Thinking about Reopening? Think Small
This was originally posted in May 2020. For many organizations, how (or even if) to repopulate the office remains a difficult challenge:
When most of us were sent home, our assumption was that the shut down would both slow the immediate spread of the virus AND give our institutions the time necessary to get in front of the pandemic. Now we know that—at least in the US—the necessary testing and tracking will not be widely available in the foreseeable future. Our expectations that reopening would mean a return to normalcy have been dashed. But we can’t stay closed forever either.
Most nonprofits did not decide to shut themselves down, but each will have to choose for itself when and how best to reopen. While this may feel like an enormous decision, it doesn’t have to. The question of whether to reopen can be reduced to a set of much smaller choices, with proportionately smaller risks and uncertainties.
Think Valve, Not Switch. To begin with, think about reopening as a valve to be adjusted up or down, rather than as a switch that can only be either on or off. This carries three critical implications:
You have a variety of options between requiring everyone to report to the office and padlocking the front door. More on this below.
Your decision can be seen as one in a series of decisions, dependent on prior decisions and subject to future changes.
Decisions are provisional. If you don’t get it exactly right, opening up the valve either too quickly or too slowly, you can make adjustments.
In fact, this is how most localities are contemplating reopening, recognizing that fully opening the valve is unlikely to be a good idea. Your organization should do the same.
Don’t Just Assume the Value of Going Back. Put aside your desire to have everyone come back and consider what is to be gained by having staff return to the office in the near term. To the extent that your organization has adapted effectively to working remotely (or had effective approaches to working at home already in place), delaying may be an attractive alternative.
Start by assessing what aspects of your work have suffered as a result of the office being closed. Focus on those units or functions that are not performing well and consider if coming back into the office is likely to make a significant difference. Ask:
Was the unit performing well prior to the shut down? If not, simply returning to the office may not be the most pressing issue.
Does the unit’s work require access to resources only accessible in person? If so, how well are work-arounds functioning?
What are the implications, positive and negative, on the internal and external constituents that the unit serves?
Accommodate individual needs. Way back when—a couple months ago—it made sense to have standardized organizational policies that determined where staff were expected to perform their duties. Now, though, specific needs of staff members need to factor far more prominently.
Having determined which parts of the organization would benefit most from returning to the office, can this be done in a way that is safe and supportive for your staff?
Safety will continue to be a moving target so you need to be aware of evolving norms. Be open to the fact that those norms, particularly about what constitutes appropriate social distancing, may mean that decisions to have staff back in the office may eventually become untenable.
Appreciate that requiring staff to return to the office may have profound consequences for them and their families. Those with children (or other dependents) at home are unlikely to have access to care. Others may have risk factors that make returning to the office unreasonably dangerous. Still others will face complex logistical challenges. Others, of course, will be thrilled to come back. Be supportive by meeting staff where they are and addressing challenges on a case by case basis.
Make accommodations. Keep policies flexible. Make sure that decision-making is clear. Model and encourage empathy. Balance the near-term desire to have folks back with the long term benefits of strengthening your relationship with your staff.
A Few More Guidelines.
Communicate. Structured, consistent, communication establishes a shared expectation of when information will be shared, which is both reassuring and efficient. Be clear about what’s known, what’s not and, to the extent possible, offer guidance about the future, even if it’s contingent. Anticipate questions and concerns so that you can address them proactively, respond intentionally and equip middle managers to support their teams.
Do your homework. Your options may be more limited than you think. Understand local and state requirements, talk to a lawyer to assess organizational risks and keep your Board prospectively informed on your plans. Don’t spend time worrying about decisions you’re not in a position to make.
Treat each choice as provisional. Some choices will work out well, while others will prove mistaken and you’ll need to revisit them. The course of the virus through your community will necessitate unforeseen adjustments. Continuity is valuable, but that value is now superseded by the need to be flexible.
If not today when? Well, tomorrow. Or the next day. You’ve been closed for weeks now, so additional days or weeks may not be quite as important as they may feel. If you’re not quite ready to make a decision, you can probably wait a bit.
Keep an eye on what others are doing. Everyone will be grappling with this issue over the next several months, so stay aware of evolving best practices. To the extent that you’re following the herd, your choices may feel easier.
Let staff manage their own valves. If possible, empower your staff to make their own choices about returning to their office. Some will want to come back as much as possible, others will be able to return a few hours per day or per week.
A great resource. Just as I was finalizing this post, I learned (from the incomparable Kristin Bradley-Bull) of an outstanding Discussion Guide that can help lead you through many of these issues. If I’ve left you wanting more (or better?), check it out.
Returning to work will not be the same as getting back to normal. It can be counterproductive to frame reopening decisions as promoting or undermining normalcy. Rather, your choices are no more than your best guesses about what will best support the near term success of your organization and its work. In this light, choices of whether and when to open the office is really more about dipping one toe after the next into our new reality.