Marcie Borgal Shunk, President and Founder of the The Tilt Institute Inc. Courtesy photo

Smart Strategy

Reality: The 80-hour in-office work week has gone the way of the rotary phone. Lawyers and professional staff alike are refusing to be bound by hard-and-fast rules chaining them to their desks. This shift was inevitable—and the pandemic accelerated it to a whiplash pace. In response, the majority of today's leaders are defaulting to what they know best—providing decisive advice and practical solutions to sticky problems. After all, these are the skills that make them successful in their role as counselors. Return-to-office, however, is a complex situation. There is no single solution.

In the return-to-office conversation, several perceived "truths" about the value of being in the office have become core to the discussion and a source of debate. These include:

• Unless we go back to the office we can't …
• Cultivate our culture
• Provide the right development and mentorship
• Develop and enhance personal connections
• Attract and retain talent

While there is some truth behind these reasons, collectively, there is little evidence to support these myths outright. They are emblematic, instead, of a perpetual tendency as an industry (and, perhaps, as people) to hold on to the past as the best indicator of future success. Each idea has merit, yes, yet each also holds an alternate reality—one where law firm leaders can find and profit from embracing remote work by learning new ways to lead and engage.

We can't … cultivate our culture.