The "Return to Office" debate is over

The winner? Flexibility. But this victory has left a massive problem in its wake: thousands of square meters of empty, expensive office space. The knee-jerk reaction for many leaders is to enforce mandates, track badge swipes, and fill seats. This, in a word, fails.

Why? Because it treats the office as an obligation. It misunderstands the fundamental question: Why aren't employees coming back?

The answer is simple: The value proposition of the office is broken. Employees have proven they can be productive at home. Why would they endure a 90-minute commute only to find:

• The internet speed is slower than their home fiber?
• The video conferencing experience is inferior to their professional home setup?
• Their quiet focus time is destroyed by open-office disruptions?

And now, we have a new, critical failure: The AI Productivity Gap.

On their personal devices, employees use powerful, intuitive AI tools to write, code, research, and automate tasks. But at the office? They often face restrictive firewalls, blocked access, or clunky, inferior "enterprise" alternatives.

This doesn't just frustrate employees; it forces them into "Shadow AI"; meaning using personal, un-sanctioned AI tools to get their work done. This creates a massive productivity paradox and a critical security and data-privacy risk for the entire organization.

The office is no longer just a place to work. It must be a place to achieve things that have more purpose and impact which means having access to the best tools.

This is where we must shift our thinking. We must "earn the commute" and create "The Office as a Destination."

The New Playbook

The office as a destination offers experiences employees genuinely cannot replicate at home. This is about superior technology, intentional collaboration, and cultural experience.

1. Microsoft, North America: As a key technology provider for the hybrid world, Microsoft is re-imagining its campus as a network of "Team Neighborhoods." They are solving the hybrid meeting equity problem and ensuring their offices are the secure, integrated hub for their enterprise-grade AI, Copilot which ensures employees have better AI at work than at home.
2. Derwent, UK: This London-based developer is shifting from "space provider to lifestyle curator." Their new office lounges are designed like private members' clubs, focusing on high-end design, hospitality, and a premium "lifestyle" experience making the office a true destination.
3. SAP, Singapore: Through their "Pledge to Flex" initiative, SAP transformed their office into a fully "activity-based workspace." Employees choose their setting based on their task - from sound-proof, high-tech "quiet rooms" for deep focus to dynamic lounge areas for brainstorming. They provide a choice of specialized spaces that are better than a single home office.

The Strategic Approach

This is a massive strategic pivot. An empty office isn't a "discipline problem". It's a product failure, purely and simply.

Human Resources: You are now the "Chief Experience Officer." Your job is to program the "destination" with in-person events, learning & development workshops, and wellness initiatives that make the office a vibrant hub for growth.

IT Teams: The tech can't just "work." It must be seamlessly superior. Your mandate has expanded: you are in a race against Shadow AI. If your $50,000 meeting room is worse than a $100 webcam, or your enterprise AI is weaker than a free public tool, you have failed. Your mandate is to invest in:

• Enterprise-Grade AI: Provide secure, powerful, integrated AI tools that are better and safer than consumer versions. This makes the corporate network the only place to do AI-powered work safely.
• Equitable Meeting Tech: AI-powered cameras, spatial audio, and smart-boards.
• Zero-Friction Rooms: One-touch-to-join, intuitive room booking, and rock-solid connectivity.
• AI-Enabled Innovation Hubs: VR/AR labs and data visualization studios.

Facilities/CRE Teams: You're no longer in the "square footage" business; you're in the hospitality business. Your mandate is to create a dynamic ecosystem of "activity zones" such as war rooms, libraries, cafes, and wellness nooks.

System Integrators: This is your moment. You are no longer just "connecting phones" or "hanging screens." You are the Architects of the Intelligent Workplace. Your new role is to connect the physical space (CRE), the digital tools (CIO), and the human experience (CHRO), ensuring the company's AI strategy is tangible, accessible, and secure in every single workspace.

Stop Counting, Start Creating

The office isn't dead. But the office as an obligation, the place we had to go to every day from 9AM to 5PM daily, is gone for good. The future is the Office as a Destination. A place of intention. A place for collaboration. A place with technology and experiences - including secure, superior AI - that truly earn the commute. It's time to stop counting badges and start creating experiences. What's the one 'experience' your office provides that you truly can't get at home? Let me know in the comments.

Navigating this shift to an 'Office as a Destination' requires a clear strategy for both the enterprises building it and the technology partners enabling it. As the founder of Strategic Pathways, I provide strategic consulting based on the 'Intelligent Workplace Framework,' helping leaders integrate AI across their Workforce, Workflow, Workspace, and Worktech. For manufacturers and integrators, I offer expert training in Channel Management, Strategic Account Planning, Key Account Management, and craft resonant value propositions to effectively engage this new buying committee. Let's discuss how we can build your future-ready workplace together. For more information, visit: www.strategicpathways.asia