Anchor Days Are Not the Answer
We had good intentions. Anchor days were meant to be the solution to our hybrid working challenges—a chance to reconnect, to rebuild the camaraderie we missed during lockdowns, to get the spark back. In theory, it makes perfect sense. You get your team together and agree on a couple of days each week to come into the office. Simple. Strategic. Done.
Anchor days are not the answer.
While they might create pockets of in-team connection, they don’t solve the broader challenge we’re facing—disconnection across functions. To operationalise strategy, drive innovation, and deliver on BAU, we don’t just need strong teams—we need strong systems of collaboration. We need to connect across departments, roles, and reporting lines. We need genuine cross-functional collaboration. And that doesn’t happen just because your team all happens to be in the building on a Tuesday.
What I’m seeing is that we’re becoming more conveniently disconnected. Meetings are booked back-to-back with little breathing space. AI tools answer quick questions, which is brilliant for speed and productivity. But with fewer questions being asked out loud—within and outside of teams—opportunities to learn, share, and grow are being lost.
It’s easier now to type into a chatbot than to tap someone on the shoulder, admit you don’t know something, and ask a colleague. But that moment—the moment of human connection, of vulnerability, of curiosity—that’s where collaboration is born. That’s where culture is built.
As leaders, we need to be intentional. Set the tone. Model the behaviour. Connection can’t be left to chance. Instead of relying on anchor days to hopefully facilitate collaboration, let’s ask:
Have we designed opportunities to connect with our critical stakeholders?
Are we creating structured time to work with other teams, not just alongside them?
Are we modelling curiosity and asking questions—even the ones we think we “should” know?
If we want collaboration, connection, and culture, we have to build it into the way we work.
Be intentional. Anchor days might have been a start—but they can’t be the strategy.
Let’s stop defaulting to convenience and start designing for connection.
P.S. Facing challenges with team alignment, culture, or retention? Here are some ways we can work together:
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