20 Mar Human Side of Change: RTO

Posted at 07:32h in Article, Change, Leadership by

If there was ever a moment to bring attention to the human side of change, the widespread return to office (RTO) movement is it. Organisations across industries are calling people back into shared workspaces. Leaders are making the case of rebuilding culture, fostering collaboration, boosting productivity. Yet, beneath the policies and plans lies a deeper, more complex reality: people are experiencing this change in deeply personal ways. And how they experience it will ultimately shape whether these initiatives succeed.

It’s not surprising, then, that there’s resistance. A McKinsey study found that nearly 40% of employees would consider leaving their jobs if required to return to the office full-time.¹ That statistic speaks volumes. It highlights the gap between an organisation’s need to manage change and its ability to support people through transition.

As an OD practitioner, I believe RTO is the perfect case study for why organisations must pay attention to the human side of change. It’s a vivid reminder that while change is something leaders can mandate, transition is something people must navigate. Without attending to the human experience, the emotional, psychological, and practical realities then organisational change efforts risk falling flat.

Change Is External. Transition Is Personal.

As organisational development practitioners, we know there’s a critical distinction between change and transition. Change is situational: a decision, a policy shift, a new requirement. Transition is psychological. It’s the internal process people go through to adapt to a new reality (Bridges, 2009).² Return-to-office mandates are often treated as a logistical problem to solve, but they are really about leading people through transition.

William Bridges’ Transition Model offers a helpful lens for understanding where people are and what support they need. His model outlines three phases that individuals typically navigate during any significant change, the ending-losing, neutral zone and the new beginning zone.

Phase 1: Ending, losing, letting go

For employees who built a life around remote work, returning to the office often means letting go of deeply personal adjustments. Some moved cities. Others restructured childcare or created home environments to make remote work sustainable. These weren’t minor tweaks; they were life decisions.

Now, they’re being asked to leave that behind. For some, it feels like a loss of autonomy, flexibility, and work-life balance. Leaders need to acknowledge these feelings. A communication plan isn’t enough, people need empathy and support to process what they’re leaving behind.

Phase 2: The neutral zone

This is the in-between space, where old routines no longer apply and new ones aren’t yet established. It can be messy and uncomfortable. Employees are figuring out commutes again, navigating hybrid schedules, and renegotiating family logistics.

Here, leadership presence makes the biggest difference. Open, honest communication and genuine listening build trust. Co-create solutions with your teams—whether it’s experimenting with hybrid arrangements, adjusting start times, or rethinking how collaboration happens in this new context. Flexibility and empathy will go a long way at this stage.

Phase 3: The new beginning

Eventually, people settle into new rhythms. But that won’t happen automatically. Leaders need to clarify the purpose behind the return. Why does this matter for the organisation, its clients, and the team? When employees find meaning in the change, they’re more likely to embrace it (Kotter, 2012).³

Celebrating small wins along the way reinforces progress. Recognise those who are adapting and contributing to the emerging culture. This helps build a sense of shared ownership in the new way of working.

Returning to the office isn’t just a logistical challenge, it’s a human transition. If we want to do this well, we need to shift our focus from enforcing compliance to enabling adaptation. As OD/HR practitioners and leaders, our role is to:

  • Acknowledge personal losses and sacrifices
  • Support people through the uncertainty of the neutral zone
  • Clarify purpose and co-create the new beginning
  • Equip leaders to lead transitions, not just manage policies

The return to office will reshape how people live and work. The question is: are we helping them navigate this transition, or are we simply expecting them to cope on their own? How is your organisation approaching this? I’d love to hear your experiences and insights in the comments.

References:

1. McKinsey & Company. (2022). The Great Attrition is making hiring harder. Are you searching the right talent pools? Retrieved from McKinsey

2. Bridges, W. (2009). Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. Da Capo Lifelong Books.

3. Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press.

Print page