Execs and employees agree on one thing: half our meetings are a waste of time. But we don't do anything about it, especially in large organizations. We stumble into our calendars at the start of the day, and recover afterwards. We argue over days per week together, but ignore the bigger issue: we have too many meetings yet poor collaboration, and too little focus time for deep work.

You can successfully scale efforts to improve collaboration and improve focus time for deep work. This article gets into what works. How to secure executive commitment, build good habits incrementally, start small and scale smart, measure what matters and reinforce continuously. Good habits are hard to build and easy to break. Review metrics at the exec level, talk about gaps, and communicate consistently.

‍

‍

• Calendar Management
• Making Meetings more Effective
• Building Focus Time for Deep Work
• Scaling Effective Efforts across Organizations
• Impact Measurement on Time Efficiency
• Executive Alignment

Neiman Marcus Group had industry-leading retention in frontline employees, higher productivity and profit -- and made its investors very happy last year. The secret sauce? Allowing flexibility – including in the frontline – while holding people accountable for results.

There is a profitable alternative to RTO mandates. Neiman Marcus Group’s former chief people officer delivered remarkable business success using a simple premise: Give people more work flexibility — with accountability for results.

The reality is that pairing up workplace flexibility with a deep focus on results-based management can demonstrably boost bottom-line results for businesses and improve the lives of workers, research has found. A reduction in unwanted attrition and stress levels and an increase in productivity create a high potential for a win-win for both workers and their employers.

‍

• Flexibility in Frontline Work
• Outcomes-based management
• Leadership and culture shifts
• Frontline, store and operations turnover reduction
• Performance management
• People Analytics and Business Results

Why is Gen AI adoption faltering? Elliott discusses the current disillusionment surrounding generative AI, characterized by a gap between executive expectations and employee experience. He argues that to overcome this "trough of disillusionment," companies need to establish clear guidelines for AI use, prioritize team-based learning and skill development, and focus on improving work quality, not just quantity. The ultimate goal is to foster positive employee engagement with AI, acknowledging that realizing the long-term benefits requires investment in training and a supportive work environment, rather than simply pressuring employees for immediate adoption.

• Generative AI Adoption Patterns
• Technology Adoption and the J-Curve
• Research on GenAI Effective Use Cases
• Investments in Policies and Training
• Building Trust as a Key Enabler of Adoption
• AI as Augmentation of Employees, not Replacement
• GenAI Impact on Efficiency and Productivity

Article exploring the disconnect between the hype surrounding AI's productivity benefits and the reality of its current impact on workers. It highlights a significant productivity dip initially, mirroring the J-curve of technology adoption, leading to increased worker burnout despite executive expectations of immediate gains. The author advocates for a strategic approach focusing on investments in training, support, and a clear plan for utilizing increased efficiency, arguing that addressing the "toil" of administrative tasks is crucial. Ultimately, the piece emphasizes that long-term success with AI requires substantial upfront investment in people, rather than solely focusing on immediate productivity metrics.

• Generative AI Productivity Impact
• The J-Curve of Technology Adoption
• Investments in Training and Support
• Building Trust through Goal Clarity, Focus on Outcomes
• Role of Managers in GenAI Adoption
• Examples of Successful AI Adoption
• Executive Excitement vs Reality in Generative AI

The era of toiling nine-to-five, five-days-a-week in the office is being replaced by a better way — flexible work.  But flexibility means a lot more than a day or two a week to “work from home” — 93% of your employees want more flexibility in when, not just where, they work. The most successful leaders will go much further than offering occasional remote work days — they will redesign every aspect of how work gets done, from redefining how organizational success is measured to training managers to make it happen.  

WSJ Bestseller "How the Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams to Do the Best Work of Their Lives" lays out the necessary steps to unlock the potential of your people and empower a flexible, high-performing team. It teaches readers to lead with purpose, to manage and measure differently, and to recognize that by letting go, you’ll get more back than you thought possible.

• Flexible Work: How to Balance Work from Anywhere and In-Person Time
• Schedule Flexibility, Collaboration and Focus Time
• Remote, Hybrid and Office Management Techniques
• Principles and Guidelines for the Future of Work
• Building Team Agreements that Improve Performance
• Culture and Collaboration in Distributed Teams
• Building Belonging and Inclusion
• Leadership Development and Manager Training

What hybrid work trends should be on every leader’s radar screen in the new year? As debate heats up, Brian Elliott explains how to navigate turbulence and come out ahead.  Companies embracing flexible work models will attract and retain top talent, particularly women, while those imposing rigid RTO mandates risk losing employees. Further trends discussed include a move from focusing on days in the office to defined core hours and protected focus time, the abandonment of one-size-fits-all hybrid policies in favor of team-based flexibility, and the crucial link between flexible work arrangements and successful AI adoption. Ultimately, the piece advocates for building trust and focusing on employee performance as key to navigating the evolving work landscape.

• Workplace Trends
• Meetings, Collaboration Hours and Distributed Teams
• Focus Time, Burnout and "Deep Work"
• Talent Advantages of Hybrid and Flexible Workplaces
• Generative AI Adoption Best Practices
• People-Centric Leadership
• Outcomes-Driven Management

After Amazon imposed a strict return-to-office policy that takes effect in January 2025, other companies followed suit. But are RTO mandates a way to boost productivity and charm Wall Street - or just a way to lose your best performers?

In this short video, Brian Elliott, who has studied RTO mandates extensively, explains the latest research and offers examples of how such mandates have played out. He also discusses why they often don't work as intended and what leaders should do instead.

• The Impact of Return-to-Office Mandates
• Business Benefits of Remote and Hybrid Work
• Research Findings on RTO Mandates
• Disconnect Between CEOs and Employees
• High Performers and RTO Mandates
• Future Implications for Companies
• Strategies for Measuring Productivity
• Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts
• Conclusion and Further Resources

Return-to-office mandates are proving counterproductive in the future of work, with research showing they damage employee engagement without improving financial performance. Studies reveal that companies prioritizing outcomes over office presence create higher productivity and retention, particularly among top performers. Organizations that balance accountability with workplace flexibility demonstrate stronger business results, while those forcing RTO risk losing their best talent, especially among women, caregivers, and underrepresented groups. For leadership success in today's workplace, focusing on measurable outcomes rather than physical presence creates what the author calls a "boom loop" of enhanced engagement, trust, and performance, leading to sustainable growth and innovation.

