5 Ways to Redesign Culture in the Workplace Post-Pandemic
by Astrid Ferguson
Welp, can we really say post-pandemic or should we say premature stages of a new future? Either way, it involves having a little imagination and redesigning our current workplace culture. Let us not forget, a year ago—and even today—we were extremely anxious, overwhelmed, and isolated. We had no transitional period; we were just doing all of it in the same location. We were working, homeschooling, working out, cooking, eating, sleeping, crying and Zoom calling family in the same three rooms.
Our days all ran together like a never-ending maze. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t tell my Saturdays from my Mondays most weeks. If it wasn’t for the trash company picking up my trash Mondays and Thursdays, I wouldn’t know what day it was. So, now that things are changing and we are “returning to normalcy,” what does that mean? We may have a few raised eyebrows and some reservations with the workplace. We may be asking ourselves these questions:
What is my new work schedule supposed to look like?
How do I converse with my co-workers who know so much more than I wanted to share of my personal life?
Do I want to keep six feet distance, wear gloves and a mask while in the office?
Can I continue working from home?
Can I ask to continue WFH or for a hybrid work schedule without being considered lazy?
Will I receive a raise this year?
How soon can I schedule a true vacation?
How do I continue having talks about diversity and inclusion in-person without feeling intimidated or stressed?
Can I still ask for a promotion?
How do we redesign the workplace culture to work post-pandemic?
The good news is all conversations are needed and none are intrusive or off the table when we are in discussions of redesigning workplace culture. Each work environment is different, but I will tell you what I appreciate most from all the talks I am hearing.
Giving Employees Non-negotiable Time-off
Yep, some businesses are giving employees extended holidays. Meaning the whole company is shutting down for a longer period of time around the holidays. Some are even choosing to close down for an entire week. I know this sounds counterintuitive given the fact that we were just home for an entire year. The truth is we were home but working nonstop. Access means less separation from work and personal life. Not many people took vacation days because they had nowhere to go or couldn’t visit family. The result: burnout and fatigue. Employees are tired. Some will feel guilty about taking time off so I would suggest to employers, best practice—give their employees the days even if they hesitate. Make it mandatory just like some businesses make overtime mandatory. Other options to redesign the workplace are to provide employees with the option to work reduced hours. Some parents are still navigating homeschooling. I have even seen where some companies have offered an incentive to employees for taking time off. I know! Who wouldn’t take vacation if you are getting an extra incentive to take it? The margarita and beach is sounding even better, huh?
Mental Health Resources
Provide your employees with mental health resources that help them work through some personal struggles. I have seen some companies provide their employees with free access to apps like Calm or Brain.fm. Some companies may even assign coaches to their employees to help them work through career and personal goals. I know when I first started working in Pharma, they had a hotline with therapists, and employees could receive up to five free sessions. Once upon a time, we even had a doctor or clinic on the premises. Ohh la-la! This is very expensive and I do not recommend to smaller companies, but if you have the bandwidth it is a great perk to incentivize employees with.
I love that the company I currently work for has coffee table talks in the am and meditation groups. It helps employees prepare for the day. Mental health doesn’t always mean working through something negative. It can be motivational and help employees channel through limiting beliefs and negative self-talk that sometimes fog up their days. Having other employees join in on these activities also helps them work through the guilt of taking a moment for themselves. Employees need all the help and resources they can get even if it’s in a form of an article that guides them through working remotely. Redesigning the workplace is all about working collaboratively, inspiring and helping one another. I think this a great mission to focus on post-pandemic.
Mentoring Opportunities
As someone who never had access to a mentor, this is a great incentive. Most of us are making up the rules as we create career & personal goals. This is also a great way to help people of color. Many of us could use the help of a mentor to help guide us through some of the obstacles we meet along the way. I always say if you want to go far, surround yourself with people who are wiser and living the life you aspire to live. If we are always surrounded by naysayers chances are we won’t achieve much.
I think this provides businesses with the opportunity to really invest in their employees in a personal way. Even better if the mentor works for the company. That way employees have another person to go to that is not their direct supervisor. I have found that having a third non-biased person helps mediate adversity and uncomfortable situations. Employees can receive the guidance they seek without fearing retaliation or loss of employment. One of my favorite ways of coping is having a journal. This pandemic inspired me to create Redesigning Realigning Rediscovering Me: Journal for Self-Discovery that is available for pre-order. Providing your employees with countless opportunity to redesign, realign and rediscover themselves only leads to stronger and more productive employees.
In-person Team Meetups
After being isolated for so long, this probably should have been number one on this list. However, we are still dealing with places being closed or having limited capacity. So maybe in-person meetups can be held outside or include a group activity for lunch. Get the groups to regroup and recenter themselves. Have brainstorming activities to reactivate the creative genius in each of them. During the pandemic some people acquired new skills to cope with uncertainty and anxiety. Maybe, ask them to share what they’ve learned. Ever heard the saying, “Sharing is caring?” Maybe they can learn some new skills from each other. There is nothing but opportunity when people meet up and have open discussions. It is a great opportunity rebuild and redesign teams for successful outcomes.
Thank You Bonuses
I mean who says no to more money? You know this pandemic was hard for a lot of people. Some people lost loved ones and even some of their possessions. There were countless small businesses that didn’t weather the pandemic storm. So if you were fortunate enough to make it to post-pandemic, why not give your employees a thank you bonus? The quantity is completely up to the company’s budget and a great incentive to motivate employees. Honestly, I feel like thank you bonuses is something we should give to loved ones and friends as well. A good friend of mine and I actually cash-app money to one another for lunch or small indulgences from time to time. I think this works extremely well when you have friends or family long distance. No need to overthink or outdo this one. It can be as grand or as little as you want. The gesture is what matters most.
More Transparency
I can’t stress enough how important transparency is in the workplace. If you truly want to redesign the culture in your current workplace—keep this top of mind. Employees want to know what is going on and where the company is headed. I think honesty is always the best policy. It develops trust and eliminates confusion. If you allow things to travel through the grapevine, chances are employees will feel unappreciated and run with the information they receive. To ensure they are provided with the correct information, it is best to be upfront, even if it is bad news. You will be surprised how many employees would be willing to help realign a business. Encourage ideas and watch employees tackle redesigning a company to a new journey to success.
So I know I said I was going to provide you with 5 ways to redesign workplace culture post-pandemic, but I decided to give you six. Which one of these (if any) have you seen applied in your workplace? Is there anyone in particular you would like to see implemented?
