How to encourage a return to the office?

Same here it has forced some people into communicating, people who were often uncooperative and unresponsive in the office.

Our company has blended working and mentoring.

Magically we just use phones and Teams when we're at home or on site.

It's really quite simple.

We also ring eachother for a chat if we want to discuss something.

No watercooler needed

I think everyone knows someone that is just brutal at getting back to you. Even amongst family's and friends. Always have mobile phone problems. No battery, forgot my phone, didn't see your call etc.

You get those at work. I was overseeing one team to see why their process took so long. Turned out it was different stages were kicked off by the manager (for no reason) and the manager was person who also made decisions when errors were encountered. However the manager often took hours or days to get back to the team. (no reason why). Because we overseeing the process, the manager was giving instant responses, thus cutting days off the teams process. Before watching this the assumption was the problem was the team, or working remotely. Interesting to observe.

True. But They still work especially in places that are silo'd or disconnected.

One thing I would say though - if you want to persuade people to come back to the office (which contrary to what you say, its pretty well documented that most dont want to) - then the first thing I would look at is:

Make offices nicer.

Most of them are pretty drab looking on the inside. Given the choice, would I choose to spend my time wearing a suit in an open plan office with cheap carpet and plastic tiled ceilings. No, I definitely wouldnt.

That's because they want staff stay working as long hours as possible.

Here ya go.

20% of those surveyed say they are ready to go back. 80% say they arent. Out of those who are Yes or No. And a sample of circa 10'000 so very conclusive. Much more than your 'anyone I've spoken to' sample, the same lad who is telling me not to form a view based on forum discussions.

Poll: Are you ready to go back to working in an office next month? (thejournal.ie)

Why is there so much traffic on the roads these days if so many are enjoying WFH? I can't figure that one out. But anyway, was down IFSC way today and it was like an unused movie set.

With all the climate outcry...why is there not a push to make blended work and WFH more of a permanent fixture...

I have 2 friends who will be driving a total of 700km a week...

Imagine the improvement in air quality, road safety and general happyness if we had more WFH and/or blended work for all those folks who did WFH during the pandemic

Because we have a housing shortage, and using a spare bedroom as a home office reduces overall bed-spaces available.

Who are all these people who decided to work 175km from where they live?

Bonkers stuff.

Anyway OP, you have a few options:

1. Make it mandatory, or

2. Keep it optional but pay those who come in full time more/promote them ahead of the WFH gang.

so not using the spare room, relieves the housing crisis!

It's unlikely that many people are renting a room that's subsequently been turned into an office. Or that people were prevented from renting a room as they needed an office. The numbers renting a room seem very small.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/personal-finance/homeowners-flocked-to-rent-a-room-scheme-in-lean-years-1.3193714

The sarcasm was an appropriate response to your pretty silly false dichotomy where one is either in the office and connected or working from home and "in complete isolation". You're not, and just because you might feel like you are doesn't mean you really are. Your fallacious "I am the world" argument is far from convincing What you need to do instead of trying to get everyone else in line with your preferred way of working is show some adaptability, which seems to be seriously lacking so far. You have all this technology to help you yet you're effectively dismissing it with a wave of the hand and insisting that only face-to-face contact will do.

As for the asking questions aspect, you say that you're more careful of disturbing your manager now you're working remotely. That's probably a good thing, and he's probably being more productive with the other tasks on his plate now that he isn't being bothered by you with your questions (unless his only function is to do so, which I seriously doubt). There are some easy workarounds available to you here, and I think it's illuminating that you don't seem to have occurred to you. One might be to schedule a few 15-minute phone or Zoom/Teams calls each day with you save your questions and hit him with them all at once. Outside of these times, if you hit a snag that requires a consultation with your manager, note it and move on the the next task.

The technological workarounds for remote working are proving successful for a lot of people, It's not a question of me "trying to sell it", the proof is in the pudding that's being eaten all over the world by many people,. In some ways the new tech is better, in some ways not so good, but people adapt, working around the shortfalls, and enjoying the new advantages. Maybe you should try embracing the technology instead of dismissing it and reaching for your comfort blanket.