Start
Tri Vo
Design by
Alice Carleton
Story by
has relaxed social distancing rules and vaccinated people are getting back to their pre-pandemic lives, companies are welcoming back employees for the first time since early 2020. So does that mean we should all just go back to working and living like we did back before the pandemic? Ahhh, no. Despite the pandemic’s heartbreaks and frustrations, at least it taught us some valuable lessons about building a better workplace. And we don’t know about you, but we’re not ready to toss those lessons away with our last bottle of hand sanitizer. Many of the habits and skills we picked up in the past year and a half are worth preserving and protecting. Here’s how to take them back to the office, whenever you get there.
now that the cdc
the
work-life balance
genuine
trust
intentional
check-ins
protect
the deep
work
rethink the
commute
the
1-on-1
checklist:
six positive
practices
Select any of the glowing dots to begin.
0/6 completed
1/6 completed
2/6 completed
3/6 completed
4/6 completed
5/6 completed
6/6 completed
you're ready to go back to the office!
Click below to review.
the
work-life balance
genuine
trust
intentional
check-ins
protect
the deep
work
rethink the
commute
the
1-on-1
The 1-on-1
Want to clear the air with your manager without creating an office spectacle? With everyone working from different locations in 2020, it became surprisingly easy to conduct discreet one-on-ones. That ease and privacy should be protected when you get back to the office. The confidential one-on-one is almost always constructive. It’s often the best way to resolve issues before they become compounded, requiring even more difficult conversations.
This can be one of the most challenging WFH practices to translate back to the office. Still, try to include a few additional private and semi-private areas that are easy to drop into or book on the fly. Also, whenever possible, schedule confidential one-on-ones at the beginning or end of the day. This will allow for extra privacy before or afterward, and will minimize unwanted attention.
Need to catch up with someone in private?
You got it?
Yes
No
you already
got it.
undo
Rethink the Commute
gave some people hours of their day back that was previously spent traveling to and from the office. While some commutes can be more pleasant than others, they’re treated on the whole like a waste, spent neither working nor enjoying free time. If you’re going to resume commuting in the next few months, take a moment to think about how you can do it better. What can you do to make that time more valuable, or spend it in a more fulfilling way? Can you replace a cramped, sweaty subway ride with a breezy ferry or a bike ride? Your changes could even be as simple as listening to music or an audiobook that you enjoy, or setting out to walk a little bit longer than before. But wherever you go or however you get there, take a moment to figure out how you can make it work better for you.
Remote life
you got it?
Yes
No
you already
got it.
undo
Protect the Deep Work
when you work from home. No more “Hey, got a second?” At home, people can work without coworker distractions, allowing them to do the deep work that requires sustained periods of concentration. How can that “zone” be protected?
One way to accomplish that is by having non-negotiable blocks on the calendar—an inviolable “no-meeting zone.” During that time, dedicate your full attention to creative, strategic, or intensely-focused work without disruption. It can even be on the team level: a manager might declare that as a team, everyone is encouraged to do deep work during a set period of time, with chatter kept to a minimum. And as useful as it is, Slack can be a major disruptor of productivity. Individuals might be inclined to mute notifications while they’re hard at work, so allow for the possibility that your teammates may not respond to their messages immediately.
No colleagues tap you on the shoulder
You got it?
Yes
No
you already
got it.
undo
Intentional Check-ins
there’s a big difference between the ol’ “hey, how you doin’?” at the water cooler and an intentional check-in. An intentional check-in can be between any two parties—a manager with their report, an employee with a rep from HR, or even two peers—but it’s one that’s meant to get deeper than the surface level. Make it clear that honest answers will lead to better solutions, even if (and perhaps especially if) the answers aren’t what you expect. It might be beneficial for both parties to prepare for the check-in by jotting down some open-ended questions to ask one another. For example: “What would you like me to know about you or what you’re experiencing right now?“
Don’t wait for the next life-altering pandemic to see how someone is really doing, or how they’re feeling about their work. These should be made a regular thing once we’re all seeing each other in person again.
just to be clear,
you got it?
