Since 2020, I’ve been noticing a quiet but significant shift in how businesses relate to their offices.
At first, it was framed as a temporary response.
Then a flexibility experiment.
Then a wellbeing conversation.
But now, heading into 2026, it’s clear something deeper is coming to a head.
The way we work has fundamentally changed.
And many workspaces… haven’t caught up.
What we learned after 2020 (that we can’t unlearn):
When remote and hybrid work became widespread, it surfaced things many businesses hadn’t fully seen before.
Some positive. Some uncomfortable.
What I’ve observed across small and mid-sized businesses is this:
Junior staff lost access to informal learning and mentorship
Collaboration became scheduled instead of spontaneous
Decision-making slowed because proximity disappeared
Culture became harder to feel - even if values were well articulated
Offices were either underused… or used in all the wrong ways
None of this happened because leaders stopped caring.
It happened because the environment no longer matched the way work was actually happening.
The office didn’t become irrelevant… it became more important
There was a moment where it felt like offices might disappear altogether.
What actually happened was more nuanced.
The office stopped being a place you had to go…
and became a place people will only go if it genuinely supports them.
That’s a big shift.
People now subconsciously ask:
“Can I focus there?”
“Is it easier to collaborate there?”
“Will I feel energised or drained?”
“Is it worth the commute?”
If the answer is no, they adapt.
Work from home more. Come in less. Disconnect quietly.
Environment shapes behaviour… whether we plan for it or not
This is one of the most underestimated dynamics I see.
Leaders often try to solve behavioural or performance issues through:
policies
team agreements
software
meetings
culture initiatives
Those things matter… but the environment still sets the baseline.
If the space makes focus difficult, people will avoid it.
If collaboration feels awkward, people will default to screens.
If the office feels dated or chaotic, pride quietly erodes.
The environment is always teaching people how to behave, even when no one is saying a word.
Brand, culture, and performance now live in the same place
Another thing that’s become more pronounced since 2020 is how closely brand perception is tied to physical experience.
Clients notice.
New hires notice.
Your own team notices.
A business can have:
strong online branding
clear values
a great leadership team
…but if the workspace feels misaligned, it creates friction.
People may not articulate it — but they feel it.
And over time, that feeling influences:
confidence
engagement
retention
how “grown up” or future-ready the business feels
One of the biggest shifts I’m seeing now is this:
The cost of not addressing workspace misalignment is increasing.
Not dramatically.
Not overnight.
But quietly and consistently.
It shows up as:
slower onboarding
higher cognitive load
team fatigue
less cross-pollination of ideas
leaders feeling like they’re holding culture together with effort
A workspace that “kind of works” used to be manageable.
Now, it’s a competitive disadvantage.
2026 belongs to businesses who get intentional
The businesses that will feel most stable, connected, and confident in 2026 won’t necessarily have the fanciest offices.
They’ll be the ones who:
understand how their team actually works
design for focus and connection
align space with brand maturity
remove friction instead of asking people to compensate for it
And the good news is — this doesn’t start with renovations.
It starts with clarity.
Clarity on:
what’s supporting your team
what’s quietly draining them
where your space is aligned
and where it’s asking people to work harder than they should
That clarity is exactly what the Workspace KPI Audit™ is designed to give you.
If you’re planning for 2026 and want your workspace to support - not fight - your business, start with the Workspace KPI Audit™… It’s a calm, practical way to see what’s really going on.