Return to Relationships: Why Return to Office Alone Won’t Fix Your Culture
Culture Isn’t Back Just Because People Are Back
I was sitting across from a business owner last month—strong leader, thriving company—yet visibly exasperated.
He leaned back in his chair and said,
“We told them to come back. Full-time. Everyone in the office. Culture matters, right? But it feels worse. Now they’re here—but they aren’t really here.”
Sound familiar?
That same week, an employee at another firm shared:
“I’m back at my old desk. Commute’s longer, stress is higher. But the energy’s off. People aren’t connecting. It's flat—like we're here without being here.”
That’s the disconnect many workplaces are facing.
The RTO Disconnect (Returning to the Office ≠ Rebuilding Culture)
According to the Kastle Systems Back to Work Barometer (May 2025), office occupancy across major U.S. cities remains under 55%, despite widespread RTO mandates.
Meanwhile, Future Forum Pulse reveals:
80% of employees want location flexibility
58% say RTO mandates harm culture
Only 20% of executives believe RTO has restored the culture they intended to rebuild
Bottom line: Being physically present doesn’t ensure relational reconnection.
The Office Was Never the Culture Cure
We've long assumed that proximity automatically sparks connection, but the research tells a different story.
MIT Sloan data shows collaboration networks shrank 10–15% after RTO mandates—people slipped into old silos, not new ones. The real issue? Trust erosion not distance.
Proximity alone doesn’t fix culture. Relational behaviors do.
What’s Missing? A Relational Rebuild
Leaders aren’t just craving full offices—they want real relationships that yield:
Trust
Engagement
Psychological safety
A workplace where people want to contribute, not just comply
That shift requires moving from policy-first to relationship-first culture.
How the GENUINE Framework Restores Culture, One Interaction at a Time
The GENUINE Relationships™ framework enables culture repair through everyday behaviors, across leader-to-leader, leader-to-employee, and peer-to-peer interactions:
GENUINE Principles — RTO Culture Table
| GENUINE Principle | RTO Culture Risk | Culture-Restoring Action |
|---|---|---|
| Generous | RTO feels transactional | Lead with generosity—offer recognition, time, mentorship. Make office time valuable, not obligatory. |
| Engaged | In office ≠ engaged | Be present: hold fewer, richer meetings. Walk to connect—don’t just watch dashboards. |
| Nice | Forced change breeds tension | Personalize kindness. Use small acts each day to welcome, not manage. |
| Unafraid | Unspoken fears fuel disengagement | Normalize honest dialogue on flexibility, well-being, and priorities. |
| Integrity | Talking the talk without walking the walk breeds mistrust | Ensure actions match values, even amid pressure. |
| Non-Judgmental | Hybrid workers feel second class | Meet people where they are. Lead with curiosity, not comparison. |
| Empathetic | Leadership pretense erodes safety | Share your own RTO journey. Show yourself human to foster connection. |
From “Return to Office” to “Return to Relationships”
It's not just workplaces changing; leaders are reframing success:
A 2024 McKinsey study found that the strongest predictor of post-pandemic retention wasn’t compensation or flexibility it was employees’ sense of belonging and purpose at work mckinsey.com+1sais.org.
Meanwhile, Harvard Business Review highlights that teams rooted in relational trust outperform others by 30–50% even in hybrid settings.
True culture isn't about attendance. It's about belonging.
5 Relational Actions You Can Start Today
Begin the shift from RTO to RTR—Return to Relationships—with these actionable steps:
Audit presence, not just attendance. Are leaders truly engaging or just occupying space?
Host listening sessions about connection not just policies. Ask: “Where do you feel relationally disconnected?”
Personalize connection. One-size culture events don’t stick—make people feel seen in ways they value.
Equip managers with relational leadership. Build GENUINE behavior into training, expectations, and feedback.
Celebrate relational wins. Shine a spotlight on trust, collaboration, and humanity—in addition to results.
The New Leadership Opportunity
If your culture feels fragile post-RTO, you’re not behind—you’re being shown what truly matters.
The solution isn’t stricter protocols it’s deeper human connection. And the GENUINE framework maps the way forward.
Shift to returning to relationships and watch engagement, belonging, and performance follow.