I Told NBC: Forcing Your Team Back to the Office Won't Fix Your Culture

As Amazon and Starbucks begin enforcing return-to-office policies, CEOs everywhere are asking if bringing employees back will save their company culture. I recently sat down with NBC’s Christine Romans for a segment on Nightly News with Lester Holt, tackling this very question. We recorded 20 minutes of content but only a? few minutes aired so this newsletter goes deeper into this complex subject.??

The quick answer on whether a forced return to office will revive culture? No, it won’t.?

Here’s the real issue: culture isn’t a switch you flip by mandating physical presence. It’s not some elusive magic that appears just because everyone’s sitting at their desks. Culture is about how people think and act to get results. And if leaders believe that bringing everyone back will solve the real issues facing today’s workplaces, they’re missing the point—and the opportunity to lead for the future.?

This misconception that “more face time equals better culture” is a relic of outdated thinking. During my conversation with Christine Romans, I made it clear: if culture needs to be “saved” by a physical return to the office, the problem goes much deeper than employees’ locations.?

It’s time to challenge the assumption that proximity leads to productivity. These past few years have shown that remote work doesn’t diminish an employee’s ability to perform. In fact, many teams have proven they can work better outside the traditional office. So if the concern isn’t productivity, what is it? The reality is that hybrid work has exposed a gap in management practices—one that the old office environment might have masked but never solved.?

Managers now have to measure results, not just hours clocked in the office. This shift requires a new level of accountability and trust—qualities that, frankly, some leaders struggle with when they can’t monitor their team’s every move. Forcing employees back is, in some cases, a way for leaders to avoid the discomfort of managing from a distance. But adapting to this new reality doesn’t fall on employees—it falls on managers to lead differently, think creatively, and drive performance through outcomes, not mere attendance.?

While COVID-19 might have accelerated the remote work trend, it’s technology that will redefine the future of work. As I shared, the world’s trajectory isn’t leading us back to a 9-to-5 office life—it’s advancing toward digital workspaces where AI, avatars, and new tools will shape how we work, collaborate, and create. We’re facing a transformation, and the only way forward is to embrace a vision of work that transcends physical spaces.?

This isn’t about trying to reassemble a fractured workplace in the same office where it once stood. It’s about using our tools and our leadership to create a dynamic culture that reaches beyond the four walls of a building.?

The truth is, today’s workplace challenges won’t be solved by mandating an office return. Culture can’t be saved through force; it’s built through intention. The future of work isn’t confined to an office address. Forward-thinking leaders recognize that culture is alive—it thrives on innovation, adaptability, and purpose, not proximity.?

In this fast-evolving landscape, we can choose to lead boldly or stay tied to models that no longer serve our employees or our business. The decision is ours: step up to build a culture that can thrive anywhere, or stay in the past, thinking culture is simply a byproduct of physical presence. The future isn’t just about “coming back”—it’s about moving forward.?

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Elsewhere In Culture?

Jack Dorsey's recent decision to cut a significant portion of Tidal’s workforce highlights a recurring tension in modern organizations: the desire to “think and act like a startup” while grappling with the realities of being a larger, established company. Dorsey’s move to streamline operations by focusing on core functions like engineering and design is a clear effort to regain agility, but it also underscores a deeper issue—how corporate culture shifts during times of intense transformation. When leaders push to “operate like a startup,” they’re often trying to restore a culture of innovation, adaptability, and intense focus. However, the success of such efforts hinges on how well the remaining team members adapt to the challenges of a leaner, more aggressive work environment. For Tidal’s employees, this cultural pivot will demand more than just an operational shift; it will require a renewed commitment to a startup mindset of ownership and resilience.?

Yet, these mass layoffs raise questions about the long-term health of Tidal's culture. Reductions that heavily impact roles in product management and marketing create a significant void in strategic thinking and cross-functional alignment, which are crucial in a competitive landscape like music streaming. Employees who remain may find themselves bearing the weight of multiple roles, leading to burnout if leaders don’t make deliberate efforts to rebuild morale and foster a supportive culture. Dorsey’s message may resonate with those excited by the promise of renewed purpose, but for many, this abrupt restructuring could risk eroding the trust and stability that Tidal’s culture needs to survive this shift. To truly “build like a startup,” leaders must address not only the structure but also the cultural foundation—establishing clear communication, a shared vision, and the support systems that will allow a smaller team to thrive.?

Another week, another Boeing strike update, and it shows no signs of stopping. At the core of this protracted standoff is an emotional battle over the pension plan that Boeing workers lost nearly a decade ago. For many machinists who have spent years – if not decades – dedicated to the company, the traditional pension symbolized a promise of stability and recognition for their hard work. Now, as they walk the picket lines, chanting “pension,” it’s clear that this strike is about much more than wages; it’s about reclaiming what they feel was unjustly taken away. The union members are not just advocating for financial security but are standing up for a cultural value that defined their loyalty to Boeing for years. For these workers, demanding the return of the pension is a plea for a renewed commitment from their employer.?

Boeing’s firm stance against reinstating the pension plan reflects a broader trend in corporate America, where traditional pensions are increasingly replaced by 401(k) plans, shifting retirement responsibility onto workers themselves. While this strategy may seem financially prudent, it has profound implications for company culture. For Boeing, the refusal to bring back pensions isn’t just a financial decision; it sends a message about how the company views its commitment to long-term employees. When workers strike for “pension,” they’re fighting for more than a benefit – they’re demanding a culture of respect and stability. This ongoing strike serves as a stark reminder that a company’s promises, once broken, can erode trust, leaving both the present and future of workplace culture at risk.?

This week on the Culture Leaders podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down with Josh Bersin in his own living room—the birthplace of the Bersin Academy—for a conversation about the shift from traditional employee engagement to what Josh calls "employee activation." In our discussion, Josh highlighted the need for companies to go beyond surface-level engagement and instead foster an environment where employees are empowered to push for alignment, purpose, and meaningful change. For CEOs, recognizing HR as more than a transactional function is key to transforming culture and unlocking a team’s full potential. If you're a CEO navigating today's dynamic workforce, this conversation is a must-listen—find it on your favorite podcast platform now.