A few weeks ago, during a morning talk I gave in Stockholm, someone shared a moment that stuck with me.

Their company's leadership had just announced that everyone was expected back in the office, full-time.

No discussion.

No flexibility.

Just… back in the building. Like it was 1998, and nothing had changed.

I've been thinking about it ever since.

Let's be clear! I believe in the value of physical presence.

I design for connection, I advocate for real-world interaction, and I care deeply about what shared environments can do for creativity, collaboration, and community.

But bringing everyone back, full-time, into an old system with the same structure and logic as ten years ago? That's not connection.

That's a reflex. And often, it's rooted in something deeper.

Let's talk about it.

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Presence vs. Trust

When companies mandate office attendance without rethinking the purpose behind it, it sometimes reveals something uncomfortable.

A lack of trust.

The unspoken message becomes (even if not intended):

"If I can see you, I can be sure you're working."

That logic may have worked in factory lines and paper-pushing cubicle farms back in the days, but most of today's work isn't built like that.

It's distributed, dynamic, creative, and cognitive.

You can't measure performance by chair time.

And let's be honest, just because someone is at their desk doesn't mean they're engaged.

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Valid Motives? Sure. But Make Them Make Sense.

There can be strong reasons to gather in person. I’m not against offices, I’m against unquestioned defaults.

I’m a strong advocate for physical presence, but only when the office offers a clear, shared purpose that enhances connection, not just fills a seat.

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If your motive for bringing everyone back full-time is about better collaboration, deeper culture, or supporting mental health I'm game.

But say that. Prove that. Make sure it holds up for everyone, not just the leadership team.

Employees aren't resisting the office.

They're resisting being pulled back into a structure that no longer reflects reality.

The Office Has to Evolve - Or Be Irrelevant

Let's say it clearly: today, the office has to earn its place in people's lives.

It's no longer the automatic centre of work.

People have options now.

Home offers comfort and autonomy.

Cafés offer atmosphere and flexibility.

Co-working spaces offer variety and stimulation.

So if you're asking people to get dressed, commute, and show up - the office has to offer something they can't get anywhere else.

And what can that be?

• Real energy; not just from the space, but from the people in it. When a workplace is alive, it motivates. It lifts you. It reminds you why your work matters.

• Human connection; the kind that happens between meetings, not inside them. Quick chats, spontaneous help, shared glances that say, "I get it too." These moments build trust faster than any team-building exercise.

• Space for creative friction; where ideas are allowed to bounce around, where disagreement isn't feared, and where unexpected combinations can emerge. Innovation doesn't come from sitting in silos.

• A culture you can feel; in the design, the rituals, the snacks, the energy when you walk in. It's not about posters or values on the wall. It's about walking into a space that feels alive with purpose.

On the other hand, if your office is just a row of desks where people log on to Zoom and answer emails in noise-canceling isolation, you've missed the moment.

That's not culture. That's real estate inertia.

If the office doesn't evolve, it becomes irrelevant.

In 2025, physical space has to be intentional.

It has to justify the commute.

It has to enhance the work experience, not just host it.

So, instead of asking how to get people back into the office, ask:

"What are we inviting them into?"

If the answer is "more of the same," don't be surprised when no one shows up.

What Leadership Looks Like Now

Good leadership in 2025 doesn't mandate presence for the sake of it.

It redefines presence around:

• Purpose - Why are we together? What happens here that can't happen remotely?

• Trust - People work better when they feel trusted, not watched.

• Clarity - Let teams know what the office is for — and what it isn't.

• Flexibility - Not as a perk, but as part of reality. The world isn't 9–5 anymore. Work shouldn't be either. And your project might have different phases that demand different things to be productive.

Let's Wrap This Up

The world of work has changed.

So must the workplace.

If you're asking people to show up full-time, the reason better be more than "because that's how we used to do it." It needs to be real. Tangible. Shared.

And worth the time it takes to get there.

Because people don't want to go back to the way things were.

They want to go forward - together.

With meaning.

With autonomy.

With trust.

Lots of love,

Stina

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