From emerging AI technologies to a greater focus on employee wellbeing, 2025 promises to bring the world of work a diverse array of new opportunities and challenges.
But amidst all the progress, one old battle continues to rage on: almost 4 years after emerging from the pandemic, the question of how we should be returning to the office remains largely unresolved.
At the end of last year, several companies made headlines for mandating a five-day in-office work week. And although a majority of firms are beginning to settle into a more hybrid approach, these ever-changing policies continue to fuel the power struggle between employers and their employees as trust continues to erode within organizations. In fact, a recent survey from Resume Builder revealed that 1 in 5 employees admit to not following their company’s RTO policies, regardless of the particulars.
Most organizations understand they have a role to play in helping their employees transition back to the office and into new work models. They take a gradual approach and hope that time will smooth over any adversity. But few offer the kind of meaningful training or support programs required for lasting success.
According to the consulting firm Global Workplace Analytics, less than a quarter of employers have established new team or meeting norms, trained staff how to work on distributed teams, trained managers on leading those teams, or reevaluated their collaboration practices to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and equity.
It seems, in the rush to determine where people should be working, we neglected to address the how.
Understanding How Change Impacts the Brain
Neuroscience tells us that as the brain processes any type of major transition, certain conditions arise. The rational side of the brain sees a situation one way while the emotional side of the brain often sees a much different picture. On the positive side, there can be genuine excitement for the possibilities to come. But that enthusiasm is almost always accompanied by a set of undesirable experiences that can cause a great deal of distress and lay the groundwork for resistance.
One of the most universal emotions to arise during a change is fear. The brain is, at its core, a prediction machine. When those predictions are uncertain or when reality continually differs from expectation, it is registered as a threat. Being in this state of fight-or-flight for too long leads to the next undesirable state, fatigue, as chronic stress degrades the brain’s ability to think clearly, store memories, and regulate emotions. And finally, another result of change that often goes overlooked is sadness. Moving on to something new almost always means leaving something behind - whether it is the loss of a reliable routine, of something familiar and comforting, or simply a loss of control.
If left unaddressed, these negative brain states can lead to a range of unwanted outcomes including cynicism, disengagement, poor performance, and a lack of creativity, all of which can significantly undermine an organization’s overall effectiveness.
A Human-Centered Approach
When it comes to bringing people back into the office, what is needed is an intentional program to address the adverse effects of change from both a rational and an emotional standpoint. A well-structured plan will vary depending on the unique circumstances of each organization, but all should include the following six key components.
1. Communicate
At the heart of every successful transition is a strong communication plan. To manage uncertainty and establish a sense of safety, we must first and foremost be explicit about what is changing and provide a clear set of expectations.
We must carefully consider the timing of our messaging, as too much information can lead to overwhelm and too little will inevitably start the rumor mill churning. Having a plan that lays out the facts in regular intervals and can flex as needs arise is one of the best ways to ensure employees are getting the information they need when they need it.
2. Establish Purpose
To achieve acceptance of any new practice we must be able to fully articulate why such a change is needed, offering an explanation that extends beyond the interests of the organization and speaks to a larger, shared aspiration.
To feel genuine investment, participants must also understand why the change is meaningful to them on a personal level and how it aligns with their own interests, goals, and values. The most effective arguments lean on storytelling to bring abstract ideas to life, and to appeal to both the rational and emotional sides of the brain.
3. Listen
Amidst all the information sharing, we must also remember to make it a two-way conversation. This means soliciting feedback at every stage and making participants feel like a valued part of the process. In this way we build a culture of trust, one that empowers individuals to offer their ideas and express their concerns openly. Listening is also a way to acknowledge people’s legitimate pain and allow them space to mourn those things they feel they are losing..
4. Prepare
Preparation may seem like an obvious building block for change, but it is often one that goes largely overlooked, becoming one of the biggest contributors to our failed return to office efforts. Organizations must put time and resources into programs that give people the tools and the training they need as well as ample opportunity to practice new protocols and behaviors.
Of particular importance is the training of managers who will be the ones on the front lines, expected to lead others on the path to acceptance. A good program keeps people engaged by setting regular intervals and keeps fatigue at bay by building in plenty of time to rest and absorb information.
5. Model
No new policy will ever be broadly accepted if employees perceive a double standard - that certain employees are somehow exempt from doing the difficult work of change. This is why leaders and other influential people within the organization must be among the first to adopt new practices and behaviors in a highly visible way and to be vocal about how the changes are affecting them. A big transformation is a lot less scary when people feel they are in it together and that they all share a responsibility for its success.
6. Support
Finally, we must keep in mind that change is not a finite process. Once all the information has been shared and the programs have been completed, the focus turns to sustainment. As people move into new routines, we must continue to seek feedback to identify pain points and address them head on. We must also provide positive reinforcement, such as incentives, rewards, and recognition for those making a genuine effort.
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