How to advocate for the work life you want after COVID-19

For some companies, this brief work-from-home period was the exact experiment they needed to see that their company can fully function without a brick and mortar office space. For others, it may have been complete chaos and an affirmation in the traditional ways of the office. 

Whether you love the WFH life or you can’t wait to get back into the office, unfortunately, there’s no guarantee your boss feels the same. In a post-COVID world, companies will be restructuring to accommodate their needs and it will be easy to get lost in the reshuffle. Now more than ever it’s important for you to advocate for yourself, making your voice heard and your wants known.

Here are 3 ways to approach a conversation with your leadership team about implementing a new policy on work from home that best fits your needs.

Show the data and make it worth their while

If you feel like this situation is wrong or right for you, use the data to support your feelings. Your general sense about your performance is most likely accurate since we know ourselves best, and it will manifest itself in your numbers. When you approach your bosses about changing your work status, provide concrete details to show how you personally are affected by working from home.

When push comes to shove the higher-ups will do what’s best for the company and if you can prove that it’s giving you a different work situation, you’ll have a strong case. Business Tycoon and Owner of the Golden State Warriors NBA team Peter Guber, says when he bought the team he made some huge, team-changing decisions purely based on data. Even if a player or coach was a crowd-favorite, he checked the numbers and made the switch if the team member’s data didn’t make the cut. Since he bought the team the Warriors have won 3 championship rings in 4 consecutive years. And that’s all that matters to Guber.

Data will be your best ally in any request in the business world. Making it profitable for your team will ensure your importance and give you a leg up.

Lay it all out on the table

When you request your new station, wherever it may be, make sure you are saying everything you mean to say. Emotional Intelligence Expert JP Pawliw-Fry says that when it comes to hard business conversations, most people leave out the most important part of the conversation—the last 8%. This refers to the portion of the conversation where you state your true request, feelings, etc.

People often have a conversation where they talk around the real reason for the conversation, convince themselves they’ve said what they need to say, and then are confused when the other person doesn’t comply. Well, it’s hard to comply when they never understood the request to begin with.

When you make your ask have a full conversation and don’t shy away from the importance of your request. It may feel uncomfortable, but the best way to make sure you get your point across is to open the conversation with the request.

The future of your company will be shifting, although it’s hard to pinpoint how and when. The best way to prepare is to figure out what suits you best and be ready to speak up when the time comes.

—

(Featured image by Karolina Grabowska via Pixabay)

DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Born2Invest, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.

This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “become,” “plan,” “will,” and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.