In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Peter Capelli of Wharton and HR Strategist Ranya Nehmeh. Their book, In Praise of the Office, is a research-based assessment of the benefits and drawback of both in-person and remote work. 

1:10: WFH, RTO, WFM: Acronym Soup Around Where We Should Work 

3:01: Working From Home in the Early Days in the COVID-19 Pandemic 

5:52: What Has Not Been Working Well, From Employer Perspectives 

7:29: Generational Differences: Why Junior and Senior People Have Different Experiences with Remote Work 

9:31: The Allen Curve: Poor Information Flows  and Shrinking Networks 

12:38: Cubicles, Long Tables, and Hot Desking: How the Physical Office Has Evolved 

15:37: Why CFOs Loved Remote Work 

19:50: Individual Contributors Can Thrive in Remote Work Settings 

22:57: Where New Hires Get Lost in Remote Work Settings 

24:10: The Intentionality of a Hybrid Setup 

26:14: Why Anchor Days Fall Short 

28:15: Collaboration and Learning: When KPIs Don’t Measure What Makes Work Happen 

32:03: Cohorts, Friendships, and The Social Elements of Work 

34:30: Identifying When Remote Work Has Become a Problem 

38:30: What Leadership Misses 

43:00: Blowback to the Book: How Capelli and Nehmeh Struck a Chord 

46:13: Understanding Where People Land on the RTO Debate 

49:40: Case Studies: Netflix and Toss 

57:07: Gen Z’s Return to the Office 

Thought Sparks are the brainchild of Rita McGrath. They are insightful actions, strategic ideas, actionable suggestions and innovative approaches that help organizations and leaders master the future with less fear and more confidence.  

New episodes of the Thought Sparks Podcast are released every other Tuesday at 11am Eastern.  

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