Professionals Want Remote Work, But Still Crave In-Person Learning

The future of isn’t the difference of remote vs in-person work. It’s both. And for different reasons. 

Welcome to the nuance of work 🙂 And instead of arguing about remote vs in person work, let’s have a conversation about the strengths and limitations of each environment. 

Back in December, I delivered two keynotes back to back days.

The first session was virtual. The second session was in person.

The virtual session was efficient. Clean. Focused. In 60 minutes, attendees logged in, absorbed the content, and logged off.

The in-person session was an evening dinner event program. Two hours, name tags, networking, appetizers, and drinks. 

People engaged in conversation at their round tables. They introduced themselves to someone new. They referenced something someone else said during the session. They connected dots across departments, companies, and industries. 

I presented the same content. But it was received with wildly different energy. And this duality, this juxtaposition of the two sessions clarified something I’ve been observing for the last two years:

Back to office mandates are not a remote vs. in-person debate.

It’s a connection problem.

Most professionals I speak with don’t want to be in the office five days a week. We value the flexibility, focus, and autonomy of remote work. Due to the pandemic, and flexible work options being introduced to us, we learned how to integrate daily tasks into our meeting schedules. Throwing in a load of laundry before the first meeting of the day. Running to a workout class during lunchtime. Grocery shopping before school pick up. 

But - and this is a big one - those same professionals also light up when they attend a conference. A workshop. A training. A strategic offsite.

They want their day-to-day work to be remote.

They want their development, learning, and networking in person.

That’s a very different conversation than “everyone back to the office.”

And it’s a difference between task related work and relationship related work. 

If we reflect on what a large percentage of daily work actually is, it’s comprised of: deep focus work, writing, responding to emails, working in spreadsheets, organizing, coordination, and deliverables. 

Remote environments remove commute time, reduce performative busyness, and allow professionals to structure their energy. For many early- and mid-career professionals, that flexibility is what makes the difference between burnout and sustainability.

From a leadership perspective, forcing presence for tasks that don’t require collaboration erodes trust quickly.

If the work can be done asynchronously and independently, remote often wins.

AND YET - 

In-person workshops are different for a multitude of reasons:

For starters, no one wants to have happy hour over Zoom. Full stop. But second, in person creates an opportunity for relationship building and that is priceless in business. 

In person work allows people to be fully present. In person work includes the nuance of body language. In person work allows people to brainstorm and spark new ideas. And in person work results in psychological safety to build authentically and faster. 

The result of in person team kick offs, trainings, conferences, and workshops is that people feel like they are being invested in. 

This is where the nuance of hybrid work lives in 2026. 

You don’t need people in person to answer emails. But you might need your team together in person to align on strategic priorities, repair strained working relationships, build trust across generations, develop emerging leaders, and launch major initiatives.

That’s the difference between task-related work and relationship-related work. Daily execution can thrive remotely. Relational growth compounds in person.

The organizations that will win this next chapter of work aren’t the ones choosing sides.They’re the ones designing intentionally for both.

(Next week, I’ll break down what this means for leaders structuring hybrid teams — and how to avoid the most common mistakes I see inside corporate organizations right now.)

If your organization is navigating hybrid tension or return-to-office conversations, this is exactly the type of design work I support through workshops and leadership sessions. Book a session today!