Ongoing CEO Thinking and Communication Errors and Solutions for Inspiring Employees to Return to the Office

A small percentage of CEOs are being reported on in the media and shamed on social media for their frustrated or angry responses to employees resisting coming back into the office to work and other annoyances.

These discontented CEOs are being negatively experienced and judged for their own behavior, whether it’s been on video, in print or face to face.

Their responses are communicating multiple messages to their people, yet probably not ones they want to convey. It’s quite possible that employees are feeling that their top leader is trying to twist arms while venting, insulting and attempting to intimidate them.

The communication isn’t landing safely, otherwise the media would not be reporting stories and people on social media wouldn’t be shaming and commiserating.

Rajesh Namase, co-founder and professional tech blogger at TechRT

“One common error frustrated CEOs make in trying to convince resistant employees to return to the office is using a top-down approach, where they simply issue a mandate without engaging employees in the decision-making process or understanding their concern,” says Rajesh Namase, co-founder and professional tech blogger at TechRT.

The result: predictable and unwanted reactions.

“This can create resentment and resistance among employees who feel that their input is not being valued,” Namase says.

That’s but one problem with this type of CEO communication.

“Another mistake is focusing too much on the benefits of returning to the office for the company, without addressing the concerns and challenges that employees may be facing, such as health and safety concerns, commuting difficulties, or childcare responsibilities,” Namase says.

Many employees have found that working away from the office allows them to save a lot of misery, a concept that leaders haven’t sought to understand.

“Frustrated CEOs are failing to grasp why people don't want to come back,” says Susan McLennan, head of Pickle Productions, which helps C-suite professionals further build leadership skills and get out harder to hear messages through comedy.

“The spaces in which they work aren't as comfortable as home, they have to spend a lot of time getting there and back and when they're at work, well, frankly, some work cultures just suck the life right out of you,” McLennan says.

Leadership pleas or demands are falling flat because, despite their authority, expectations and stress, a critical point is being missed.

“Some CEOs have forgotten that at the core of every business lies people,” McLennan says. “Sure, you can demand people do things, but if they don't truly see the merit in the demand, you can bet they're dusting off their resume and shipping it out to as many people as possible. They know you have no loyalty to them; why should they give theirs to you?”

Susan McLennan is head of Pickle Productions

Adjusted, employee-centric thinking could best help organizations communicate more appropriately and successfully, she says.

“CEOs aren't putting their sales hats on. What's in it for the employee? What would make people want to come back to the office?” she poses as questions to consider asking themselves.

Some organizations thought and still believe fun enticements could be the solution, yet McLennan rolls her eyes at that assumption and practice.

“I'm not talking about pizza night and beer pong,” she responds. “What is the magic of this company? Of these teams and departments? Of the projects you're collectively working on? If you can't make a compelling case for bringing your community of people back together so they can go and do something great together, then part of the problem lies with the culture of the organization. And that won't just fix itself.”

Problems: identified. Mission: Solution.

CEOs can think and communicate more respectfully to prove more persuasive to the point where some or most employees may be receptive to coming back into the office.

“To communicate more impressively and with emotional intelligence, CEOs can start by actively listening to their employees' concerns and perspectives,” Namase says.

He speaks to the “how.”

“This can involve holding town hall meetings, conducting surveys or having one-on-one conversations with employees to understand their unique situations and challenges.

“CEOs can then tailor their messages to address these concerns and show empathy and understanding for employees’ individual circumstances.

“CEOs can also highlight the benefits of returning to the office in a way that resonates with employees, such as the opportunity for social connection, collaboration and professional development,” Namase says.

Organizational leaders could serve themselves better by thinking first about their people’s needs before asking for what they expect, a return to the work location.

“Lead with empathy,” McLennan says. “Understand why they might not want to come back and work to remove those blocks.”

Respect, civility, patience, curiosity and assistance are other points she points towards. “Show them they are valued and help them through the transition,” McLennan says. “Talk to your people about their hesitations. Enlist their help in getting rid of the obstacles that are preventing people from coming back.”

Doing this will reveal insights that the organization likely doesn’t know but will greatly benefit from discovering.

“You will learn a great deal about your culture and what is and is not working,” McLennan says.

She goes deeper with what can lead to togetherness, on location.

“Inspire people with your shared purpose, the thing you are all working to do, create and elevate. If you don't have a world changing vision, something that teams can get behind even on bad days, you need one. If what you have isn't strong enough to pull your team in, then its time to revisit it,” McLennan says.

Instead of aggression, she recommends a more humane approach, one of building.

“Invest in your culture. No one wants to be hit over the head with a sledge hammer. Find your sense of humanity. Use comedy to get harder to hear messages across and poke fun at yourself and the weak spots of your corporate culture. Be very, very human,” McLennan advises.

Organizations can push the mission and hold on to its ideals for the office yet it is also helpful, Namase says, to continually consider the health of the employer-employee relationship to build trust and buy-in.

“It’s important for CEOs to be transparent about the company's plans and priorities, while also being flexible and adaptable to meet employees' needs,” he says.

“Ultimately, whether or not leaders are able to convince employees to return to the office will depend on a variety of factors, including the company culture, the nature of the work and the external environment,” Namase stresses.

Despite the apparent disinterest of many workers at home to return to the office, Namase says surprises could still happen.

“It may not be a lost cause, but it will require a collaborative and empathetic approach to find a solution that works for everyone.”