In two preceding articles [1] & [2], I set out how hybrid and dispersed working have eroded the capacity of managers to manage and explained why firms need better remedies than continually checking-in or traditional project management software.

In my previous article [1], I noted that hybrid working is here to stay, even though it severely disrupts traditional in-person people management and firms haven’t yet found a satisfactory way to overcome this.

In 2020, law firms scrambled to enable remote working during Covid-19. Five years on and firm leaders' would rather have staff back in the office full-time, but by and large junior partners and associates don’t want to be there.

Discussions around productivity tend to focus on technology, collaboration, and efficiency. Companies invest in project management software, AI-driven automation, and flexible work policies.

The pandemic didn’t just change where we worked, it changed how we work and how we lead. Today’s teams are no longer bound by office walls.

For many firms, the shift to hybrid and distributed work environments was a necessary response to the pandemic. But now, five years on, one question lingers: Are hybrid teams failing, or have law firms failed to figure out how to manage them?