Good article from "The Hill" on remote work, flexibility and why mandates just don't work.
https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5775420-remote-first-productivity-growth/
"...Leaders sometimes argue that stricter in-office rules are needed to fix collaboration or innovation. The better path is to raise the bar on management, not badge swipes. The Institute for Corporate Productivity report describes organizations that use “magnet, not mandate” logic, pairing remote-first defaults with intentional gatherings, clear policies and outcome-based performance management. The combination produces high trust, defined norms and sustained results.
The risk profile for mandates is asymmetric. If they fail to lift performance, you absorb morale damage and replacement costs while sending a public signal that policy, not management, is your lever. If they “work,” the effect often comes from short-term pressure rather than durable operating improvements. .."
"...Executives face a choice. They can pursue badge-driven control that fails to raise performance and risks losing their best people, or they can treat flexibility as a strategy, design for trust and clarity, and measure what matters. The organizations that choose the latter are building stronger teams and better businesses. The smart move now is not to roll back flexibility — it is to raise the standard for how you lead..."