More Flies with Honey than Vinegar

I have seen a number of interesting discussions debating employee freedom vs the importance of building an office culture through proximity.  What bothers me about that is the “vs” part….why not both?  The basic assumption of the “vs” argument is that if you want proximity you have to force it and that just isn’t true.  Retail and Hospitality have long used the physical space and programming to draw people to them.  As the freedom of choosing when and where to work moves from employer to employee, the design of offices need to focus on providing the amenities, look, and feel that will help employees choose proximity.  As my grandmother used to say, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.