• Return-to-Office Mandates Show No Improvement in Performance
• Trust-based Leadership Outperforms Management-by-Monitoring
• High Performers are Most Likely to Quit over RTO Policies
• Workplace Flexibility Impacts Women and Caregivers, Diverse PopulationsEmployee Monitoring Creates Anxiety and Reduces Productivity
• Focus on Outcomes Drives Better Results and Team Engagement
• Hybrid Work Emerges as preferred Strategy

The transformation of work has accelerated beyond predictions, driven by AI advancement, economic shifts, and evolving workforce expectations. Forward-thinking organizations are integrating AI while strengthening human connection, building inclusive environments, and fostering innovation across distributed teams. In this thought-provoking panel, industry leaders dissect the current state of work, emerging trends and the path forward for undergoing rapid transformation where technology and human potential converge to redefine possibilities.  Featuring Work Forward CEO Brian Elliott, NASCAR's CHRO John Ferguson and Intuitive's CHRO Pat Wadors, moderated by the inimitable Laurie Ruettimann.

‍

• Changes in Leadership Development
• Leading through Chaos
• Generative AI Adoption
• Change Management
• Transparency and Trust
• Productive Cultures
• Tools and Technology Adoption in Teams

Brian Elliott and Al Dea, the host of "The Edge of Work," shares insights from their work with organizations on flexible work, the ongoing return-to-office debate, and how trust impacts productivity and adoption of generative AI. We also explore how companies are intentionally designing in-person gatherings and why aligning on outcomes—not just activity—is essential for success in the modern workplace. A timely, thought-provoking conversation on what it takes to lead and work effectively in 2025 and beyond.

• Generative AI Adoption
• Technology Adoption
• Trust and Culture at Work
• Return to Office Trends
• Effective Hybrid Work Programs
• Dependability-Based Trust

‍

Leaders need to stop obsessing about in-office time and start focusing on the six enablers that change how people work. Marching employees back five days a week won't solve your culture problems. Why? Because culture isn't where people work—it's how they work. It’s the behaviors of leaders, what (and who) gets rewarded, and how teams interact that set cultures apart.Marching employees back five days a week won't solve your culture problems. Why? Because culture isn't where people work—it's how they work. It’s the behaviors of leaders, what (and who) gets rewarded, and how teams interact that set cultures apart.

In this column, Brian Elliott dives deep into six tools for building culture:

Build dependability-based trust: When people follow through on commitments, teams thrive.

Foster a "first team" mindset: When leaders prioritize organizational success over functional silos, cultures flourish.

Use personal user manuals: "About me" documents help teams understand how each person works best.

Reward outcomes over productivity theater: Perhaps the most fundamental cultural shift needed in today’s workplace is moving from monitoring activity to measuring impact.

Build team-level agreements: Effective workplace cultures don’t rely on rigid policies but rather on clear agreements within each team of collaborators about how work gets done.

Ensure you're investing in time together in-person as a team: While daily colocation isn’t necessary for a strong culture, intentional in-person gatherings play a vital role in building connection and a shared identity.

• Productive Cultures at Work
• Dependability-based Trust
• Employee Engagement
• Team Agreements and Team Norms
• Personal User Manuals
• Outcomes- based Performance Management
• Events and Gatherings to Boost Engagement and Alignment
• First-Team Mindset

Exploring the Future of Work: Insights from Harvard Professor Raj ChoudhuryIn this insightful interview, Harvard Business School Professor Raj Choudhury discusses the dynamics of workplace flexibility with host Brian Elliott. As a foremost expert on remote, hybrid, and Work From Anywhere models, Raj  shares findings from his groundbreaking studies, dives into leadership strategies for harnessing talent, and talks about his upcoming book 'The World is Your Office'. The conversation also covers the impact of digital twins on frontline worker flexibility and economic development through remote work programs. Don't miss this deep dive into the future of work with one of the leading voices in the field.

Introduction to Professor Raj Choudhury and His Work

Defining Work From Anywhere and Hybrid Work

Experimenting with Hybrid Work Models

Productivity and Remote Work: The USPTO Case Study

The Importance of In-Person Interactions in Remote Work

Expanding Remote Work to Blue Collar Jobs

Community Development and Global Economies

Conclusion and Upcoming Book Release

Slide deck covering the latest data on workplace flexibility and trends around return to office. 50 pages long, sections include trends in workplace policies, office utilization, the impact of mandates and a framework for approaching "hybrid" and flexible working. Data includes research from Stanford's Nick Bloom, et al, HBS prof Raj Choudhury, multiple academic studies including those by University of Pittsburg's Mark Ma, the latest Flex Index summary data, Kastle, CBRE, JLL and other data. Framework includes description of best practices regarding making flexible work programs successful, research from BCG, Future Forum, MillerKnoll, McKinsey and other firms and examples of Fortune 500 companies who have deployed successful programs.

• Trendlines on "return to office"
• Policy trends on workplace flexibility
• Office utilization data pre-pandemic through end of 2024
• Research on impacts of return-to-office mandates
• Data on the impact of remote and hybrid on productivity, retention, connection, culture and innovation
• Frameworks for making hybrid work programs successful

This workbook is a high level guide for teams who want to create and document team agreements. Team agreements (sometimes called “team norms” or “team operating manuals”) are a set of guidelines that establish expectations for how all members of the team work with one another. The goal is to unlock performance of teams by creating clarity and building trust through explicit conversations and description of how the team operates. As all teams have different goals and constraints, what works for one team may not for another. And because circumstances change, team norms need to be discussed, tested, and adjusted over time.

The components and examples are meant to be flexible; please modify the template or add sections to meet your needs. An important starting point is to collect from the team some of their own working norms, and to start with teams in an organization who have already established documented norms that can be used to build internal champions. 

• Team Norms: Establishing Team-Based Ways of Working
• Workbook and Processes for Establishing Team Norms
• Purpose-Driven In-Person Time
• Improved Meetings Management, Asynchronous Work and Boundaries
• Improved Team Collaboration
• Team Norms for Decision Making and Culture
• Tools and Technology Adoption in Teams

“It's not just resistance for the purpose of feeling a lack of trust, for some it's resistance over nearly impossible life choices: my career, or my family,” Brian Elliott, CEO at Work Forward told Fortune. "When they changed their minds and policies twice, that impacts and upends people's lives more dramatically," he says of companies like Dell and Amazon.

