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CEOs Are Using Return to Office Mandates to Mask Poor Management

forbes.com

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Re: CEOs Are Using Return to Office Mandates to Mask Poor Management

#61

Post by para_parolu »

phpisthebest wrote: post #42
lolinder wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it takes being in person for your management to tell that someone is not doing anything and PIP/fire them, then I'd certainly call that poor management. You shouldn't have to look over my shoulder to know that I'm doing my job.

I think it is more the environment for some people. Working from home, really does IMO require a Home Office, a space dedicated for work. I know many people that are more productive at home, all of them have a home office. I know many people that are not productive at home, none of them have a home office, instead are using some Shared Space, like a corner of the living room, the kitchen table, etc. If you do not hav…

My office is filled with distractions. I sit in open space with tens of people around me. They talk, drink coffee, eat food. Some of them also have pets.

Re: CEOs Are Using Return to Office Mandates to Mask Poor Management

#62

Post by avg_dev »

2c2c2c wrote: post #13

does anyone really find RTO surprising? I know several people personally who just blatantly don't work. it's more obvious in roles where the work is less quantifiable, but even in engineering roles everyone hears stories the alternative seems to be aggressively metricize and cut-- but that seems bad for different reasons

a lot of people have been working remotely since long before covid, and many of them were very effective. there are some skillsets that an effective remote team has and many teams that suddenly went from in-office to remote still don't have those skills (and often they aren't even aware of that and just think that remote development is not going to work).

Re: CEOs Are Using Return to Office Mandates to Mask Poor Management

#63

Post by dpflan »

"Offices across the U.S. are at an all-time occupancy low, and commercial real estate is starting to see an all-time high of almost 20% of unleased space, according to the Wall Street Journal. The reduction in real estate spend has enabled companies to reduce their operating expenses, thereby positively impacting their financial health. This poses the question: Are return-to-work mandates better for the workforce or for business bottom lines?"

Don't some real estate contracts require specific occupancy rates (measured at monthly levels?)? At level of detail that is affected by people not in office? How long are commercial real estate contracts usually for?

Re: CEOs Are Using Return to Office Mandates to Mask Poor Management

#64

Post by MattGaiser »

LiquidSky wrote: post #27
crowcroft wrote: post #26

Is it possible for someone to 1. Be a really good 'in person' manager (able to foster a good in-office culture, motivate and coach people effectively in real time). 2. Be a really bad 'remote' manager. Not saying RTO mandates are a good idea, but to say it's masking poor management as a black and white statement lacks nuance.

Theoretically, sure, but in reality it's just that most managers are bad at their job. Knowing what your team is doing, knowing how to set priorities, knowing how to organize projects, making sure targets are being effectively met, etc. requires actual work. It's much, much easier to count butts in seats and glance at badge swipe times and pretend like you're managing your team that way.

> Knowing what your team is doing,

This one anecdotally seems to have been the biggest issue for some managers. Unless they are overhearing things (literally), they don't know what is happening.

Re: CEOs Are Using Return to Office Mandates to Mask Poor Management

#65

Post by sdwr »

thepasswordis wrote: post #40
cdchn wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know plenty of people who go into offices and blatantly don't work.

In fact, they spent a lot of their time on ~~slash dot~~ ~~Reddit~~ hacker news!

:o those lazy slackers

Re: CEOs Are Using Return to Office Mandates to Mask Poor Management

#66

Post by datadrivenangel »

rwaksmunski wrote: post #56
HumblyTossed wrote: post #44

I think it is retaliation. Employees started pushing for WFH, raises, better work/life balance. Employers (especially bad ones) like to have control and so this is to get employees back in line.

Yep, it's all about power.

Assert dominance by forcing them to fire you for not coming in and arguing for constructive dismissal.

Re: CEOs Are Using Return to Office Mandates to Mask Poor Management

#67

Post by un1xl0ser »

2c2c2c wrote: post #13

does anyone really find RTO surprising? I know several people personally who just blatantly don't work. it's more obvious in roles where the work is less quantifiable, but even in engineering roles everyone hears stories the alternative seems to be aggressively metricize and cut-- but that seems bad for different reasons

I love to work from the office, I prefer it. I hate working from my desk at home, next to my bed. We have two desks in the bedroom. I'm in MGMT. Today I'm working from home as I can't afford the commute time, last week was pre-pandemic 4 days in office.

What I don't like is changing what WFO looked like. If someone had to WFH for personal reasons (e.g. repair, packages, child issues, doctors appt), they just did it. Four days a week was normal, five was never normal. If we are trying to do 3 days and go to four, then everyone needs a dedicated desk. If you aren't willing to put a dedicated desk for people, you don't have a mandate for WFO, you have a mandate for hybrid.

I sit next to an officer who is not ranked highly enough to have a desk. A first year associate should have a dedicated desk.

It took the pandemic and a world in panic to swing the pendulum in this direction. It's going to take as much to get it back, and it may not go back to exactly the same thing.

Re: CEOs Are Using Return to Office Mandates to Mask Poor Management

#68

Post by cratermoon »

I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you want me to return to the office, give me an OFFICE. Not a bullpen, not an open workspace, not a folding table in a warehouse with 200 other people. Maybe also some support staff, for office management, travel arrangements, and other things that suck productivity.

Re: CEOs Are Using Return to Office Mandates to Mask Poor Management

#69

Post by fellowniusmonk »

cajuncosier wrote: post #52
cdchn wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know plenty of people who go into offices and blatantly don't work.

Yeah... CEOs. Most of them don't work.

C-Suite is a cost center. Only a small portion of established companies (not startups) have executives that make a clear revenue difference. First thing AI should replace is most of the C-Suite.

Re: CEOs Are Using Return to Office Mandates to Mask Poor Management

#70

Post by datadrivenangel »

"Executives should focus on figuring out the right workforce model for their business while recognizing that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The key is to focus on implementing a model that is reflective of the nature of their own business model and stakeholder needs. This does not mean that hybrid work with mandating office attendance a few times a week is the only option."

Actually thinking about the goal of your business and your operating model sounds like table stakes...?

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