It’s the end of August, and you know what that means… reality is about to kick in. No more work by the pool for you! Return to office mandates are en vogue. It’s time to emerge from your basement cave and engage, in real life, with people.So, how do you handle team dynamics, in person meetings that seem to drag on forever, and show up in all your human glory for eight continuous hours?
Here are 3 tips:
1. Make it playful
Rather than the standard, “How was your summer?” ask something less expected, like “What dessert represents your summer?” or “What was the worst family encounter you had?” (Hint: maybe avoid this one with the office Debbie Downer… unless you’re ready for a saga about her mother-in-law’s latest antics.)
2. Start new rituals
A new season is the perfect excuse to shake off stale habits and experiment. Establish small, lighthearted routines that help the team reset, like suggesting Monday meetings start with a “song of the week” to kick things off. Alternatively, you could borrow from Mean Girls “On Wednesdays we wear pink” to create energy and camaraderie.
3. Create a personal “ReadMe”
Engineers have long used ReadMe files to help others understand their code. Why not do the same for yourself? A one-pager with your communication style, quirks, work preferences, and what helps you thrive can fast-track relationships and reduce friction. Share it with your manager and teammates who will likely be inspired to create their own, making collaboration smoother (and a lot more human).
Here’s a template for creating your own ReadMe. Have fun creating yours!
