Let's talk about the elephant in the room 🐘

Four years after most of us faced a lockdown and learned how to work fully remotely, we now see an ongoing debate about returning to office. Despite global surveys consistently showing that employees prefer a hybrid arrangement—having two days a week in the office as the sweet spot—many companies are still pushing for a full return.

The arguments for it sound valid on the surface, centered around boosting “engagement” and “collaboration,” which are believed to lead to greater productivity, profitability, and innovation.

But here’s the real question: 👉 Where’s the conclusive evidence that this is true?

The Missing Link Between Location and Productivity

The researches we have so far seem inconclusive at best. More importantly, it is hard to prove that physical presence alone guarantees higher productivity.

✨ Engagement and collaboration don’t just happen because people are in the same space. They require intentional effort—a strong culture, psychological safety, a shared sense of belonging, and other subtle, human-centered practices.

Here is an example: Many employees forced back into the office report spending most of their time on virtual calls anyway. Rarely are they involved in meaningful initiatives to foster collaboration. In fact, some employees even say that collaboration has become harder because:

• Information is shared unevenly.
• Teams struggle to align with a clear vision, long-term goals, or a shared purpose.
• Silos remain firmly intact.

What’s the real benefit of being in the office under these conditions? 🤔

A Leadership Perspective: The Real Divide

Digging deeper into surveys about work arrangements reveals an eye catching trend: The preference for onsite work often varies by organizational level.

• Employees, across the board, lean towards hybrid models.
• Leaders and Executives are typically the ones enforcing a full return to the office.

While engagement and collaboration is the reason for it, apparently, what you often hear off the record is this:

👉 “I feel like my team isn’t productive at home. I don’t think they’re working.”

But again—where’s the proof? Some studies suggest declining engagement, but many others indicate that remote workers are just as—if not more—productive than their in-office counterparts.

The Real Issue: Command and Control Leadership 🤦♀️

It’s both funny and sad to see that, after all these years, some organizations are still clinging to a command-and-control mindset:

• Funny, because believing that physically supervising employees makes them work harder is naïve. From my 20+ years of experience, lazy workers remain lazy—whether they’re in front of their boss or at home.
• Sad, because it exposes a deeper issue: ego.

Let’s face it: part of the perks of executive roles is the status that comes with them. And status relies on visibility.

Imagine standing on a stage without an audience. 😢 No applause. No admiration. No one to acknowledge your leadership.

When leaders walk into the office and no one is there to see them… it can feel like their value (and power) is diminished.

A Call for Better Leadership 💡

It’s time for leaders to stop looking the other way: True leadership is about more than titles, paychecks, or appearances. It entails intentional effort in building trust, credibility, and .

A good place to start? Listening to what employees say, both from surveys and candid conversations.

✨ Wishing you a collaborative and engaging weekend—whether you’re at work, home, or anywhere else you feel your best. 💛