How to Make Office Time Actually Worth It

The 3-part formula to energize every in-person workday.

Source: jacoblund / iStock

“I go to the office just to sit on Zoom.”

This isn't a complaint—it's a clue. A clue that today’s return-to-office plans are missing something vital. It’s (usually) not the commute that’s draining people—it’s the lack of something you can’t access alone at home.

In my work helping organizations build culture through connection, one complaint echoes loudly: “When I go into the office, I end up doing work I could have done at home. So why go in at all?”

It’s a fair question—if the only goal is to get the work done. But what if coming into the office isn’t about doing work? What if it’s about harnessing something invisible that accelerates the work?

That something is called collective effervescence.

A 2022 meta-analysis by José J. Pizarro and colleagues, which reviewed over 50 studies and 182,000 participants, found that collective effervescence—a state of intense shared emotional activation—strongly correlates with increased group identity, motivation, and long-term cohesion. Collective effervescence describes the shared emotional energy that emerges when people come together with a common purpose. It’s that electric feeling you get:

• Singing with strangers at a concert.
• Cheering in sync at a playoff game.
• Marching for a shared cause.
• Celebrating a hard-won team victory.

In the workplace, it’s the pulse you feel when your team is firing on all cylinders. When meetings spark ideas instead of draining energy. When progress feels like it’s being pushed forward by more than just individual effort.

Why Collective Effervescence Matters

Collective effervescence isn’t just feel-good chemistry—it has real business value: It strengthens bonds between colleagues, reinforces belonging and psychological safety, sparks motivation and shared momentum, and creates a lift that often outlasts the moment itself.

Collective effervescence creates organizational lift. But here’s the catch: It doesn’t happen by accident.

Effervescence is a reaction—a spark created when people and purpose collide in the same space. For leaders and teams looking to maximize their in-person time, there’s a simple formula.

The Onsite Advantage Formula

Presence + Purpose + Participation = Collective Effervescence

Let’s break it down:

• Presence = Are you physically and mentally here? Not just in the building, but with each other. Sharing time, space, and attention.
• Purpose = Do you know why you're here? Purpose channels our energy toward something bigger than ourselves.
• Participation = Are you actively engaging? This ensures energy is shared, not siloed. Participation is the difference between observing and owning.

Whether it’s a team meeting or a full day in the office, this formula transforms routine gatherings into energizing connection points.

Real-World Applications

Here are two examples of the formula in action onsite:

The Morning Kickoff: Start the day with a 15-minute team huddle.

• Presence: Everyone gathers for a morning stand-up meeting.
• Purpose: Clear updates on the team's mission and objectives.
• Participation: End with a quick challenge or call to action (“Who can find one way to support a teammate today?”)

The Work-Together Block: Instead of working in silos, schedule 90 minutes of shared work time in a conference room.

• Presence: Phones down, laptops up.
• Purpose: Everyone focuses on one team objective.
• Participation: Light music, shared updates, and real-time collaboration encouraged.

Connection is too valuable to waste. If you’re showing up to the office just to check boxes or sit in solitude, you’re missing the point—and the power—of shared space.

Stop focusing only on the tasks. Focus on the teamwork. Because done alone is progress—but done as one is momentum.