Should Your Team Return to the Office? What to Consider Beyond Personal Preference

Why I Loved the Office - and What I’ll Miss

I love our Rhythm Systems office in Charlotte. It is so much more than just a physical space - it facilitates relationships.

Sure,  we can build relationships over Zoom, but it takes more intentionality and planning. Bumping into a team member in the hallway or chatting around our refrigerator stocked with La Croix has brought our team so many spontaneous, bright moments. I call these moments collisions - unexpected run-ins that lead to conversations and help us see things we would not have noticed otherwise.

Being in-person creates more opportunities for collaboration, because you are in close physical proximity to the team. You can accomplish shared work faster by dropping by someone’s desk; there is no need to wait for them to respond to your email or chat message. You can also get more insight into team members, their skills, and their judgment calls because you are seeing how they work every day. If someone is not a great fit for your team, it might take you months to realize that in a remote environment. In the office, it can take just a couple of weeks.

After years of going into a physical office, it has become a deeply-ingrained and enjoyable habit for me - and it has helped our team respond faster, be more collaborative, and execute with more insight. So, why would I ever let my office go?

The Return to Office (RTO) Debate: My Personal Dilemma

Although it’s painful for me to think about giving up the office, I am now in the process of finding a subletter. Rhythm Systems is growing in new and exciting ways, and fortune has brought us A-Players from across the country. I tried my best to create a center of talent in Charlotte, but the best talent came to us from other locations. I would rather have the right people working from different places than sacrifice talent for location.

I can hear you thinking: Patrick thinks all companies should go fully remote. End of blog. Right?  Wrong.

The 3 Work Models You Should Actually Consider

The RTO debate isn’t binary. You have three valid options:

1. Fully remote. Team members are geographically distributed and are never asked to show up in-person. You probably do not have a physical office for this reason.
2. Hybrid. Some team members live locally, and others do not. Or—everyone is expected to be in the office at least some of the time. You maintain a physical space.
3. In-person. Everyone must show up to the office every day, just like in the olden days! 

None of these is automatically better than the others. Sure, tech giants like Amazon have demanded the return of workers to the office, but following their lead might not guarantee your success as a business.

I acknowledged my personal preference, and then I acknowledged how that preference might hold me back. My preference is to go into the office—but in-person work no longer made sense for my company. Why would I continue to burn thousands of dollars each month for a space that only a small handful of people enjoy?

It is okay to have a preference. Everyone does! The problem arises when you become so invested in your preference that you cannot give it up, even when the situation demands it. The wise leader does what the company needs, even if that differs from what they would like to do.

Figure out what is best for your team, and do that—no matter how you personally feel about it.  

Don’t Copy + Paste Your RTO Decision

Stop worrying about Amazon, Microsoft, or any other firm you might admire. To make the best decision for your business, you need to consider your realities—not somebody else’s. Bring your executive team together (virtually or in person!), and discuss the following questions:

• Can our work be done just as effectively if our team is fully remote, or does working in-person add significant value
• Where does our talent live? Will we lose A-Players if we mandate RTO? How difficult would it be to replace them?
• How would turnover impact our business’ culture and success?
• Does the money we are putting into our office yield a good ROI? Are we paying thousands of dollars each month without receiving the benefit of collaboration through collisions?
• How would an RTO mandate align or not align with our Core Values?

A Mindset Shift for Leaders

These should be among the considerations you take into account as you craft your work location policy. If the right answer does not align with your personal preference, be prepared to feel discomfort or even grief. I am mourning the loss of our office, and we haven’t even left yet.

Whenever you transition to a new chapter in your business’ history, you also need to transition your mindset. My mindset shift was accepting and embracing that Rhythm is not the office—it’s our people and how we help our customers achieve their dreams. Your mindset shift may be similar…or not. What is most important is that you make your decision based on your business’ realities, and then commit to making that decision successful, no matter how you might feel emotionally.

Key Takeaways for Leaders:

• Don’t let your preference dictate your policy.
• Consider talent availability, ROI, and collaboration value.
• Revisit your Core Values before making a decision.
• The right policy will feel bittersweet - and that’s okay.

How Are You Navigating RTO?

It will be a bittersweet day the last time I close our office door and walk down the hallway to the parking garage. I will be leaving many memories behind. At the same time, I will be opening another door to new opportunities. Reading Henry Cloud’s Necessary Endings has helped me on this journey of change. Everything eventually reaches its natural end; embracing that end, rather than prolonging it and burning time and energy, helps us move on to a bright future. 

How are you approaching your company’s work location policy? Have you overridden your personal preferences or changed your mindset in order to be successful? Need help crafting your hybrid work strategy? Reach out to me at patrick@rhythmsystems.com. The more business leaders learn from each other, the more enjoyable—and less lonely—our journeys will be. 

Wherever your team ends up - in an office, remote, or somewhere in between - what matters most is leading with clarity, courage, and alignment. The future of work is yours to design. Oh, and if you’re searching for a great office space in Charlotte - I know a guy!