Back To The Office: How To Ease Into A New Work Environment
Many people have been working remotely for the last couple of years and love it, but not all job opportunities are fully remote. If you’re in a position of returning to an office environment after a long period of remote work, it may be giving you mixed feelings. While you might be excited to collaborate in-person, you may also be dreading time spent on a commute or a disruption to your at-home work environment. So, what are some ways to better ease into your new work environment? Here are three pieces of advice:
Make sure expectations are clear
Before jumping into your new work schedule, set clear expectations with your manager and yourself. If you’ve been working remotely, regularly getting back to an office or physical workplace could be challenging. While you may have been able to run errands, get to work early, or stay late while working from home, you may not be able to do that on days you’re heading into the office. Remember to sit down with your manager and discuss the expectations of your work schedule–including hours, possible remote days, and what flexibility truly means to you. This will ultimately leave you less stressed and hard on yourself when easing back into things.
Digitize everything!
It’s natural to want to write things down, whether on a post-it or in a notebook, but having different notes in different places can hinder your productivity. With cloud technology allowing us to access our documents from anywhere, utilizing it is the perfect digital solution for taking meeting notes, jotting down ideas, or creating a to-do list—especially when you’ll be on the go. If your company is adopting a flexible work environment or hybrid office, it is likely they already have or are working on agreements for implementing these types of solutions across the business, and you should take advantage. However, if that is not the case and you feel like you need additional support, you should ask your manager. In the meantime, consider getting free accounts of the following:
Be organized
The transition into the office will require organization and scheduling. If you will still be working from home some of the time, try to arrange set days with your manager, team, and anyone you work closely with for when you’ll be in and out of the office. This will keep you mentally more prepared to take on each week and schedule your meetings accordingly. In order to make the transition easier, consider consecutive days in the office. By arranging back-to-back days in one location, you won’t always feel like you’re on the move, and the transition will come more naturally.
Pro tip: Attach a virtual invite to your meetings to account for anyone working remotely.
