“We have an in-office culture.”

OK.
But what does that meaaaannnn?

Is my physical presence somehow more valuable than the work I actually produce?
Is the water cooler gossip the magical glue holding this place together?
Or are we using “culture” as a polite little scapegoat for something we don’t want to name?

Here is the uncomfortable truth most companies avoid:

In-office vs out-of-office is not a culture thing.
Culture is how we treat each other.
Culture is how transparent decisions are.
Culture is whether people feel safe speaking up without being quietly punished.
Culture is psychological safety, belonging, trust and accountability.

Where we sit?
That is not culture.
That is a system.
A choice.
A design decision that either supports humans or squeezes them harder.

And if we are going to be grown-ups about work, we should at least call things what they are.

The Myth of “Culture Lives in the Office”

Leaders keep repeating that proximity equals culture.
But research keeps proving the opposite.

A 2023 Gallup study found that 70 percent of the variance in team engagement is driven by the manager, not the location of the work. Leaders create culture. Not cubicles.

McKinsey’s 2022 “Great Attrition” report showed that the top reasons people left companies had nothing to do with remote work. Instead, the biggest drivers were:

• lack of respect
  
• lack of growth
  
• lack of flexibility
  
• uncaring leadership
  
• toxic culture indicators
  

None of these magically disappear when people sit in the same building.

If anything, a forced-in-office policy can intensify them.

Presence Is Not Performance

Physical presence is not a KPI.
It is not a value.
It is not proof of loyalty.

A 2022 Stanford study led by Nicholas Bloom found that hybrid workers were as productive or more productive than full-time office workers, while also reporting higher satisfaction and lower turnover.

Presence might feel comforting to leaders who grew up with old structures.
But comfort is not a strategy.

Let’s Be Honest About What “In-Office Only” Really Means

When companies push in-office mandates under the banner of “culture”, what they often mean is:

“We do not know how to manage distributed teams.”
or
“We do not trust people unless we can see them.”
or
“We have outdated systems that rely on physical proximity.”

None of these are culture issues.
They are design issues.
They are leadership capability issues.
They are system issues.

And systems can be redesigned.

What Actually Builds Culture

If in-office attendance doesn’t create culture, what does?

• Clarity in communication and expectations
  
• Respect that goes both ways, not only top-down
  
• Psychological safety that allows honesty
  
• Consistent behaviour from leadership
  
• Brave conversations, not passive-aggressive ones
  
• Transparent decisions instead of quiet political manoeuvring
  
• Flexibility, because adults deserve autonomy
  

None of these require fluorescent lighting or a reserved parking bay.

So What Should We Call It?

Let’s be accurate.

• “We want you in-office so collaboration is easier.”
  
• “We want visibility because our management practices aren’t built for hybrid.”
  
• “We want alignment and we do not know how to achieve it remotely.”
  
• “We want to maintain a specific rhythm of work.”
  

Honesty opens the door to solutions.
Buzzwords close it.

Final Thought

Hybrid work is not the problem.
Remote work is not the problem.
Office work is not the problem.

The real problem is pretending that place equals culture.

Culture is created by how we show up for each other.
Culture is behaviour.
Culture is what we reward, tolerate and model.

Where we sit?
That is architecture.
Culture is everything that happens inside it.