• Return to Office Mandates
• Caregivera and Gender Impacts of Mandates
• Talent Management

In depth and original case study analyzes how Allstate and Zillow successfully adapted to a distributed workforce by prioritizing in-person connection. Strategic investments, including Allstate's $10 million program and Zillow's "zRetreats," fostered employee engagement and improved company metrics like job applications and employee recommendations. The key takeaway is that flexible work doesn't mean abandoning in-person interaction; instead, it requires intentional planning and investment in team gatherings designed to build connections beyond immediate work tasks. Both companies emphasize ongoing experimentation and data-driven iteration to refine their approaches, highlighting that building a successful distributed workforce is an ongoing process of learning and improvement.

• Case Study Content on Remote and Hybrid Teams
• Role of Experimentation and Iteration
• Business Case for Future of Work Investments
• Digital Connections: Leveraging Technology for Teams
• Team Gatherings Strategies and Tactics
• Developing Connection In-Person and Digitally in Distributed Teams

Leaders from Levi's, IBM, Royal Bank of Canada and others share their insights on the role of transparency in building productive workplaces. Workplace communication norms are changing faster than many executive teams can keep up, leading rank and file workers to voice their discontent in increasingly public ways.  Traditional command-and-control style leadership has been eroding for years, and the pandemic shifted that change into hyperdrive. Along with that shift has come an increased employee expectation — and demand — for transparency.

• Building outcomes-driven management techniques
• The business case for leading with transparency
• How to build the infrastructure for transparent, two-way communication
• The role of trust in building productivity
• Managing employee engagement productively

Overview of "How the Future Works: Leading Flexible Teams to do the Best Work of Their Lives", the WSJ Bestseller by Brian Elliott, Sheela Subramanian and Helen Kupp.  This article outlines the seven-step process for implementing successful flexible work strategies outlined in the book. There's no "one-size-fits-all" solution and highlights the necessity of a cultural shift within organizations. The seven steps involve defining a clear purpose and principles for flexible work, establishing behavioral guardrails, creating team-level agreements, fostering a culture of learning and experimentation, building a strong digital connection, training leaders in empathetic management styles, and finally, focusing on outcomes rather than outputs. The ultimate goal is to attract and retain top talent by adapting to the evolving demands of a digital-first workplace.

• Flexible Work Strategies Defined
• Why Time and Schedule Flexibility Matter More than Place
• The Digital-First Approach to Remote and Hybrid Work
• How Flexibility Helps Diversity and Inclusion
• Benefits of Remote and Hybrid Work
• Principles and Guidelines for Distributed Teams
• Effective Management and Leadership Practices
• Building Connection and Culture
• Role of Technology in Team Performance and Engagement

As hybrid work becomes the norm, successful leaders are moving away from broad return-to-office mandates to focus on purposeful in-person moments that matter. Research shows that structured team gatherings yield lasting benefits, with employees who meet in person experiencing a 27% boost in connection that persists for months. The article outlines four key areas for meaningful in-person collaboration: team development with balanced business and social time, strategic onboarding and training events, new team formations and project kickoffs, and function-specific activities. Companies that design these moments thoughtfully see enhanced engagement, inclusion, and team performance while maintaining the benefits of workplace flexibility.

• Magnets Not Mandates: Winning Return to Office Strategies
• Strategic Onboarding Builds Stronger Cross-Functional Relationships
• Purpose-Driven Office Time Enhances Team Engagement
• Structured Hybrid Programs Outperform Ad-Hoc Approaches
• Team-Led Scheduling Increases Productivity and Trust
• Inclusive Design Strengthens Diverse Connections
• Balance of Social and Business Time Drives Success

What's really working -- and not -- when it comes to remote work and distributed teams? A panel of the world's leading experts across academia and industry to blow up a few headlines, debate points of view, and talk about the real challenges facing organizations today when it comes to flexible work. Join Annie Dean, VP Team Anywhere at Atlassian, Stanford professor Nick Bloom, and Datavant Former Chief People Officer Holly May for an in-depth conversation and spirited debate on topics like whether hybrid works, moderated by Work Forward CEO Brian Elliott.

• Changing Nature of HR / People and Workplace Leadership
• Traits of Successful Hybrid and Remote Work Programs
• Research on Productivity in Flexible Teams
• Compensation Trends in Distributed, Global Firms including Offshoring
• Inequities in Distributed and Remote Work

Leading hybrid work teams is already a pain point for many managers. Does Generation Z's unique work style exacerbate the situation, or could this generation of employees hold the keys to making hybrid work better? In this short video, columnist and Gen Z researcher Brian Elliott shares his findings about Gen Z and what managers can learn from Gen Z colleagues to improve organizational culture.

• Remote Work Impact on Learning in Gen Z
• Hybrid Work Impact on Mentorship
• Gen Z and Millennials Myths and Realities
• Culture and Purpose at Work
• Building Healthy In-Person Habits
• Technology Adoption and Gen Z

Middle managers are in charge of implementing the slew of changes taking effect in workplaces nationwide — and polling shows it’s making them miserable. A new report from the Future Forum finds that middle managers are more stressed than any of their co-workers. Why? According to Brian Elliott, a senior vice president at Slack and Executive Leader of the Future Forum, it’s because middle managers are in a game of tug of war between executives and their direct reports. He tells us what executives can do to pave paths for middle managers to find success now. And we hear from a middle manager who decided she felt too squeezed to stay in a corporate job.

• Executive / Employee disconnect
• Career paths: ladders vs jungle gyms
• Expert Career Tracks
• Managing Burnout and Stress in Leaders
• Building Cultures Rooted in Trust and Accountability

Lateral career moves—shifting to a different role at the same level within a company—are a viable, even beneficial, career strategy. In a stagnant job market with burnout prevalent, sideways moves offer opportunities for skill development, increased engagement, and expanded networking, countering the traditional "ladder" career model. Companies also benefit from increased employee retention, knowledge sharing, and innovation through internal mobility initiatives. Ultimately, the case for embracing lateral movement is a win-win for both employees and employers, challenging conventional career progression wisdom and highlighting the importance of mentorship and internal support systems to navigate such transitions successfully.

