Come Together with Purpose: Why Flexibility and Balance are Integral for RTO Success

This was a question I posed on stage during a recent Female Quotient panel event at Advertising Week New York and itamp8217s one that I encourage all my fellow leaders to ask and answer especially as they implement policies related to RTO Return to Office This phrase Return to Office has particularly in the last year been a touchy subject for a number of employers and employees unfortunately leading to a significant divide in the workplace This divide will only get bigger if organizations continue to push rigid inflexible rules that stifle creativity and collaboration two things that are essential for success in and out of the officeHowever success is dependent on knowing the answer to the above question If your organization is a peoplebased culture itamp8217s about finding ways that those relationships can thrive If your organization is a placebased culture with emphasis on weekly Happy Hours or communal lunches you should find deliberate habits and rituals for your organization to gather around and organize that way While neither is the wrong approach ensure that you make a decision based on what drives your organization and your values and then be clear in how you are implementing that approach And perhaps most importantly involve your employees in these decisions so there is full understanding not a mandateAs one of the partners and CEO of independent creative agency FIG I take an active role in not only understanding the needs and wants of our employees but helping create an inclusive and flexible environment that is built on the values and beliefs that drive our organization I have to balance the needs of the individual with the needs of the broader community The thing I try to avoid is telling people what to do Instead we clearly communicate our values and beliefs that creativity requires trust and that trust is best garnered through purposeful relationship building sociability and casual gathering together To be able to be truly creative people need to feel safe safe in their relationships and with each other and working and being together in person is the quickest way to build those physiological safety nets Therefore for us itamp8217s a logical outcome for the majority of people to be in the office the majority of the timeAs leaders here are three key things to remember as you look to come together with purpose and promote balance within your organization1 Boundaries are Important Create and Hold Them for Yourself and Your EmployeesItamp8217s a leaderamp8217s role to not only advocate for boundaries but also respect them For me blending work and home roles leads to inefficiency and burnout which is why I separate the two Iamp8217m very proud of the transparency and trust that exists at FIG which allows me to share this openly with everyone across the organization including my direct reports and people that I mentor Iamp8217m also proud that we can have open honest discussions about what works for them as an individual and that I can help them stick to these boundaries2 Be Clear and Consistent Communicate Your Needs While Listening to TheirsAt FIG Mondays and Fridays tend to be popular remote days The majority of us are in the office on a Wednesday and we know that not everyone will still be there at 6 pm Some people might need to leave at 230 to take care of commitments at home While the needs of the individuals might flex each week our clear and consistent communication around why we gather together in service of creativity does not This goes back to the transparency and trust I mentioned earlier Remember communication is a twoway street3 Prioritize Creativity and Collaboration Create a Safe Space for Risks and RewardsItamp8217s fair to say that we care about creativity at FIG However this is only possible when collaboration sociability and relationships are prioritized at every level of the organization One of the concepts that we believe in is psychological safety or the shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risktaking as defined by Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson Trust is at the heart of this concept and employees are only going to be truly creative when they feel free to take risks and be comfortable being themselvesWhether your organization is people or placebased itamp8217s about creating meaning and purpose Never stop taking ownership for the things that you and your employees want within your organization in order to be successful in and out of the office That way everyone winsPosted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillageorgMyersBizNet

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Come Together with Purpose: Why Flexibility and Balance are Integral for RTO Success

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Judith Carr-Rodriguez

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