Yes
No
you already
got it.
undo
genuine
trust
managing are history, not that the tactic was ever appreciated in the first place. You hired your employees for a reason, and that shouldn’t be forgotten. Trust them to get work done. If your teammates are bought in, they’ll accomplish the tasks set out for them, whether they’re working from a hostel in Barcelona or their parents’ guest bedroom.
Continue to set clear goals for everyone, giving
your team the tools and support to meet them, and establish clear accountability. And when people fall short of those goals, help them identify what’s standing in the way, and what you need to work through to get there the next time. Motivated employees will work hard to meet or exceed
goals, especially when they know you trust them
to get there.
The days of
you got it?
Yes
No
you already
got it.
undo
The
Work-Life Balance
reduced to the two minutes it took to shuffle over to their desk and turn on their computer, we were all given the best gift in the world: extra time. Remote workers have better flexibility to rest, run errands, or explore new passions. But as commutes resume (at least for some), it’s important to remember that first and foremost, every employee is a person. People like to do stuff that isn’t work, and they should be given enough time to do those things without overly excessive work hours getting in the way.
Be mindful about maintaining a healthy balance for your team and yourself going forward. Empower your team to hit the gym during their lunch break (and don’t be afraid to go there yourself). Give parents additional flexibility to respond to family issues as they arise. Consider a regular “screens off” end-of-day protocol to encourage employees to wind down, step away, and change gears. Here at Ceros, we love our end of the week “Wellness Fridays,” logging off early in the afternoon so we can make use of the time however we like.
with everyone's commute
You got it?
Yes
No
you already
got it.
undo
Six Positive Pandemic Practices to Take Back
to the Office
Alice Carleton
Head of People Potential at Ceros
has relaxed social distancing rules and vaccinated people are getting back to their pre-pandemic lives, companies are welcoming back employees for the first time since early 2020. So does that mean we should all just go back to working and living like we did back before the pandemic? Ahhh, no. Despite the pandemic’s heartbreaks and frustrations, at least it taught us some valuable lessons about building a better workplace. And we don’t know about you, but we’re not ready to toss those lessons away with our last bottle of hand sanitizer. Many of the habits and skills we picked up in the past year and a half are worth preserving and protecting. Here’s how to take them back to the office, whenever you get there.
now that the cdc
the checklist
the
1-on-1
rethink the
commute
protect
the deep
work
The
1-on-1
the
work-life balance
GENUINE
TRUST
intentional
check-ins
Want to clear the air with your manager without creating an office spectacle? With everyone working from different locations in 2020, it became surprisingly easy to conduct discreet one-on-ones. That ease and privacy should be protected when you get back to the office. The confidential one-on-one is almost always constructive. It’s often the best way to resolve issues before they become compounded, requiring even more difficult conversations.
This can be one of the most challenging WFH practices to translate back to the office. Still, try to include a few additional private and semi-private areas that are easy to drop into or book on the fly. Also, whenever possible, schedule confidential one-on-ones at the beginning or end of the day. This will allow for extra privacy before or afterward, and will minimize unwanted attention.
Need to catch up with someone in private?
You got it?
Yes
No
You already got it.
undo
Select any of the glowing dots to begin.
Rethink the Commute
gave some people hours of their day back that was previously spent traveling to and from the office. While some commutes can be more pleasant than others, they’re treated on the whole like a waste, spent neither working nor enjoying free time. If you’re going to resume commuting in the next few months, take a moment to think about how you can do it better. What can you do to make that time more valuable, or spend it in a more fulfilling way? Can you replace a cramped, sweaty subway ride with a breezy ferry or a bike ride? Your changes could even be as simple as listening to music or an audiobook that you enjoy, or setting out to walk a little bit longer than before. But wherever you go or however you get there, take a moment to figure out how you can make it work better for you.
