Why go into the office?

The debate about the “return to office” rumbles on.

Some companies (including Boots and Goldman Sachs) have said that they now expect employees to be fully office based. Unsurprisingly, they have faced a lot of criticism for that here on Linked In.

The vast majority now offer “hybrid” working, but with a stated expectation of a certain number of office days per week or month. From the organisations I work with, this seems to average out at 2 to 3 days per week.

There seems to be a consensus that some office time alongside working remotely is a Good Thing. But a lot of the conversation is still focused on the logistics: What is reasonable? What is practical? How can we manage it?

I can’t help feeling that all of this discussion about when and where overlooks the crucial questions of what, how and why.

Some senior leaders are clearly - either explicitly or not - worried about the impact of working from home on productivity. There is the argument that it’s easier to see and monitor what people are doing when they are in the office.

This is an weak argument though. Employees have proven again and again that they can be just as productive at home. And if someone isn’t performing that’s a management issue not a location issue.

The stronger argument in favour of office-based work is around culture and collaboration.

We’re beginning to see research that shows that some things really do work better in the office, not least the forging of connections between individuals and teams. Creative thinking happens more when people are physically together, and it can be easier to resolve a disagreement face-to-face.

The vast majority of people I speak to recognise this – they see that there should be a benefit to coming into a physical space regularly. Many welcome it as an opportunity to connect with colleagues and provide variety in their routine.

So why do I also hear so much negativity about ‘office days’?

Simply because office days are not providing this.

Far and away the most common complaint is that this time in the office often feels wasted. Individuals resent commuting (both in terms of time and expense) to sit in an almost-empty room, participating in online meetings.

Nothing will kill your culture quicker than forcing people to come in for no reason.

Too many organisations haven’t stopped to think about what they are asking people coming to come into the office for. And they’re not being clear about what they expect colleagues to do while they’re there.

I came across the term “coffee badger” recently. It refers to an employee who will come into the office for just a few hours at a time, to have a (possibly free or subsidised) coffee and to chat to their colleagues.

Needless to say, it was presented in a very negative way - as something to be discouraged.

But this is so short-sighted. It’s tied to a very limited understanding of productivity and the value of connection.

Having a coffee and a chat with your colleagues is always a good use of time. It's absolutely one of the best things you could be doing when you’re in the office. Building strong, positive working relationships will drive performance and save so much time down the line.

Leaders and managers need to work out how to make the most of people’s time and make an office-day something to look forward to. They should be encouraging the badgers.

Information sharing and day to day work can all be done effectively at home. Use the office to facilitate work that is genuinely better when done face to face. How can you get colleagues to focus their office time on idea-generation, collaboration, building relationships, making connections and tackling difficult conversations?

Even before the pandemic, most companies had a “work from home” policy which set out expectations and requirements for when employees were working away from the office.

What we need now is “work from office” policies/guidelines which set out how people should use their time in the office.

On a practical level this might mean:

• Coordinating office days so that teams that work together are in at the same time, to deepen relationships.
• If you are hot desking, encourage people to sit close to different people each time (And discourage ‘spreading out’)
• Having a ‘no-headphones’ policy in the office.
• Make it ok to decline an online meeting if you are in the office on that day.
• Senior leaders ‘walking the floor’ when they are in the office to increase visibility.
• Set up opportunities for connection when people are in the office. For example, could you have a regular ‘tea break’ in the afternoon when everyone stops and has a chat for 15 minutes?

I’d love to hear more examples of good practice in this area. Please do share in the comments.

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