• Lateral Career Moves Benefits and Risks
• Career Development: Jungle Gym vs Ladder
• Impact of Changing Roles on Engagement and Burnout
• Benefits of Internal Mobility for Organizations
• Skill and Leadership Development
• Impact of Mentorship and Sponsorship

Brian Elliott and Amanda Schneider examine the challenges of hybrid work strategies, particularly concerning Gen Z employees. They highlight that while Gen Z appreciates hybrid work's flexibility, they strongly desire in-person interaction with mid-level managers for mentorship and learning. The authors argue against a "one-size-fits-all" approach, advocating for a "both/and" strategy incorporating both digital and physical connection opportunities. They propose solutions including investing in technology, redesigning workspaces, providing management training on leading distributed teams, and leveraging Gen Z's digital fluency to build a more inclusive and effective hybrid work environment. Ultimately, the article emphasizes learning from, and actively involving, Gen Z to create thriving, future-proof organizations.

‍

• Gen Z Myths and Realities
• Leading Multi-Generational Teams
• Mentorship and Learning in Remote and Hybrid Teams
• Digital Natives in the Workplace
• Building Team Agreements that Work
• Reverse Mentorship on Technology and Leadership
• Generational Differences in Learning

Leveraging original case studies conducted with Allstate and Zillow as well as research from Atlassian, BCG, Microsoft and others, this column summarizes how companies are adapting to flexible work arrangements by strategically investing in in-person team connection. It highlights successful strategies, emphasizing regular, planned quarterly gatherings and smaller, targeted in-person events as key to boosting employee engagement and satisfaction, even with largely distributed teams. Continuous experimentation and improvement and the cost savings from reduced office space and return on investment in fostering team cohesion are both demonstrated. Successful flexible work models require deliberate investments in building and maintaining in-person connections, rather than assuming that remote work eliminates the need for them.

• Building Connection In-Person through Gatherings
• Economic Benefits on Investing in Connection at Work
• Experimentation and Iteration in Workplace Culture
• Cost-Effective Strategies for Hybrid and Remote Organizations
• Building Employee Engagement through Digital Connection

Amazon's change, which starts in January, sets a new standard and may give companies cover to restrict work-from-home a bit more — while still looking generous, says Brian Elliott, a former executive at Slack who is now a work consultant. "Two days in office becomes three. And three days becomes four," he says. Companies can make these moves and say: "We're not as bad as Amazon though."Other employers won't change a thing — and instead could use Amazon's move as a recruiting opportunity. Microsoft's hybrid work policy just became even more enticing to top tech talent, says Elliott.

• Return to Office (RTO) Trends
• Amazon's RTO 5 Day Mandate
• Impact on Talent Retention and Competition
• Hybrid and Remote Work Trends

Stanford Professor Pamela Hinds and Brian Elliott examine the challenges and opportunities of maintaining strong organizational culture in remote and hybrid work environments. The authors draw on research and case studies to explore the significant shift in workplace dynamics brought about by the pandemic, emphasizing the need for companies to reimagine their culture-building strategies. They discuss how traditional methods of fostering culture, relying heavily on in-office interactions, are no longer sufficient, proposing instead that organizations actively invest in new, often virtual, strategies to maintain employee connection and reinforce desired values. The importance of leadership in shaping this new cultural landscape and need for experimentation and flexibility are identified as key factors in navigating this evolving terrain.

• Remote and Hybrid Work Culture
• Technology's Role in Building Connection in Distributed Teams
• Company Culture Drivers and Challenges
• Impact of Workplace Flexibility on Diversity and Inclusion
• Leading Remote and Distributed Teams
• Impact of Hybrid Work on Connection and Engagement
• Importance of Leadership Engagement in Digital Spaces
• Role of Experimentation and Iteration in Effective Workplaces

What does it take to actually build teams that are highly effective in this brave new world of work? And what’s the relationship between making work better for people and the outcomes that organizations can achieve? Unlocking productivity is just a piece of the conversation that we dive into in today’s rich exploration with Brian Elliott. Brian spent 25 years building high-growth companies and leading teams as a startup CEO, leader at Google, and executive at Slack and Salesforce. He most recently co-founded Future Forum, a consortium that enables leaders to redesign work through data and dialog, and is the author of the WSJ bestseller, “How the Future Works."But we go in many different places with Brian. We dive into his background, into the value of breaking free from the status quo in our careers, how to maintain a legacy business while you are building the new thing – and much more.

• Career Development
• Flexiblity at work, remote and hybrid teams
• Schedule flexiblity
• Diversity and inclusion impact of flexbility
• Technology's role in connection and culture

There is a name for all of the time we spend on the job puzzling out who’s on Zoom, who’s coming from down the hall and who’s messaging from three time zones away: the “coordination tax.”“You show up, and nobody else from your team is there; then you’re on back-to-back Zoom meetings, which you could have done at home,” says Brian Elliott, a leadership adviser and former Slack executive. He referenced the coordination tax of workers’ mismatched hybrid schedules in a LinkedIn post last month.

• Team Norms and Agreements
• Collaboration & Coordination Tax
• Intentional Design
• Structured Hybrid
• Team-Centered Practices
• Making Hybrid Work

Many CEOs still have “executive nostalgia” about a model that worked for them years ago. “There’s still this big CEO echo chamber aspect of it,” Elliott says.Elliott notes that while the impact of remote work on less experienced workers is a genuine concern, research like Harrington’s also shows that distributed teams—groups of employees who physically work in an office but in different buildings—can suffer from the same fate. “It’s not just because it's potentially harder [to mentor people] remote,” he says. “It's because we have lousy systems for mentorship and development in the first place, and especially for younger workers.”

• Return to Office Trends
• CEO and Leadership Nostalgia
• Mentorship, Trainging and Development
• Research on Remote Work
• Productivity in Hybrid Work

Host Frank Cottle and Brian Elliott, a leadership advisor with extensive experience at Google and Slack, discuss the evolving future of work. He emphasizes the significant impact of technology and shifting demographics, particularly the presence of four generations in the workforce, on workplace dynamics. Elliott argues that embracing flexibility, rather than imposing rigid return-to-office mandates, is crucial for attracting and retaining talent, particularly among younger generations like Gen Z who prioritize purpose and a balance of in-person and remote work. The conversation highlights the need for companies to re-evaluate their office spaces and investment strategies to create more efficient and engaging work environments that support diverse working styles and team structures.

