Working Conversations Episode 53:

Grieving the Way Things Used to Be

I keep running into leaders who want people to be back in the office full time.

And for the longest time I’ve been asking myself, why is that the case?

Recently, an executive coaching client of mine brought the issue into much sharper focus for me.

He was grappling with people not wanting to come back to the office because that reality was not what he wanted it to be. That would change his conception of himself as a leader. In short, he was grieving the loss of his old way of leading.

But the reality is, the world of work is forever changed as a result of the pandemic. And leadership needs to change with it.

Perhaps you might also be pining for the way things used to be at work prior to the pandemic, or maybe you work with or know someone who is.

As I study the response of individual contributors in an organization as well as leaders, I find that there are solid reasons why people might not want to go back to a changed workplace… After all, all of our identities are tied up in how and where we work, not just the leaders.

In this episode, I offer clear-cut strategies for understanding why we might be grieving the loss of the former workplace and what to do about it.

You’ll also learn the framework I used in coaching my client, how I coached him, and the results that we got into the coaching session.

Whether you are a senior leader, human resource professional, or an individual contributor, this episode is incredibly important for all of us. We need to understand this phenomenon of grieving something that is different from what we want it to be. And we need solid strategies to move through it.

So, listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts. I see you, embracing the reality and taking a radical acceptance of what is so.

HERE’S WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DIG INTO IN THIS EPISODE:

• How to get clear on what you are missing.
• How to choose your thinking into reality.
• How to negotiate with reality and stop arguing with it.

HELPFUL LINKS RELATED TO THIS EPISODE:

Your Step-by-Step Reentry to the Office

Free 20 page eBook: The Reentry Guide: Nine Steps for a Smooth Return to the Office