Let's stop shaming companies holding onto the office

Why you can't just change office culture overnight

I am annoyed with all the remote-work militants on Linkedin. 

Remote work doesn't work for every company. 

And there are tons of news of companies realizing this and pushing to get their team back to the office.

And employees pushing back. 

The reason why companies do that is not “incompetent managers”. Which usually is the cited reason. 

It is because those companies don't function optimally in a remote setting. 

And it makes a ton of sense. 

If you are Ford and you have built your whole culture and identity about being in the office. Well, you won't be able to change that overnight. 

It’s like telling them to “just act like Tesla” from tomorrow. 

And if they can't do it, they deserve to be shamed on Linkedin!

Remote or office is a lifestyle choice for employees. 

But it is a culture choice for companies. 

And one thing you can’t “just change” is culture. 

And when I say office culture, I’m not just talking about office layout and collaborative workspaces.

Those can always be changed.

But it’s also slower-moving things (that are also harder to build).

Things like company values, leadership styles, and communication channels.

Things that make a huge difference in how a GTM team works. 

Both in a group and asynchronously. 

But can remote-first work? Absolutely.

I’ve seen some people absolutely smash this remote work thing.

The main difference is, the most successful ones have carefully developed their culture around the idea.

They hire people who thrive in a remote environment.

People who prefer asynchronous work over face-to-face.

They give everyone the tools they need to get it done.

And their entire company is built on making that a success.

If you wanted to change that, it’s like changing your culture. 

And you can’t change that overnight.

No matter what that Linkfluencer might say.