The transition from traditional office environments to remote work presents significant challenges, particularly for leaders who are dealing with the complexities of hybrid work models. The struggle lies in the human tendency to revert to familiar yet dysfunctional patterns instead of embracing new, potentially uncomfortable solutions. This resistance to change often leads individuals and organizations to prefer the known issues of office life over the uncertainty of shaping a better future. Compounding this issue is the financial burden of commercial real estate, where many companies face imminent lease renewals and must navigate the implications of reduced occupancy. The ongoing debate about returning to the office creates a cycle of confusion and frustration for leaders, impacting morale and decision-making. Recognizing the costs of clinging to outdated work models is crucial for fostering effective change and ensuring organizations can adapt to the evolving landscape of work.
You can’t throw a stone on LinkedIn without hitting at least one post about return-to-office policies. From CEOs to employees, from thought leaders to maybe even your mayor, everyone is taking a side, doubling down, and yelling into the void as loud as they can. Where people work is being treated as the most important issue—the existential sea change that will either make or break a company.
In reality, the RTO debate is the superficial fight we have instead of addressing the deeper, tougher, and way more complex issues that really matter (think questions around purpose, trust, "productivity", and communication). And here’s a fun fact: You can’t work well anywhere (in person or remotely) if confusion and misalignment is swirling around your company.
In this week’s episode of At Work With The Ready, Rodney Evans and Sam Spurlin unpack why we’re still debating where people work, what that obsession costs our organizations, and how to start breaking free of the cycle.
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