In recent email bulletins, we have focused on the present-day reality of the "office of the future."  Part of this ongoing discussion involves mobility trends and the inevitable role of the virtual office.  Globally, a new generation of workers, enabled by technology tools, is transforming the workplace: More employees are setting up shop at home or at other remote locations, away from the core team. In fact, studies show that the number of mobile workers grew 66% from 2005 to 2010, and that trend is continuing.*

Then along comes Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer, who shouts, "Whoa" and directs wayward teleworkers back to the office.  Her new policy has led to a hailstorm of headlines and blogs, some applauding Mayer, others blasting her.  While the ensuing dialog has been healthy, we need to put this debate in perspective:  The answer to "Does working at home work for your company?" is not a simple yea or nay.  Rather, it depends on many variables and involves many nuances that need to be addressed, including whether it is healthy for the corporate culture.

So, let's get beyond Mayer's soundbite and not take her remarks at face value. We believe she's addressing the specific dynamics that have allowed a once-exciting work environment at Yahoo! to lose its luster (as suggested by its exclamation point!) while the company loses in the innovation and talent wars against the likes of Google and Facebook.  Ultimately, the message in Mayer's memo is that Yahoo! needs "all hands on deck" and wants its employees to be accountable, interactive, and productive.  Actually, Mayer may be onto something, because studies show that the strongest companies have the strongest cultures...i.e., the right cultural change can improve results.

The fact is that some workers at Yahoo! have never been inside the company and have abused their off-site privileges.  In response to Mayer's call to return, some may bolt to "cooler" tech companies.  Well, those are probably not the kind of employees Yahoo! needs anyway.  But the real point is that maybe Yahoo! and thousands of other companies should invest in ways to make the workplace more of a home away from home. The optimal environment should support the corporate culture and facilitate personal and team interactions that are vital to the health of the organization. 

 >>Read more about this "question of balance."