The return to office (RTO) mandates keep coming while the most important questions that determine how, when and where we do our best work are not being asked or answered. This time it’s AT&T’s requirement that managers will be in the office three days a week. I shared my thoughts about this with The Washington Post’s […]
If you haven’t been following the excellent workplace and future of work coverage from Digiday Media’s WorkLife, I recommend you dive into their recent Quiet Workplace Guide. The series examines why leaders need to look beyond the headlines and buzzwords of the day to the deeper human and organizational challenges beneath them in order to […]
Why can’t employers and employees seem to agree on how, when, and where work will get done most effectively going forward? The illustration below tells the story. This conflict is often portrayed as a “power” battle between employer and employee. However, that would require a level of awareness about the position you are choosing to hold in opposition […]
Looking forward to my first Open Office Hours in 2023! Join me tomorrow, Friday, 2/24 from, 12 to 12:30 pm EST. Click the blue-button above for the Zoom link. Open Office Hours are an informal opportunity for newsletter subscribers to ask questions, share insights, or just say “hi.” If you are more comfortable sending questions in advance, please forward them […]
This past week I’ve been fascinated, but not surprised, that the looming strike by railroad workers hinged not on money, but on their ability to fit work and life together. Analyzing legislation that averted a possible railroad strike, the New York Times noted Sunday that “Congress stepped in to prevent supply chain havoc, but rail […]
As oversight of talent and human capital issues become front and center for corporate boards, I joined KPMG Board Leadership Center’s (BLC) Spring Directors Roundtable as a panelist for a discussion about “What workers want – Understanding the new employee/employer dynamic.” We explored the factors driving employees’ needs and expectations—from personal well-being and work-life fit […]
Elon Musk’s recent return to office or resign mandate has generated much debate. I spoke with Forbes’ Jena McGregor, senior editor, Careers & Leadership, for her story about how his memo didn’t just demand a return to office, it promoted overwork. “The issue, say workplace experts: Employees today don’t just want flexibility about where they […]
The week started with an encouraging story by the Wall Street Journal’s Rachel Feintzeig about the Surprise Joys of Being Back in the Office. We’ve found most (but not all) workers have wanted to return to the office to spend some of their time onsite with colleagues. But as Rachel’s story points out, “Our offices […]
There’s a lot of debate lately about how many days in the office is ideal for employees and employers. It’s accelerated as we slowly move forward from the past two years where many had to work from home 100% of the time. I’ve become increasingly concerned that narrow focus is causing unnecessary conflict and keeping too many organizations stuck. Finally, last week, when the Wall Street Journal […]
I recently chatted with Digiday‘s WorkLife editor Jessica Davies about asynchronous work and the confusion surrounding this term as part of their “WTF…” series (that title is so apropos for this era of change!) “The confusion is occurring because not everyone has understood that to make it work well, you need to set some guardrails on how it’s […]