In 2020, remote work became the default overnight.
What began as a crisis response soon revealed unexpected upsides: no commutes, flexible schedules, and surprising bursts of productivity.
Many leaders were pleasantly surprised. It worked.
But as the dust settled, some companies began pulling people back into offices.
Why? Because fully remote setups started showing cracks.
Studies from Stanford and others found that fully remote workers can be 10–20% less productive than their in-office peers, largely due to communication hurdles and reduced mentoring opportunities.
The Real Problem: Managing Performance, Not Location
What if the real issue isn’t where people work but how we manage their work in the first place?
We’ve spent years debating remote vs. office. Productivity stats, collaboration woes, company culture…
But maybe we’ve been looking in the wrong direction all along.
Because the truth is, most organisations still struggle with performance management (remote or not).
Let’s face it : most companies were never really taught how to manage performance well.
They know how to count hours, track presence, reply-all on emails, and maybe set some KPIs that live in a forgotten spreadsheet. But real performance management? The kind that gives direction and autonomy? That’s still a rare skill.
When teams lack clear objectives, they drift.
When managers check in just to check up, not to support or clarify, trust erodes.
And when no one knows what success actually looks like, how can anyone perform at their best, whether they’re at home or sitting three desks away?
The problem isn’t remote work. It’s that we often mistake management for micromanagement. Or, on the flip side, we believe that giving people total freedom is the key to letting their expertise shine.
But that’s not quite how it works either.
So, remote or office?
Great leadership lives in the balance, and that balance starts with a clear objective.
Strong performance management means setting outcomes that matter: meaningful goals that give people purpose, a clear sense of what needs to be delivered, and the freedom to design the how.
It’s about time-bound results, not face time.
Support, not surveillance.
Trust, not control.
If your team doesn’t perform remotely, maybe it’s not because they’re slacking. Maybe it’s because they’re not sure what they’re working toward, when it needs to be delivered, or why it matters.
Bottom line
It’s not about choosing between the office or remote work.
It’s about evolving how we lead.
Ask yourself:
- Do your managers know how to set clear, measurable objectives
- Are you tracking outcomes or just hours logged?
- Is your culture built on trust or surveillance?
The future of work isn’t about location. It’s about leadership.
