Back to Work. But Back to What?
Like many parents, I spent last week juggling work and half term. Life doesn’t slow down but it creates a different rhythm. A change can be as good as a rest, right?
Less Zoom, less work travel and more time outdoors and in water to cool down. More conversations that had nothing to do with strategy, leadership growth or creating great places to work.
And today, as schools reopened and inboxes start filling up again, I found myself thinking about all the conversations happening in organisations right now. More specifically about getting people "back to work" or back to the office. So if you’ve headed back to work, what are your optimum days to be ‘back in the office’ are? Two…three…four…five?
Back of a women’s head with brown hair tied back. She is sitting at a computer screen.
Who decides what the ‘norm’ is and what’s really behind their decision?
I wonder whether the many debates about how much time to all be back in the office are actually revealing something else.
Power.
Research consistently shows that men, particularly senior male leaders, are more likely to favour returning to the office than women. Women leaders are generally more supportive of flexible ways of working and more willing to rethink traditional workplace norms.
That doesn't mean men are wrong, nor does it mean offices are bad.
I love bringing teams together in person, it’s where the real magic of connection happens. Some of the most powerful conversations I facilitate take place when people are physically in the same place together.
But I am curious about whose preferences become accepted as the status quo or "normal". For decades, organisations were largely designed by and for people who looked remarkably similar. People who often had someone else picking up the majority of caring responsibilities at home. People whose careers benefited from being visible. People who built influence through proximity. People who learned that if you wanted something, the quickest route was often a conversation in the corridor rather than a carefully written document.
When you've grown your career in that environment, of course the office feels valuable. And if you’re in a position of power, your wishes are more likely to become the office ‘normal’.
20 women standing in a semi-circle holding up a web of wool that connects them.
A different way to lead
What strikes me about so many purpose-driven businesses is the founders and leaders I work with are asking: "How do we create the conditions for people to do their best work?" rather than "How do I get everyone back into the office?"
They're asking something quite different that prioritises trust, clarity, connection, autonomy and ultimately growing meaning and purpose. These are the things that help people thrive, whether that happens around a boardroom table, a kitchen table, online or somewhere in between. Yet it's surprisingly easy to forget that when larger corporates, politicians and business commentators are all telling us what work should look like.
As female founders and leaders of purpose-driven businesses, we have a real opportunity to design great work places intentionally with a mix of office presence, remote working and in person and online events. We don’t need to reject any of it, we just need to stay true to what motivates us and our teams, and not blindly inherit every norm from organisations built in a different era, by different people, for different circumstances.
We can notice what genuinely helps people contribute, collaborate and perform and we can be brave enough to build around that.
So as everyone settles back into work this week, whose rules are you following? Are they benefiting you and our team or are they inherited from a system that was never designed with you in mind?
Get in touch if you want to deepen trust, clarity, connection or shared purpose in your team to create the conditions for success. I provide energising, valuable and meaningful in-person and online gatherings, events, leadership training and coaching.
I’m Sarah, Founder of Loafspark.
Follow me for more insights on leading and scaling impact driven business with heart. At Loafspark we help mission-driven businesses put down roots in leadership, strategy, and culture for stronger, more sustainable growth. Consultancy, facilitation, programs and coaching for Female Founders £0.5-£20m and all senior BCorp/Social/Environmental leaders £20m+.