The remote working life has become the norm for many of us since the beginning of the pandemic. With the latest government advice encouraging people to work from home again if possible, it may be a while until people are attending face-to-face meetings and presentations again.
However, that time will come, and you may find it daunting after so long working from home. For those who usually travel for business and regularly stay in serviced apartments in London, for example, this may be an even more intimidating return. As such, how can you help yourself to comfortably transition back to in-person meetings?
Take your time
It will be important to take your time when it comes to returning to face-to-face meetings. You may experience heightened levels of anxiety or nerves, so starting with the odd meeting will help you to reacclimatise more gently. Perhaps target some meetings where you can boost your confidence again, and then challenge yourself more as you spend more time in the office or away on business. Rushing back too quickly may risk you becoming overwhelmed and knocking your confidence, so try to avoid this if possible.
Be open with colleagues and clients
You should remain open and transparent with your colleaguesand clients regarding whether you are ready to return for face-to-face meetings. The majority of people will understand the challenges of returning to ‘normal’ working life, so don’t be afraid to raise any concerns or issues. In fact, many will be eager to support you in your transition and may be facing the same challenges too.
Do more thorough preparation
One good way to ease nerves about returning to in-person meetings is to ensure you are adequately prepared. You may have become comfortable with less preparation while attending meetings from home, but you’ll need to prepare more thoroughly if you are going back into the office or meeting with a client. Collate all your materials and notes as far in advance as possible and read back through them as many times as you need.
Set yourself goals and targets
An effective way to build towards something major is to set incremental goals and targets. Rather than jumping back in suddenly, set yourself targets around how many days you spend in the office or on the road. Once you feel more comfortable, you can increase the number of days or meetings where you’re in the presence of your colleagues or clients – so you don’t risk being overwhelmed.
The transition back from the remote working life may be challenging for some more than others. However, it’s important to remember that many will be feeling the same way so try not to stress too much about it. You’ll be back to full confidence in no time.
