One Size Still Doesn’t Fit All

In their zeal to return DC and by extension other big city workers back to the office, the editors of the Washington Post have produced a list of “carrots” to extend to lure workers back to their offices and reinvigorate downtowns:

1. Give out $10 lunch coupons in September.
2. Waive food truck fees through the end of the year.
3. Hire private security.
4. Offer free or reduced-price parking downtown on weekends.
5. Lower fees to open a small business through year-end.
6. Heavily promote events and eateries.
7. Get the second gentleman and other celebs out downtown.

Maybe some of those might have some incremental benefit but I suspect the editors will be frustrated by how little effect they will have.

IMO if they want to reinvigorate downtowns there are two sine qua non measures:

• Reduce crime in the downtown shopping areas
• Make public transport clean, safe, and efficient

As to office workers, I think there’s a question they need to ask themselves. If most of the people with whom you interact in the course of a day are not in the office, why should you be? That’s even more true when the people with whom you interact aren’t even in the same hemisphere as you are.

There’s another factor I think they should consider. Different age cohorts find different things motivating. When dealing with Baby Boomers telling them to come into the office might be enough but that is unlikely to be the case with Generation X, Millennials, or Generation Z.

Generation X invented the notion of “work-life balance”. They and subsequent cohorts find that motivating to various degrees. How do you achieve work-life balance while spending a couple of hours commuting and eight (or more) hours in the office? That’s a question. I don’t know the answer. I don’t even know if it’s possible.

Considering federal government workers only, most are either Baby Boomers or Generation X. With the right legislation they could be compelled to return to the office. I suspect an amazingly large percentage would choose to retire rather than return.

Here’s a round-up on motivating different age cohorts. In my own experience it’s like herding cats.