• Workplace Trends and Impact on Commercial Real Estate
• Generational Differences in Digital and In-Person Work Norms
• Leadership in Digital-First Organizations
• Hybrid and Remote Work Best Practices
• Impact of Flexible Work on Diversity and Inclusion
• Five Day Work Week Benefits and Challenges

Widespread workplace stress among knowledge workers isn't caused by technology, but rather by poor leadership and inflexible working models. Research shows a strong correlation between flexible work schedules and reduced stress, better work-life balance, and increased productivity. The core problem is the "always-on" culture fueled by excessive meetings and a lack of employee control over their time, effectively treating employees as "human routers." The article provides solutions focusing on leadership's role in creating flexible work structures, such as establishing core team hours, flexible individual work time, and clear communication protocols, ultimately advocating for a fundamental shift in how work is organized to prioritize employee well-being and productivity.

• Workplace Stress and Always-on Cultures
• Time Management and Boundaries for Individuals and Teams
• Core Collaboration Hours Team Agreements
• Importance of Time Management in Diverse Teams
• Bursty Work and Deep Work in Distributed Teams
• Adopting Asynchronous Work Habits
• Building Team Norms for Calendar Management
• Effective Work-Life Management Practices

Career advancement isn't always a straight climb up. MIT SMR columnist Brian Elliott reveals how strategic sideways moves can unlock unexpected professional growth, challenging traditional career progression models. Drawing from his experiences at Google and Slack, Elliott offers insights into transforming lateral steps into powerful career catalysts, emphasizing adaptability, continuous learning, and the importance of breaking traditional career ladder constraints.

• Lateral Career Moves Benefits and Risks
• Career Development: Jungle Gym vs Ladder
• Impact of Changing Roles on Engagement and Burnout
• Benefits of Internal Mobility for Organizations
• Skill and Leadership Development
• Impact of Mentorship and Sponsorship

HR Congress session by Brian Elliott, best-selling author of "How the Future Works" and former SVP at SLACK, explores emerging trends and strategies for reimagining work in the digital age. Participants will gain insights into creating flexible work arrangements, promoting remote work, and fostering a culture of innovation. Research shows most employees prefer flexible hybrid work over fully remote or fully in-office arrangements. Data from global studies indicates that successful hybrid models focus on purpose-driven gatherings rather than rigid mandates. Key findings show team-led scheduling and "moments that matter" approach yields higher satisfaction and productivity while fostering inclusion and trust.

• The Future of Work: Trends and Implications
• Understanding the Impact of Automation, AI, and Robotics on Job Roles
• Anticipating Workforce Shifts and Skill Requirements in the Digital Era
• Implementing Flexible Work Arrangements
• Exploring Flexible Work Models such as Remote Work, Flexible Hours, and Job Sharing
• Cultivating a Culture of Innovation.

A study on office mandates by Gartner, the human resources consultancy, found that "high-performers, women and millenials, three groups that prize flexibility, are the biggest flight risks."  In practice, this means that even the strictest rules can be bent, often to favour higher performers and more senior, hard to replace, executives.Brian Elliott, chief executive at Work Forward, said: "Managers are stuck between a rick and a hard place: increased demands to do more with less run up against the potential loss of productive employees or certainly the loss of engagement. Side deals get struck: as long as you continue to perform, I'll look the other way."

• Impact of Return to Office Mandates
• Hybrid and Remote Work and Productivity
• Research on Mandates
• Talent Strategy
• Employee Engagement

Laura Hammill discusses the ever-evolving work landscape with Brian Elliott. The future of work is here, changing how we think about our careers, workplace dynamics, and personal fulfillment. They explore the impact of the future of work on both individuals and organizations, from the transformative shifts in the work landscape to the rise of flexible work arrangements and their surprising impact on productivity. How meeting efficiency can play a pivotal role in keeping the workplace thriving and meaningful. Uncover the connection between workplace emotions and the alignment of purpose, shining a light on the importance of emotional well-being in the modern workplace.The episode concludes with a discussion on building and sustaining a meaningful career amid these changes. All explored are continuous learning, adaptability, and the critical need to avoid toxic work environments.

• Meeting Efficiency and Meetings Management
• Culture and Connection at Work
• Managing Remote and Hybrid Teams
• Emotional Well-being in the Workplace

Adam Grant and Brian Elliott share research from Future Forum and Adam's broad body of work to show how leaders can productively shape a better future of work for organizations and people. Slack Frontiers Executive Forum took place October 7, 2020. In this closed session, organizational psychologist and professor at The Wharton School of Business Adam Grant was the guest speaker, followed by an executive roundtable. In the introduction to the session, Future Forum’s Brian Elliott introduces key learnings from his team's reasearch, a quarterly report that provides the data and analysis that organizations need to navigate the digital-first workplace.

• Digital-First Collaboration; Role of Technology in Workplace• Flexible Work: the Value of Guidelines and Agreements over Policies
• Why "Remote" is the Wrong Focus for Distributed Organizations
• How flexible, remote and hybrid work creates opportunity for inclusion
• Why Schedule Flexibility and Time Management Matters More than Location
• The Benefits of Focusing on Outcomes instead of Productivity

The Ready's leaders and podcast hosts Aaron Dignan and Rodney Evans hit the studio live stage at SXSW with Brian Elliott (co-founder of ‪Future Forum‬, an SVP at Slack, and a friend-of-the-pod) to talk about the future of work and break down several myths that keep holding us back. Plus, we #keepaustinweird with one our strangest check-in rounds yet!1. The person who’s always busy is the person who’s most productive.2. Compensation is the most important thing when choosing a new role.3. If you aren’t at the top, there’s nothing you can do to spark change at work.4. There’s no place for feelings in the workplace.5. You can’t build culture if you’re not IRL at an office.

