{"id":31374,"date":"2021-01-28T11:25:03","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T16:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/?p=31374"},"modified":"2024-06-20T12:18:07","modified_gmt":"2024-06-20T16:18:07","slug":"office-optional-a-column-by-larry-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/blog\/office-optional-a-column-by-larry-english\/","title":{"rendered":"Office Optional: A Column by Larry English"},"content":{"rendered":"

Technology continues to change everything about the way we work. And Centric CEO Larry English is here to guide the way.<\/h2>\n
\n

Larry English<\/a> is a workplace futurist, passionate about all things innovation, particularly technology that drives disruptive change.<\/p>\n

Well before remote work became the norm, Larry was at the forefront of the virtual model. Twenty-five years ago, Larry, along with his two longtime friends and colleagues — Dave Rosevelt and Eric Van Luven — built their own company where employees could work virtually, and the culture would contribute to business success and employee happiness. Since then, we have expanded to more than 1,400 team members with locations across the US and India.<\/p>\n

In 2020, Larry published Office Optional: How to Build a Connected Culture with Virtual Teams<\/a>, a roadmap to virtual work success.<\/strong> The book distills Larry\u2019s insights from more than two decades leading Centric, a remote-first company with an award-winning culture.<\/p>\n

Larry continues to share his insights on Forbes.com<\/a>, where he shares the latest thinking on all the ways the workplace is evolving, from leadership and organizational culture to technology and beyond. See Larry\u2019s Forbes column below and check back regularly for more.<\/p>\n

Read the Latest<\/h2>\n

\"Centric<\/a>5 Keys To Building Trustworthy AI And Closing The Trust Gap With Employees<\/a><\/h3>\n

The trust problem \u2014 referred to as the AI trust gap \u2014 goes deeper than employees mistrusting the technology itself. When implemented carelessly, AI can also degrade the trust workers have in their employer. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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Read the Column<\/h3>\n

\"Centric<\/a>Merging Remote Companies? Here\u2019s How To Get Culture Right<\/a><\/h4>\n

To ensure the success of an M&A process with two remote or hybrid companies, leaders should understand the cultures at play, including where values align and diverge. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Centric<\/a>3 Questions To Guide Cost-Effective Technology Modernization<\/a><\/h4>\n

Organizations that keep pace with modern technology can make more informed decisions more rapidly, offer a better customer and employee experience, and more deftly navigate the quickly changing business world. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n
\n

\"Centric<\/a>4 Steps To Becoming AI Ready With Microsoft Copilot<\/a><\/h4>\n

In early 2024, Microsoft made Copilot for Microsoft 365, its AI assistant, widely available to organizations of all sizes. This represents a huge opportunity for companies to take advantage of the powerful productivity gains possible with AI. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Centric<\/a>Smart Vendor Security Is Key To Avoiding A Data Breach In 2024<\/a><\/h4>\n

Organizations should focus on the following action items in 2024 to protect themselves against attacks through third-party apps and services. Of course, the more mature an organization\u2019s vendor security program, the more minimized the risks. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Centric<\/a>AI Will Save \u2013 Not Kill \u2013 Project Management<\/a><\/h4>\n

Project managers, before you let that data point flood you with fear, listen up: AI is not going to replace you. But it will make you more efficient and effective giving you greater forward-looking insights and increasing your power over steering projects to success. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Centric<\/a>RPA Paired With AI Opens Up A New World Of Automation<\/a><\/h4>\n

RPA on its own is limited to straightforward, structured and objective tasks. AI expands the possibilities to include capabilities with nuanced, subjective or unstructured data. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Centric<\/a>Fix Your Data, Win At AI. Here\u2019s How To Get Started.<\/a><\/h4>\n

While most companies implementing AI into their operations aren\u2019t dealing with anything so important as human life, there\u2019s a salient lesson here: Feed AI systems bad data, you\u2019ll get bad results. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Centric<\/a>Caught Off Guard By the AI Revolution? Here’s How Your Company Can Catch Up<\/a><\/h4>\n

We all knew AI was coming, but suddenly, this new tool with seemingly limitless potential became available, leaving organizations scrambling to figure out when, where and how to use it. So, if you\u2019ve been caught off guard by\u00a0the AI revolution, don\u2019t worry \u2014 you\u2019re hardly alone. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Centric<\/a>Essential Tips For Navigating the \u201cMessy Middle\u201d Of Hybrid Work<\/a><\/h4>\n

Hybrid work is emerging as a winner for workers and organizations alike. There\u2019s just one problem: Hybrid work is most definitely a \u201cmessy middle,\u201d forcing companies to navigate numerous complexities in an attempt to find an arrangement that works for everyone. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Centric<\/a>Look to Hospitality for the Future of Commercial Real Estate and In-Office Work<\/a><\/h4>\n

Adapting to meet consumer needs has not been a part of the commercial office model.\u00a0While the business world has changed, the office model hasn\u2019t yet needed to evolve to keep up. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"AI<\/a>AI and Security: Is Your Organization Ready?<\/a><\/h4>\n

