[jondeval]

It think this is mostly right. Within your point number (1), I see the problem as more to do with senior management.

Specifically I think the major disconnect is not so much between middle managers and IC's, it's between executives and the rest of the org.

Unfortunately I'm beginning to think that this is truly a case of misaligned incentives that may prove hard to fix. What I mean is that executives are directly incentivized to be in the office. Almost all of their career capital is tied up in relationships and patterns of decision making with other executives.

Good day for a manager or IC - 'Wow, I really got a lot done today and I'm moving the team goals forward.'

Good day for an executive - 'That conversation with Dan and Steve went really well.'