• Productivity at Work
• Compensation and Career Development
• Change Management
• Connection and Culture in Workplace
• Leadership and Management

Based on research and discussions with a number of C-level excutives, the article argues that a one-size-fits-all approach to workplace flexibility, often driven by the experiences of older, predominantly male executives, is detrimental to employee well-being and firm success. Executives frequently ignore data supporting flexible work arrangements, instead relying on their own past experiences, which may not be representative of a diverse workforce. The importance of listening to and incorporating the perspectives of employees from varied backgrounds and circumstances is emphasized, particularly primary caregivers, advocating for a shift towards outcomes-based leadership and away from a focus on appearances. Ultimately, the piece advocates for fairer, more inclusive workplace policies based on data and diverse employee experiences, rather than solely the experiences of those in senior leadership positions.

• The C-Suite and Board Echo Chamber
• The Value of Employee Voice
• Representation in Policy Setting
• Impact of Flexiblity on Diversity and Inclusion
• Negative Consequences of Return to Office on Caregivers
• The Risks of Proximity Bias
• Rewarding Outcomes over Activity
• Remote and Hybrid Work Benefits for Diverse Populations

Brian Elliott, SVP of Slack’s Future Forum, discusses the future of work and the unique opportunity that has arisen for leaders to meet the flexible needs of diverse workers in a competitive labor market. Post-pandemic workforce trends and the ability to attract and retain talented, more diverse workforces are highlighted. Elliott discusses the key findings of Future Forum, including the value of schedule flexibility over location flexibilty and how connection is boosted in teams that have more autonomy and choice.

Watch the video here

• Remote Work and Hybrid, Flexible Work Trends
• Role of Technology in Building Connection
• Improved Diversity and Inclusion in Flexible Teams
• The Importance and Value of Schedule Flexibility
• How Flexible Work Improves Outcomes

This article describes how the traditional role of the middle manager is becoming obsolete due to the shift to remote work and increased reliance on digital tools. The author contends that middle managers' tasks of monitoring productivity and optimizing individual performance are increasingly automated, leading to decreased job satisfaction and increased stress. The solution proposed is a reimagining of the middle manager's role, focusing on building team cohesion, developing talent, and fostering a culture of open communication, rather than simply routing information. Ultimately, the article advocates for creating alternative career paths for individual contributors and reducing the number of middle managers, allowing for a more efficient and fulfilling work environment.

• Changing Role of Middle Managers
• Technology Impact: Reduced Need for Managers
• Digital Transformation's Impact on Management
• Expert versus Management Career Tracks
• Leadership in Distributed and Remote Teams
• Career Development for Leaders
• The Evolution of Management

The terms "remote" and "hybrid" work are misused and often misleading. and our focus on finding "productivity" in knowledge work nearly impossible. In building effective teams, we should focus instead on "flexible" and "distributed" work models. The terms remote and hybrid hinder progress toward truly effective work arrangements. He emphasizes the importance of schedule flexibility over location flexibility and the need to focus on outcomes rather than superficial productivity metrics like hours worked. Ultimately, the piece calls for a shift towards outcomes-driven management of distributed teams, requiring investment in training, appropriate digital tools, and fostering meaningful in-person collaboration.

• Hybrid Work: the Value of Guidelines and Agreements over Policies
• Why Remote is the Wrong Focus for Distributed Organizations
• Digital-First Collaboration; Role of Technology in Workplace
• The Challenges of Measuring Productivity in Knoweldge Work
• Why Schedule Flexibility and Time Management Matters More than Location
• The Benefits of Focusing on Outcomes instead of Productivity

In this video, Brian Elliott explores how leaders can build "moments that matter" -- key times to bring teams together in-person to build deeper connections and accelerate work. The recommendations are based on research from Microsoft, BCG, Slack and Cushman & Wakefield and case studies from companies like Allstate, Atlassian and Zillow. He recommends patterns that work based on his work with executives as well, building momentum for time together through "magnets not mandates." Leaders will learn what works across organizations, like onboarding and training, as well as team and function-specific methods around concepts like anchor days and project rhytms.

‍

• Magnets Not Mandates: Winning Return to Office Strategies
• Onboarding to Build Connections to Culture
• Business Rhythms and Cross-Functional Project Milestones
• Why Intentional Gatherings Beat Random Office Encounters
• Team-Led Norms Increase Productivity and Trust
• Inclusive Design Strengthens Diverse Connections
• Balance of Social and Business Time Drives Success

Just as a blend of home and office is a sensible answer to demands for flexibility in location, a mixed approach is the right way to think about flexible schedules. Brian Elliott runs research into the future of work for Slack, a messaging firm. He specifies “core collaboration hours” for his own team, which is when most meetings and group activities happen. The company has instituted “focus Fridays”, a day when there are no internal meetings and employees get on with their own tasks. If Mr Elliott does need to contact people outside working hours, he does so by text so they are not logged in all the time.

• Schedule Flexibility and Boundaries
• Core Collaboration Hours
• Team Agreements
• Meetings Management
• Time Management
• Focus Fridays

Recent corporate retreat from Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives run counter to research and employee desires. This article shares data showing employee support for DEI is strong and growing, contradicting the narrative driving the backlash. The author emphasizes the importance of open dialogue and connecting DEI to business outcomes, rather than succumbing to external pressure. Ultimately, the piece advocates for companies to actively defend their DEI commitments and foster inclusive workplace cultures to attract and retain talent, especially considering the increasingly diverse workforce.

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Backlash
• Reserarch Insights on DEI Popularity and Challenges
• Communication Goals for DEI Programs
• Building Business Cases for Diversity
• Impact of DEI Backlash on Employee Engagement

When you're part of a team, time for deep work when you're at your best can be hard to find. ​Blending time for collaboration with your team with heads-down focus time has huge upsides, but ​also real challenges when it comes to meetings-driven cultures and risks for remote workers being ​"forgotten" in an increasingly hybrid world. Brian will share best practices rooted in real-world ​examples and research on how individuals and teams can blend "synchronous" and "asynchronous" work in ways that ​improve collaboration, productivity and wellbeing. This session covers tactics that help ​individuals and teams be in the flow without being in the room, get control over meetings running ​wild on calendars, build "async" muscles: get more document-driven one step at a time, and create ​cultures and norms that enable boundaries and improve communication.

