment.
Leaders are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to execute their mission.
Performance is constantly monitored, and the organization can adapt as necessary based on real-time feedback.
Leadership at all levels of the organization is the key to successfully implementing a new or refined RTO policy.
Senior leaders equipped with active, passive, and public data can make informed decisions on the tradeoffs of different policies and their implementation strategies.
Leaders in the middle of organizations ensure that those policies are implemented in line with the business objectives and serve as critical nodes in the network for generating buy-in and execution.
Front-line leaders monitor performance and provide timely information and action so adjustments can be made when new challenges arise or opportunities present themselves.
At the heart of this inflection point is a cultural shift that has been underway for years—a recognition that collaboration isn't confined to the four walls of an office but extends beyond physical boundaries. The past few years have taught us decades worth of wisdom about embracing technology as an enabler of collaboration, whether employees are working from home or in the office. Additionally, fostering a culture of trust and autonomy, where employees have the flexibility to choose how, when, and where they work has never been more important than it is now, so long as it contributes to the collective goals of the organization.
In essence, the return-to-office strategy isn't just about bringing employees back into physical workspaces; it's about reimagining how, where, and why work itself is performed. By prioritizing collaboration, organizations can create a work environment where innovation thrives, teams excel, and individuals flourish—all while driving meaningful results for the business.
Interested in learning more about getting RTO right for your organization? Get in touch here!
