🔁 ETA Friday: Emotional intelligence in the return-to-office era

Welcome to ETA (Edited to Add) Friday. Every Friday morning we’ll rehash a previous newsletter. Why? There’s always more to learn, and leadership practices are ever-evolving.

My take:

As companies grapple with return-to-office (RTO) mandates, it's become clear that emotional intelligence (EQ) is not just a "nice-to-have" but a critical leadership skill. The way leaders approach and communicate RTO policies can make or break team morale and productivity.

I previously wrote about emotional intelligence being your best friend. Now it's time to apply those principles to today's RTO landscape.

Let’s dive in.

Are you surprised?

Recent statistics reveal a concerning trend: some companies are using RTO mandates as a covert downsizing strategy.

• A shocking 37% of managers, directors, and execs believe their organization enacted layoffs in the last year because fewer employees than expected quit during their RTO.

• Even more alarming: 25% of VP and C-suite execs admit this was their plan all along; RTO → voluntary turnover.

Is this not a breach of trust?

Absolutely. This approach not only kills employee trust but also ignores the long-term consequences on company culture and productivity. It's a prime example of how a lack of emotional intelligence in leadership can lead to short-sighted and culturally damaging decisions.

Back to EQ.

In my previous newsletter on EQ, we explored practicing self-awareness, improving self-regulation, developing empathy, enhancing communication skills, and responding thoughtfully rather than reacting impulsively. When it comes to RTO, let's zoom in on two critical aspects that build on these foundations:

1. Empathy: Understand and acknowledge employee concerns

2. Communication: Clearly explain rationale and address fears openly

Empathy in RTO decisions is about putting yourself in your employees' shoes. Address fears head-on; don’t dance around them.

• 28% of remote workers fear being laid off before their in-office counterparts. (As a remote worker at a growing in-office organization, this fear is real!)

• High EQ looks like this: "I understand that this change is causing concern about job security. Let me assure you that our RTO policy is not about downsizing, but about [specific business reasons]."

• Low EQ ignores it altogether.

Communication is equally crucial. Vague reasoning leaves employees to assume the worst. We’ve all been there.

• High EQ looks like this: "We've analyzed our collaboration patterns on [team] and found that in-person interactions lead to a 20% increase in productivity. Here's how we measured that..."

• Low EQ says it is what it is.

I was recently talking to someone whose company was mandating an RTO policy. In my opinion, it was a perfect showcase of high EQ:

• A town hall to discuss the policy at the organizational level and why it’s being implemented

• Instruction that the policy was to be determined and enacted at the department level (meaning it’s not one-size-fits-all)

• A clear path forward on what it means if you don’t currently live near an office, and where that line is drawn

Will everyone love it? Of course not. At the end of the day, it is up to the company to do what’s best; but it wasn’t a cover for a reduction in force. It was an honest decision made by an executive team to do right by their company but give the department heads the autonomy to choose what’s best for their specific department.

The last point I'll make based on the original newsletter is around trust-building. The revelation that some executives hope for voluntary turnover through RTO policies is an absolute trust-breaker.

• Leaders with high EQ would recognize the ethical implications of their decisions and strive for more transparent and fair approaches to workforce management.

Remember: Even if you aren't making RTO decisions at your level, the way you communicate and empathize with your team members during this transition is crucial. It sets the tone for how change is managed within your organization.

➡️ Looking to level up your own EQ? I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s a short, quick, easy, actionable read.