Scientific Definition
Return-to-office mandated for visibility, not productivity.
Plain-English Definition
Return-to-office mandated for visibility, not productivity.
Feynman Explanation
We measure presence because we can't measure value.
Core Principle
Return-to-office mandated for visibility, not productivity.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Return-to-office mandated for visibility, not productivity.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Surveillance proxy for management.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
We measure presence because we can't measure value.
Examples
- Companies where RTO correlated with attrition more than output.
- Surveillance proxy for management.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Measure outcomes. Trust workflow. Design intentionally for collaboration moments.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Measure outcomes. Trust workflow. Design intentionally for collaboration moments.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Visible presence stands in for measurable productivity.
Innovation programs designed to signal innovation, not to produce it.
Earn-outs designed to retain founders often demotivate the team they bought.
Funnels rewarded for new logos under-invest in retention and lifetime value.
Cuts that lift margin this quarter erode product quality and brand equity over years.
Narrowly tied bonuses get gamed; people optimize the metric, not the underlying goal.
Re-hires often get raises larger than internal promotions.
Pay tied to stock price encourages short-term price management.
CEO pay tied to size rewards deal-making even when acquisitions destroy value.
Sales forecasts under-set to ensure attainment bonus.
Capital tied to growth rates funds unsustainable scaling and unit-economics denial.
Managers measured by team size grow teams beyond need.