The Verdict seems to be coming in strongly - people don't want to go back to the office.

Leaders everywhere are struggling to get employees to try to come back. However, despite demands, it doesn't seem to be happening. Between low unemployment, and high availability of opportunities, employees are setting the rules.

Leaders are at a major disadvantage.

Plus, employees seem to be doing as well, if not better at home.

In 90% of cases, employees are finding they are just as productive, if not more productive at home. Along with this, staying at home is leading to higher levels of well-being. Together, it's a potent mix to justify staying home.

If we can get the same results at home, why come into the office?

However, there is actually another, more fundamental, reason we aren't seeing which can explain why people don't want to come back to the office.

The Leadership Failure We Are Missing

What if I told you that the increased productivity at home, increased feelings of well-being, and the desire to stay away from an office ALL stem from the same Leadership Failure?

You might not believe it, but it's true.

All of these can be simply explained by how our Physiology works, our Leadership Evolution. It impacts how productive we are and can be, how we perceive our well-being, and our desire to (or lack of desire to) go to a location. All of it comes down to ONE factor.

That factor is our Dis-Stress Levels.

When we understand the impacts of Dis-Stress, and the consequences of it, well it's quite simple to see why people won't come back.

When we are stressed out, quite literally we are unable to hit our maximum productivity, physiologically it is impossible. The more stressed out we are, the lower our well-being will feel. Plus, when we go to a location and all we feel is Dis-Stress, of course we have NO desire to ever return there!

However, the problem is actually made worse by Leaders.

The reason is that Dis-Stress is actually something we can pass on to others!

This is actually a part of our Neurocardiology. Within it, we create electro-magnetic fields, which can be measured 3-10 feet away from our bodies, and these magnetic fields interact with others. Mix this with the phenomena known as "Coherence", where one person's electro-magnetic field can force others to match it.

When we are in states of Dis-Stress, not only can other people literally feel it (usually subconsciously), but it can pull others into Dis-Stress as well.

In our highly over-stressed work environments, it's a recipe for disaster.

One person in your group goes into a state of Dis-Stress. When it is not handled properly by the Leader, others are pulled into states of Dis-Stress through Coherence. Eventually, everyone in the same office begins to feel Dis-Stress simply by heading into the office, and no one wins.

Employees have subconsciously been feeling this without knowing it.

Now that employees haven't been in the office, they are beginning to know what it feels like to NOT get dragged into Dis-Stress by those around them.

Since Leaders have failed to understand the underlying physiology of their teams, they allowed the work environment to become a festering pool of Dis-Stress. Since people now know what it's like to NOT be in that pool, they don't want it anymore. Mix that with employees having the power to change jobs easily, now you know why they won't go back into the office.

What Are Leaders To Do?

As a Leader, there are 2 options.

➼ Adapt and learn how to lead remotely (a different set of skill focuses compared to leading in person)

➼ Learn how to fix your work environment to actually make it enticing for employees to return (which requires understanding Leadership Evolution)

These are your only two options - either will require changes and developing new ways to lead.

If you don't adapt, you will get left behind. Employees don't need you. You need employees, that's what the market is showing.

If you don't make the work enticing, employees know they can simply go elsewhere.

Also, don't get me wrong, there are MANY benefits to doing work in an office - but ONLY if you get the conditions right.

➼ Increased social interactions, great for wellbeing

➼ Can shape the environment to reduce distractions

➼ The easiest way to create the highest levels of Group Flow

But these mean NOTHING if you're unable to fix the Dis-Stress problems that are rampant in how business is conducted.

Leaders, it's time to step up!