WPP’s RTO mandate has riled up employees, but are businesses right to clamp down on working from home? Our writers hash it out in this week’s debate

Harm: Flexibility leads to better performance

The debate over which is “better” between remote, hybrid, or full-time return to office work seems endless. And I think we’re missing the point.

If we believe that building productive, collaborative, and innovative teams hinges on how many days our people work in an office, we’re oversimplifying a complex issue. I understand why some leaders prefer office mandates – it removes ambiguity and might lead people to self-select into their chosen environment. But this approach doesn’t guarantee high performance, which is more likely what leaders really want. Return to office mandates are solving the wrong problem.

Instead, we could learn from fractional leaders who thrive by adapting to varied work contexts. Whether in the office, remote, or hybrid, these professionals fine-tune their communication and relationship-building skills to succeed, regardless of the setting. Their approach depends on the work at hand, the people involved, the resources available and timelines. And most importantly, they decide where and how they work – and it works!

Collaboration isn’t about location; it’s about mutual flexibility. Teams........

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