• Collaboration Habits of Successful Teams
• Outcomes Orientation and Goal Tracking
• Blending Synchronous and Asynchronous Collaboration
• Taming the Meetings Monster
• Focus Time and Deep Work
• Asynchronous Collaboration Skills and Tactics for Teams
• Team Norms and Agreements
• Overcoming Proximity Bias through Communication
• Creating Connection and Belonging in Distributed Teams

“Let’s not focus on the only solution being getting people back in the office more often. We have already seen that causes people to have a negative reaction to you. Let’s look instead at what is the underlying business problem that we are trying to solve.”Instead, you can suggest refining and defining clear output and performance-driven goals for everyone, at individual and team levels, as well as for the whole organisation. “Trust isn’t a one-way street. It only works if you hold people accountable to performance and you have to know what your performance standards are. You all have to know what the top three priorities are as an organisation.”

• Return to Office Trends
• Outcomes-Driven Management
• Trust and Accountability
• Leadership and Performance Management

Kevin Eikenberry and Brian Elliott discuss leadership struggles around the changing nature of work. They review research conducted by Future Forum and dicscuss the implications for leadership and management in the digital age. Brian explains what "digital first" means and practical applications that enhance organizational performance. He shares the steps necessary to building the new principles needed to enable flexible, high-performing teams including a Culture of Connection and Experimentation.

• Flexible Work: the Value of Guidelines and Agreements over Policies
• How flexible, remote and hybrid work creates opportunity for inclusion
• Digital-First Collaboration; Role of Technology in Workplace
• Why Schedule Flexibility and Time Management Matters More than Location
• The Benefits of Focusing on Outcomes instead of Productivity

This article analyzes the implications of Amazon's return-to-office mandate for other companies, particularly in the tech sector. It highlights the conflicting responses of CEOs: some embracing it as a recruiting opportunity, while others viewing it as a necessary step to boost company culture and potentially increase employee turnover to cut costs. The author presents counterarguments using research showing that mandatory return-to-office policies negatively impact employee engagement, productivity, and diversity, and advocating instead for outcomes-based management and focusing on solving specific business problems rather than imposing blanket mandates. Ultimately, the piece serves as a guide for Chief People Officers to effectively respond to pressure to adopt similar policies.

• Amazon's Return-To-Office Policy
• The Prevalence Of Hybrid Work
• Employee Preferences For Flexibility
• Arguments Against Return-To-Office Mandates
• Business Advantages of Hybrid Work
• The Impact of Mandates on Retention and Women
• The Importance Of Outcome-Driven Management.

In this CNBC interview, Brian Elliott and Joanne Lipman, a Yale lecturer and author, discuss the impracticality of returning to a traditional five-day in-office workweek.They emphasize that such expectations are outdated, given the proven success of remote and hybrid work models in enhancing productivity and employee satisfaction. They recommend that leaders embrace flexible work arrangements, invest in technology to support remote collaboration, and focus on outcomes rather than physical presence. By doing so, organizations can adapt to the evolving future of work, foster a positive work culture, and improve overall productivity.

Watch the video here

• Amazon's Return-To-Office Policy
• The Prevalence Of Remote and Hybrid Work
• Why Top Performers and Women Leave Organizations
• Arguments Against Return-To-Office Mandates
• The Importance Of Outcome-Driven Management.

Slack blog post detailing two company-wide initiatives designed to combat meeting overload and boost employee productivity: Focus Fridays, where all internal meetings are canceled to encourage focused individual work, and Maker Weeks, bi-quarterly periods with all recurring meetings suspended to allow for deep work on larger projects. The programs, piloted and refined based on employee feedback, aim to improve work-life balance and foster a more asynchronous, flexible work environment. Positive employee response, with over 80% reporting benefits, demonstrates the success of these initiatives in addressing a widespread problem of meeting fatigue and promoting more effective work practices.

• Benefits of Focus Time: Enabling Deep Work
• Impact of Schedule Flexibility on Productivity
• Leveraging Technology to Improve Productive Time Management
• Meetings Management: Building Better Practices
• Scaling Time Management Programs in Organizations
• Experimentation and Iteration in Future of Work
• Building Asynchronous Collaboration

In this keynote, Brian Elliott and interviewer Liam Martin guide participants through the blueprint to redesign work for a digital-first era, drawing on real-world stories and examples from Fortune 500 executives across multiple industries. They provide concrete solutions and practical steps for building high functioning teams of talented, engaged people by providing them with the flexibility and choice they need to do their best work. Elliott presented research revealing a strong employee desire for flexible work arrangements. He countered common executive concerns about productivity, culture, and innovation with data demonstrating that flexibility actually boosts these areas. Finally, Elliott discussed the implications for commercial real estate and emphasized the importance of trust and inclusive organizational structures in fostering a successful remote or hybrid work environment.

• The Future of Work: Trends and Implications
• Trends in Remote Work
• Impact of Hybrid and Flexible Work on Productivity, Innovation, Collaboration
• Digital Technology Impact on Connection and Culture
• Trends in Commercial Real Estate
• Executive Employee Disconnect

There are likely several flexible companies benefiting from big firms’ decisions to force people back to offices, said Brian Elliott, CEO of Work Forward, an executive adviser on the future of work. Elliott said he believes the loss of women and minority workers could create financial consequences.“Diversity is tied to innovation,” Elliott said. “People with diverse perspectives bring in new ideas and show you your monocultural blind spots.”

• Return to Office Mandates
• Impact of Remote and Hybrid Work on Diversity
• Talent Strategy, Retention in Flexible Work

The incoming Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, slated to be led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, has entered the return-to-office debate by pushing for federal workers to head back their agencies' offices. The quiet part being said out loud: Soft layoffs are desired. How should government and private-sector leaders prepare for the ripple effects? In this brief video, hybrid work expert and MIT SMR columnist Brian Elliott shares advice and research data.

• Return to Office (RTO) Mandates Likely Impact on Federal Workforce
• Realities of Telework Impact on Government Workers
• DOGE and Impact of Mandates on Talent, Women in Workforce
• Why Managing Results beats Office Attendance
• RTO Mandates as Soft Layoffs
• Flexibility as a Business Asset

One reason cited is RTO rules communicating "a culture of distrust that encourages management through monitoring." The researchers noted that Brian Elliott, CEO at Work Forward and a leadership adviser, described this as the "weakest form of management—and one that drives down employee engagement"

• Return to Office Mandates
• Trust, Engagement and Productivity
• Activity Monitoring
• Talent Strategy

Technology adoption, especially around AI, the things that are going to drive success in it, are exactly the same things that drive success in flexible work adoption. f you generalize distributed work adoption as a form of technology adoption practices (tools and rules), you can use the same process and philosophy to increase AI and adoption in your organization, it’s another form of technology adoption practices. If you don’t, others are. It’s good business practices, broadly applicable. And as many organizations are unsure how to navigate AI adoption, good news, distributed work provides the road map.That’s what we cover in this episode, which might have been titled ‘Distributed Working 201’.