Remote life
You got it?
Yes
No
You already got it.
undo
Protect the Deep Work
when you work from home. No more “Hey, got a second?” At home, people can work without coworker distractions, allowing them to do the deep work that requires sustained periods of concentration. How can that “zone” be protected?
One way to accomplish that is by having non-negotiable blocks on the calendar—an inviolable “no-meeting zone.” During that time, dedicate your full attention to creative, strategic, or intensely-focused work without disruption. It can even be on the team level: a manager might declare that as a team, everyone is encouraged to do deep work during a set period of time, with chatter kept to a minimum. And as useful as it is, Slack can be a major disruptor of productivity. Individuals might be inclined to mute notifications while they’re hard at work, so allow for the possibility that your teammates may not respond to their messages immediately.
No colleagues tap you on the shoulder
You got it?
Yes
No
You already got it.
undo
Intentional Check-ins
there’s a big difference between the ol’ “hey, how you doin’?” at the water cooler and an intentional check-in. An intentional check-in can be between any two parties—a manager with their report, an employee with a rep from HR, or even two peers—but it’s one that’s meant to get deeper than the surface level. Make it clear that honest answers will lead to better solutions, even if (and perhaps especially if) the answers aren’t what you expect. It might be beneficial for both parties to prepare for the check-in by jotting down some open-ended questions to ask one another. For example: “What would you like me to know about you or what you’re experiencing right now?“
Don’t wait for the next life-altering pandemic to see how someone is really doing, or how they’re feeling about their work. These should be made a regular thing once we’re all seeing each other in person again.
just to be clear,
You got it?
Yes
No
You already got it.
undo
genuine
trust
over-the-shoulder managing are history, not that the tactic was ever appreciated in the first place. You hired your employees for a reason, and that shouldn’t be forgotten. Trust them to get work done. If your teammates are bought in, they’ll accomplish the tasks set out for them, whether they’re working from a hostel in Barcelona or their parents’ guest bedroom.
Continue to set clear goals for everyone, giving your team the tools and support to meet them, and establish clear accountability. And when people fall short of those goals, help them identify what’s standing in the way, and what you need to work through to get there the next time. Motivated employees will work hard to meet or exceed goals, especially when they know you trust them to get there.
The days of
You got it?
Yes
No
You already got it.
undo
The
Work-Life Balance
reduced to the two minutes it took to shuffle over to their desk and turn on their computer, we were all given the best gift in the world: extra time. Remote workers have better flexibility to rest, run errands, or explore new passions. But as commutes resume (at least for some), it’s important to remember that first and foremost, every employee is a person. People like to do stuff that isn’t work, and they should be given enough time to do those things without overly excessive work hours getting in the way.
Be mindful about maintaining a healthy balance for your team and yourself going forward. Empower your team to hit the gym during their lunch break (and don’t be afraid to go there yourself). Give parents additional flexibility to respond to family issues as they arise. Consider a regular “screens off” end-of-day protocol to encourage employees to wind down, step away, and change gears. Here at Ceros, we love our end of the week “Wellness Fridays,” logging off early in the afternoon so we can make use of the time however we like.
with everyone's commute
You got it?
Yes
No
You already got it.
undo
0/6 completed
1/6 completed
2/6 completed
3/6 completed
4/6 completed
5/6 completed
6/6 completed
you're ready to go back
to the office!
Click on any of the items to review.
the
work-life balance
intentional
check-ins
protect
the deep
work
rethink the
commute
the
1-on-1
home
checklist:
Six Positive Practices
undo
Yes
No
undo
Yes
No
undo
undo
undo
undo
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
the
work-life balance
trust in a
hands-off
way
intentional
check-ins
protect
the deep
work
rethink the
commute
the
1-on-1
Click below to review.
GENUINE
TRUST