MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Hybrid Work: How Leaders Build In-Person Moments That Matter

“Did I just commute for this?” Leaders need to critically examine what kinds of interactions matter most for their teams.

As hybrid work programs continue to grow in popularity and full-time office work declines, many leaders and companies are still struggling with a tough question: What are the right patterns for getting people together?

Free-for-all approaches that depend on individuals and managers to self-organize hybrid work norms don’t succeed — the coordination tax is just too high. I’ve seen this up close in my work with dozens of organizations. These ad hoc models result in people showing up to quiet offices, retreating to conference rooms to be on Zoom all day, and commuting home with a bubbling resentment about having traveled in for no clear reason.

About the Author

Brian Elliott is an executive adviser and speaker. He is a coauthor of How the Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives (Wiley, 2022).

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