• Generative AI impact on work
• Technology adoption best practices
• Successful Adoption Practices for Flexible and Distributed Work
• Team Norms in Hybrid Teams and AI Adoption
• The Role of Experimentation and Iteration
• Building Cultures Rooted in Trust and Accountability

Leveraging research by MillerKnoll, Brian Elliott examines the challenges and solutions for building team connections in today's largely distributed work environment. Research shows the inadequacy of traditional office spaces and the need for both physical and virtual strategies to foster strong team bonds. The article advocates for regular in-person team gatherings, emphasizing their positive impact on engagement, and suggests innovative ways to leverage technology for virtual connection and cross-team collaboration, ultimately arguing for a holistic approach integrating both online and offline strategies. The piece concludes by stressing the importance of adapting physical workspaces to support this new paradigm of distributed work.

• Buidling Connection in Remote and Hybrid Work
• The Challenges of Distributed Teams
• Building Connection in Hybrid Work
• Technology's Role in Virtual Connection
• Workplace Design Implications of Hybrid Work
• Role of Technology in Building Connection
• Leadership Practices that Enhance Team Cohesion

Interview with Brian Elliott focused on building better workplace cultures, particularly for hybrid teams. The interview highlights the crucial distinction between company culture (shaped by leadership's actions and rewarded behaviors) and workplace culture (heavily influenced by team dynamics and the physical environment). Elliott emphasizes three key leadership actions: creating clarity, fostering trust, and unlocking potential, all vital for positive workplace culture. The importance of decentralized decision-making at the team level, the impact of in-person team gatherings on connection and engagement, and the role of effective office design in supporting a positive hybrid work experience are all explored. The interview provides practical advice and insights for leaders seeking to cultivate thriving and productive workplace cultures in the modern hybrid work environment.

• Workplace Culture in Digital Age
• Building Healthy Cultures in Hybrid Teams
• Myths vs Realities of Workplace Culture
• Leadership's Role in Building Culture
• Changing Nature of Management
• Workplace Design Impact on Engagement
• Building Trust in Remote and Distributed Organizations

Brian Elliott, Executive Leader of Future Forum, shares research from their quarterly survey of 10,000+ knowledge workers globally. Key findings: Talent remains CEOs' top concern; 71% of workers unhappy with flexibility are job hunting; 79% want hybrid work but with purposeful in-person collaboration; 94% desire schedule flexibility. Their data shows higher belonging scores in hybrid teams, particularly among underrepresented groups. While 72% of executives want 3+ office days, most employees don't. Success requires balancing these needs while avoiding "faux flexibility," using digital tools effectively, and creating intentional collaboration. The traditional office-centric model is evolving as expectations permanently shift post-pandemic.

• The Battle for Talent and CEO Agendas
• Workforce Post-Pandemic Demands for Flexibility and Remote Work
• Hybrid Teams Show Higher Belonging than Full Time In-Office
• Under-represented Groups Benefit Most from Hybrid Work
• Impact of Digital Tools on Connection and Culture at Work

“The individual free-for-all work policy doesn’t work,” says Brian Elliott, an executive advisor on flexibility and the founder of the research consortium Future Forum. “There really is some benefit to getting people together on a regular basis to drive relationship-building, mentorship and collaboration.” “I think the concept of spending five days a week in the office is dead,” says Elliott. “That top-down, one-size-fits-all approach can lead to a lot of resentment among workers.”Offering a flexible, hybrid model is also a smart recruiting tactic, Elliott adds. “The job market might have softened to some degree, but there’s always competition for top talent,” he says. “People still want flexibility at work, and they’re ready to walk if they don’t get it.“

• Return to Office Trends
• Top Down Mandates
• Individual Collaboration Tax
• Talent Strategy
• Collaboration, Mentorship and Training

This article by Brian Elliott and Sophie Wade argues that millennial leaders are uniquely positioned to reshape the modern workplace. They highlight millennials' inherent advantages: digital fluency, adaptability to evolving technologies (like AI), and comfort with flexible work arrangements. They emphasize three key strategies for millennial leaders to maximize their impact: transitioning from a command-and-control leadership style to a coaching approach; cultivating curiosity and empathy to bridge generational divides; and establishing clear team norms to navigate the complexities of multigenerational workforces. Ultimately, the piece empowers millennial leaders to leverage their strengths and lead the transformation of workplace culture in a rapidly changing environment.

• Generative Leadership: Coaching not Monitoring
• Bridging Generation Gaps at Work
• Working Across GenZ, Millennials, GenX and Boomers
• Digital Natives and Technology Adoption at Work
• Gen AI and Younger Generations
• Workplace Culture and Belonging
• Managing Diverse Workforces

The research exposes a generational divide in which executives closer to retirement age, who’ve spent decades in offices and prefer to manage workers they can see in person, differ from younger managers in their 30s and 40s, who are generally more accepting of hybrid arrangements and keen to make sure they benefit everyone.“It’s troubling,” said Brian Elliott, a Slack executive who oversees the Future Forum research, which surveys more than 10,000 white-collar workers quarterly. “The risk we run is that the older generation of executives is missing the fact that their diversity and inclusion goals and their future of work plans are tied together.”

• Leadership and Management
• Generational Shifts
• Diversity, Inclusion and Flexible Work
• Hybrid Work Plans

In the latest poll, conducted late last year, more than half of those who said they were dissatisfied with their level of flexibility also said they were burned out. Employees with immovable work schedules are more than twice as likely to say they’ll “definitely” look for a new job over the next year.“All the benefits of flexibility are about how you give people focused time, rather than sweating how many days of week they are in,” said Brian Elliott, a Slack executive who oversees the Future Forum research. “Flexibility also improves a company’s culture, and every time I tell executives this, it surprises them.”

• Burnout Rates
• Schedule Flexibility
• Meetings Management
• Flexibility and Culture