Workplace headlines show that so many want virtual work, while companies are pushing for back in-person.

As a career coach, MBA Faculty, and a former consulting Partner, I’m wrestling with the pros and cons of the return-to-office dilemma. 

My faculty hat: a 2021 West Point study showed online instruction resulted in lower student performance relative to in-person. Online students also admitted trouble concentrating on their coursework and felt less connected to peers and instructors. Online can work, but both parties (adult student and faculty) have to work at it. Faculty need to adopt new ways of facilitation and engagement. Adult students need to turn on the camera and engage in discussion. It’s a two-way street.

My consulting Partner hat: I know firsthand the power of in-person collaboration. I also know the power of technology to facilitate global team work. I lived this every day for decades before the pandemic. I couldn’t wait for the once or twice a year when we’d all come together from around the world to collaborate in the same room. Remote can work, but all parties have to work at it. It’s a skill.

My career coach hat: We need to have a fit-for-purpose mindset. 

1. Recognize what’s truly required of the role on a day-to-day basis. 

2. Identify was is most desired for both the business performance and the individual’s growth.

3. Lay out the pros and cons so we understand each other’s perspectives.

4. Take ownership of the role you individually play in minimizing the cons. 

Should companies require employees back in the office full-time? I’m taking the classic consulting answer: it depends. 

For companies:

• If you want to work remotely daily, find important moments to truly engage. Talk to humans. Pick up the phone. Bathe. Use video when it matters. We used to ask, “what is the dress code for that meeting.” We should now ask, “what is the camera policy?”

• If you want everyone back in the office, make in-person worth the shower, the gas, the doggy daycare.

For academia:

• If you want to learn online, turn on your camera and participate.

• If you want adult students engaged online, refresh your pedagogy.

We all seem to want some version of hybrid at the individual level. And who wouldn’t? Empowerment and freedom reside in hybrid. And with freedom comes responsibility. Each party has a role to play in making this hybrid work thing work.