There’s a resurgence of leaders calling people back into the office. Why?
What I am sensing too often, is being in the office being used as a proxy for performance management.
Presence doesn’t equal performance
Physical presence doesn’t guarantee great work. In fact, some of the best ideas emerge away from desks – on a walk, during a commute, in the shower. Measuring performance by hours visible in the office is a relic of the industrial era, not a reflection of how modern knowledge work thrives.
Insisting on office presence without a compelling reason can also be demotivating. For those who have found a rhythm that works – balancing productivity, wellbeing, and personal responsibilities – being told to come back in ‘just because’ erodes motivation and morale.
The negative cycle of mistrust
When leaders don’t trust their teams, and mandate office presence as the solution, it sparks a negative cycle.
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Leaders (intentionally or unintentionally) signal ‘we don’t trust you unless we can see you working’.
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Teams (intentionally or unintentionally) respond with ‘if you don’t trust me, why should I trust you?’
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Values like openness, honesty and respect are undermined by the very policies designed to uphold them.
The result? Declining trust on all sides, stalled performance, and growing resentment.
Courageous conversations, not blanket policies
What’s really needed isn’t more mandates, it’s more courage. Courage to have the difficult performance conversations. Courage to be clear about expectations and to follow through with honest feedback. Courage to lead in alignment with the values the organisation holds.
Blanket office policies are often a way of avoiding these conversations. But avoidance never builds high-performing teams. Addressing issues directly – with clarity, empathy, and honesty – does.
Trust as the foundation
Trust is experienced at an individual level – it’s both a feeling and a choice. Leaders must choose to trust their teams, give the benefit of the doubt, and role-model integrity. It means being clear on expectations, creating feedback cultures, and building the relationships that allow people to do their best work – wherever they are.
The real question for leaders
Instead of asking ‘how many days should people be in the office?’, the better question is: how do we build trust to perform brilliantly, together?
Time in the office matters – but it has to serve a purpose. For example, being intentional about making opportunities for people to connect and solve problems together. If you’re asking for presence for its own sake you’re damaging trust and when trust is missing poor performance follows.
Listen to the full conversation in episode 40 of The Quiet Leadership Revolution: trust, not time in the office, drives performance.