4 tips for Making the Most of Limited Office Time

How to return to working in the office – or not – is hot news in 2021. The pandemic has proven that many people don’t have to work in the office all the time. However, collaboration is challenging when your project team has limited overlapping office time.  Here are tips to make the most of precious time when most of the team members are in the same place.

Prioritize face-to-face time. According to Steve Knight of The Be Human Project, “At our core, we humans are tribal. Constantly, our subconscious is bombarded with cues that identify who is us and them.” Video conferencing tools are better than phone calls or email. However, being in the same room leads to more meaningful conversations. Think about how often you’ve heard, “It’s great to finally meet you in person.” That’s because we desire connection that a screen doesn’t provide. Even if deadlines loom, schedule together time for your team and allow for chit-chat. It’s how individuals connect as a team.

Focus on creativity and collaboration. Rich solutions require unhampered idea generation. Sure, video conferencing has become sophisticated. Yet, it doesn’t allow for spontaneous side conversations and body-language that trigger the conversations that generate new ideas. Use your team together time to brainstorm solution ideas.

Address contentious topics. Speaking of body language, it’s critical to be supportive when teammates disagree. Virtual connection tools aren’t great for expressing your thoughts and intent. Plus, groupthink becomes more likely as people consciously or unconsciously eliminate contentious ideas. And groupthink introduces risk to the project. So, take advantage of face time to work through contentious topics.

Schedule office time purposely versus “every Monday” or “twice a month.” Resolving issues and generating ideas doesn’t come “every Monday.” Scheduled face time doesn’t leverage that time when it’s needed most. If possible, schedule time for your team to be together when it’s really needed and you’ll get fewer complaints about coming into the office.

For more about going back to the office, check out Jodi Smith’s course — Navigating New Professional and Social Norms When Offices Reopen.