Make the office attractive to get workers to return

Make the office attractive to get workers to return | practice | Author shares lessons on DEI that leaders must learn Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( February 24, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [Make the office attractive to get workers to return]( [Make the office attractive to get workers to return]( (Dimitri Otis/Getty Images) More companies are requiring their employees to come back into the office after making fairly generous concessions for remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mandate for many Amazon workers to return to the office has resulted in some angry pushback, but other companies are seeking to make the office more attractive by redesigning it as "a destination." Employees say they want more hospitable and comfortable office space that includes tech-free zones, collaboration space and areas to either nap or meditate, according to recent Gensler research. Full Story: [CNBC]( (2/22), [TIME (tiered subscription model)]( (2/21), [The Wall Street Journal]( (2/22), [Morning Brew/HR Brew]( (2/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Some employees say being in the office helps them better focus on their work. Redesigning spaces for employees who work differently can be enticing to those team members who feel distracted in a home office environment. [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Author shares lessons on DEI that leaders must learn]( Unconscious bias, stereotyping and marginalizing of co-workers in underrepresented groups can prevent companies from reaching their diversity, equity and inclusion goals, and should be examined, says Sally Helgesen, author of "Rising Together: How We Can Bridge Divides and Create a More Inclusive Workplace." Companies know they've created a culture of belonging when all employees "feel ownership in the organization, believe they are valued for their potential as well as their contributions, [and] perceive that how they matter is not strictly tied to their positional powers," Helgesen says in this interview with John Baldoni. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (2/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Helgesen offers many best practices in her book including soliciting honest feedback from your team members about diversity issues and showing gratitude. [] [Read more]( from John Baldoni on SmartBrief on Leadership [] Smarter Communication [] [When direct reports talk about their strengths, listen]( When coaching your direct reports, listen closely when they talk about their strengths because they're telling you "who they want to be and how they want to be in the future," and that's an opening to reflect that back to them, says Gallup leader coach Jacque Merritt. "And I always try to jot those down and come back to those and just find out more, because you're already getting them to lay the path," Merritt says. Full Story: [Gallup]( (2/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Leaders need a "mix of confidence and humility" as they listen so they can offer guidance but also be able to ask clarifying questions and be vulnerable enough to admit what they don't know, says Merritt. Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [Tips & Tricks Guide - Microsoft Windows 11]( - [Career Planning Tips]( - [25 Cryptocurrencies You Should Know About]( - [Nonverbal Communications Skills – The 10 Skills You Need to Learn]( - [How Technology Can Help You Get a Good Night's Sleep]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [Are you making these mistakes in your business strategy?]( Inc. (tiered subscription model) (2/23) [] - [Why it's time to get innovative around your innovation process]( Strategyzer (2/22) [] - [Don't let differences hinder the innovation process]( Digital Tonto blog (2/19) [] Weekend Reading [] [Is the tide shifting away from empathetic leadership?]( In the early days of the pandemic, employers understandably bent over backward to accommodate the needs of employees. They also opened more leadership avenues to women in the face of the #MeToo movement and went to great lengths to emphasize diversity, equity and inclusion after the death of George Floyd. However, the tables seem to be turning as more employers insist workers return to the office and layoffs have hit underrepresented groups disproportionately, especially in the tech sector. This is an eye-opening read into the quickly disappearing kinder and gentler boss. Full Story: [TIME (tiered subscription model)]( (2/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Artist sees colorful opportunity in sidewalk cracks]( Sidewalk cracks in Mexico City's Roma Norte area caused by the roots of growing trees have been painted with a rainbow of bright colors by artist Xomatok. The artist says the transformation is intended to highlight "the intervention of the cracks in the concrete that reveal the force of nature present in urban life, an allusion to the unveiling of other realities that exist in parallel to it." Full Story: [This Is Colossal]( (2/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] POLL QUESTION: Sharing a birthday today, who among the following was born in Wilmington, Del.? Check your answer [here](. [Vote]( [Steve Jobs, entrepreneur (1955)]( [Vote]( [Lleyton Hewitt, tennis player (1981)]( [Vote]( [Daniel Kaluuya, actor (1989)]( [Vote]( [George Thorogood, musician (1950)]( [] Away from the Office [] Cocktails with the lions Cocktails with the lions Pam Shadel Fischer sent this photo of her recent trip to South Africa that included a sundown cocktail hour with two male lions. The lions were about 10 feet away from them as they sat in their open-air vehicle, says Pam, and she adds that the trip -- which was delayed three years by COVID-19 -- was on her travel bucket list. Where have you been lately? [Share your photos](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com)! [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Candace Chellew I highly recommend taking some time this weekend with the [Time article]( on the emerging trend away from empathetic leadership that flourished during the pandemic and in the wake of social issues such as George Floyd's death and the emergence of the #MeToo movement. Employers may feel like they have the upper hand moving forward, but Alana Semuels has a warning: "Employers already complaining about a lack of skilled workers are in for a nasty surprise if their new policies drive away people who had long been on the sidelines of the labor force, including disabled workers and parents of young children. Rather than a more efficient American workplace, employers may find that they can't find enough employees to keep going." What are your thoughts on this shift away from a "kinder and gentler" form of leadership? [Tell me your thoughts](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com). If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? [Drop me a note](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com). And don't forget to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] Who Said It? The brightest skies are often overshadowed by the darkest clouds. Raquel Welch or Harriet Jacobs [Check your answer here.]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) SmartBrief, a division of Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036