I had a rather tense conversation with several colleagues today:
To go back in or not to go back in?
A very tricky question, as should surprise no one.
But “tricky” isn’t right—it’s an emotional question.
It’s emotional because it goes right to the heart of how we spend our days. (I hear Annie Dillard here—“how we spend our days, of course, is how we spend our lives.”)
Whether or not my office should mandate some number of days or hours in the office every week is the rare topic that everyone has an opinion on.
My emotional opinion? I don’t want to go. I love working from home. I have little kids in my life. I don’t need an hour of commuting every day. I want—every once in a while—to experience the hustle and bustle of the office, but I don’t want that day in and out. I’ve been there and done that, and it’s exhausting.
My more reasoned opinion? I can see myself going in a little bit. BUT—and this, as telegraphed by my all caps, is a big but—I need to be doing it for the right reasons.
Don’t tell me “culture.” Culture is a weak argument, especially when most people (me included) consistently fail to define workplace “culture” in a coherent way.
Make it solid, unarguable.
Improved performance? More training? In-person events? These reasons all demand clear supporting arguments, but they’re not so fuzzy that I can’t start to feel around the edges of them on my own. Let’s go with those reasons, or some like them.
But do, I beg of you, give me a reason. A good one.
Taylor Coe 