If we want people to actively collaborate then they have to be working at the same time. It’s irrelevant whether they’re in the same physical room if they don’t work the same hours. If one person comes in early and another comes in late then there is no benefit in forcing them into the same place.
I see too many places talking about hybrid setups or in-person setups and completely missing the point that collaboration requires actively working together, not just being geographically close.
Imagine how much more collaboration we could get if we assembled teams by when they wanted to work, rather than by where they happen to live.
For example, I’m an early bird and am happy to work with teams that are several hours earlier than my own timezone. My son is the opposite and would love to work with teams that are in a later timezone than his.
How much better would it be if we optimized for the hours of overlap, rather than where you physically are. I’d much rather have a team where we all start and end at the same time, regardless of where in the world each of us might live.