The Great Gaslight: Why Your RTO Mandate is Killing Your Culture
TL:DR
Return-to-office (RTO) mandates are not about "culture" or "collaboration," but are outdated command-and-control tactics rooted in leadership insecurity. These rigid policies create a "trust tax," inducing stress and driving away high-performing talent who refuse to trade autonomy for office optics.
Key Takeaways
Forced collaboration is a performance, not a process; true innovation is asynchronous and voluntary.
RTO mandates act as a "soft layoff" tool that disproportionately costs companies their most skilled and diverse talent.
The "mentorship" argument for RTO is collapsing as AI automates the very entry-level roles companies claim to be "protecting."
We’ve seen the endless news headlines of another company requiring its employees back into the office. Every article and executive’s comments are filled with buzzwords like "serendipitous encounters," "spontaneous innovation," and "strengthening our cultural fabric." But for the high-performer who has spent their career over-delivering, it reads differently. It reads like a lack of trust.
The Command & Control Trap
As Adam Grant recently noted, the evidence on RTO is clear: it’s often about power, not productivity (Grant, 2025). When leadership mandates presence without purpose, they aren't fostering collaboration—they are exercising command and control. This "boss-ist" insecurity screams that if you aren't visible, you aren't working. It is a dire mismanagement of skilled professionals who have proven they can thrive in a decentralized environment.
Forced Collaboration is an Oxymoron
Companies argue that the office is the only place where "magic" happens. However, research suggests that forced collaboration often leads to "collaboration fatigue." True innovation happens when people have the "deep work" time to think, followed by intentional, often asynchronous, connection. Dragging people into an open-plan office to sit on Zoom calls is not a culture; it’s a theater of the absurd.
The Talent Drain: A Self-Inflicted Wound
According to Forbes, rigid mandates are costing companies their best talent (Korn, 2025). High-performers have the most leverage and the least patience for "office-first" bureaucracy. When you remove flexibility, you don't just lose bodies; you lose the institutional knowledge and the "A-players" who value results over rituals.
The Mentorship Myth and the AI Reality
Leaders often hide behind the "what about the juniors?" argument. They claim RTO is necessary for the next generation. Yet, as Josh Bersin highlights, AI is rapidly reshaping the job market, automating the very roles typically reserved for new hires (Bersin, 2025). If entry-level work is being handled by LLMs, the "apprenticeship" excuse is a lie. The real question is: Have you tried to be innovative with your virtual training, or are you just lazy?
Conclusion: Culture is What You Give, Not What You Demand
Your culture is not defined by your floor plan. It is defined by how you treat people when they aren't in your line of sight. If you want to know what your culture really is, ask your employees how they work best (WeWork, 2025). Anything else is just control in a "collaborative" disguise.
References
Bersin, J. (2025, December). Yes, AI is really impacting the job market: Here’s what to do. Josh Bersin Academy. https://joshbersin.com/2025/12/yes-ai-is-really-impacting-the-job-market-heres-what-to-do/
Grant, A. M. [@adammgrant]. (2025, November). The evidence is clear on return-to-office: It's often about power, not productivity [Post]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/adammgrant_the-evidence-is-clear-on-return-to-office-activity-7396236753340223488-mX6h/
Korn, J. (2025, November 24). How rigid return-to-office mandates might cost you your best talent. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliakorn/2025/11/24/how-rigid-return-to-office-mandates-might-cost-you-your-best-talent/
WeWork. (2025). What’s been driving RTO mandates in 2025. WeWork Ideas. https://www.wework.com/ideas/professional-development/whats-been-driving-rto-mandates-in-2025