Making the Most of Your In-Office Days
By Marcus Chen · December 15, 2025
When you only come to the office 2–3 days per week, each day matters more. You can’t waste an office day doing the same things you’d do at home. Here’s a practical playbook for making every commute count.
The Office Day Mindset Shift
Think of each office day as having a purpose: connection days focused on meeting people and building relationships, collaboration days for working together on problems that benefit from face-to-face energy, and alignment days for getting on the same page about strategy and priorities.
The 80/20 Rule: Aim for 80% of your office time on activities you can’t do well remotely. Save solo work, emails, and admin for remote days.
Before You Go In
Check Who’s Coming In
Before committing to a commute, see who else will be in the office. If the people you need to collaborate with are all working remotely, consider swapping your office day.
Plan Your Conversations
Think about who you want to connect with. A colleague you haven’t spoken to in weeks. A quick chat you’ve been putting off. A new team member you haven’t met in person yet.
Coordinate Lunch
Don’t leave lunch to chance. Plan to eat with colleagues—your team, someone from another department, or a group with shared interests. A coordinated lunch turns a solo sandwich into a meaningful social experience.
During Your Office Day
Arrive with energy and be open to spontaneous conversations. Batch face-to-face work in the morning. Take real breaks to connect rather than scrolling your phone. Try not to sit in video calls all day—if you’re in the office but spending the entire day on video calls, you’re getting the commute without the in-person benefits.