The best ways to prepare for the security implications of artificial intelligence are to educate, create governance, remain vigilant and plan for recovery in case of a breach. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"CIO<\/a>Top Priorities for CIOs Managing Through Uncertainty<\/a><\/h4>\n

Ready or not, the role of AI and working through everything from security to governance is now on every CIOs radar. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"AI<\/a>The Impact of AI on Company Culture and How to Prepare Now<\/a><\/h4>\n

Your company\u2019s culture will impact how quickly and successfully an organization can adopt AI. And, done well, AI can actually improve company culture. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"ChatGPT<\/a>Wondering How ChatGPT Will Impact Businesses? Look To RPA As an Example<\/a><\/h4>\n

Implemented thoughtfully, advancing technology can improve employees\u2019 experience, unshackling them from draining menial work and freeing them up for more meaningful, satisfying tasks. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Digital<\/a>Without The Right Culture, Your Digital Transformation Efforts Will Fail<\/a><\/h4>\n

According to a McKinsey survey, most businesses see less than one-third of the results expected from digital transformation efforts. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Company<\/a>4 Tactics to Keep Company Culture Strong During Difficult Times<\/a><\/h4>\n

As leaders face an uncertain economy in 2023, it\u2019s important to remember the power and value of culture. It\u2019s not a project that can be shoved aside during difficult times. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Digital<\/a>Digital Nomads Increased 131 Percent From 2019. Will the Trend Prevail in a Tough Economy?<\/a><\/h4>\n

The ranks of digital nomads with traditional employment have more than tripled since 2019, now making up 66 percent of all digital nomads. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"virtual<\/a>I Experimented With Virtual Reality. Here\u2019s What Leaders Need to Know.<\/a><\/h4>\n

According to Gartner, by 2026, 25 percent of people will spend one hour per day or more in virtual reality, and nearly one-third of businesses will offer products or services for the metaverse. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Acceptance<\/a>25 Percent of Employees Feel They Don\u2019t Belong at Work. Could Tech Solve the Problem?<\/a><\/h4>\n

Recent studies have found that 25 percent of employees feel they don\u2019t belong at their workplace, and 40 percent of employees feel isolated. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Upskilling<\/a>Upskilling Leaders Is Essential in the New World of Work: 4 Steps to Get Started<\/a><\/h4>\n

According to LinkedIn\u2019s 2022 Workplace Learning Report, 49 percent of learning and development programs in 2022 focused on leadership and management training. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Hybrid<\/a>Hybrid B2B Sales Will Be the Norm By 2024. How to Embrace the Future of Sales Now<\/a><\/h4>\n

Before 2020, B2B sales of complex solutions and services were conducted almost entirely in person. All that changed with the pandemic. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Remote<\/a>How to Ensure Every Generation Has a Great Remote Work Experience<\/a><\/h4>\n

My son is what I like to call a remote native. He entered the workforce after the pandemic hit, and so he\u2019s never known full-time office life. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Hiring\"<\/a>Interviewing for Remote Jobs? A Guide to Evaluating Whether a Company Has Great Remote Culture<\/a><\/h4>\n

As the Great Reshuffle churns on, employees continue to look for new opportunities that better align with their desires for work-life balance and flexibility. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Remote<\/a>4 Essential Tactics for Building Influence in a Hybrid Setting<\/a><\/h4>\n

The debate is over: Hybrid work is the new normal. The\u00a02022 Microsoft Work Trend Index\u00a0found hybrid work up seven points from last year (to 38 percent). Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"collaboration<\/a>Do You Still Use Email to Collaborate With Other Companies? Here’s Why That’s a Mistake<\/a><\/h4>\n

When collaborating with other companies on a project, too many businesses rely on email and other outdated practices. Complications, headaches and frustrations ensue. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Offering<\/a>Why Offering Remote Work Isn’t Enough to Attract Talent in 2022<\/a><\/h4>\n

In 2022, offering remote work isn\u2019t a perk. It\u2019s table stakes. The pandemic showed people the benefits of working from home, and they\u2019re demanding flexibility from their workplaces. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Risks<\/a>The Risks of Doing Hybrid Yourself<\/a><\/h4>\n

In response to the overwhelming evidence that employees don\u2019t want to go back to full-time office life, companies everywhere are adopting hybrid workplace models. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Remote<\/a>Having Trouble Embracing Remote Work? You Need to Overcome These 3 Limiting Beliefs<\/a><\/h4>\n

Companies that embrace the new world of work are reaping the benefits. For instance, they\u2019re able to attract a significantly larger talent pool. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Hybrid<\/a>4 Signs Your Hybrid Strategy Isn’t Working<\/a><\/h4>\n

You may think your hybrid strategy is going well, but do your employees agree? Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Freelance<\/a>Will On-Demand Talent Be the Next Work Revolution? 3 Tips for Building a Freelance Talent Strategy<\/a><\/h4>\n

The remote work revolution is already over \u2014 hybrid has won \u2014 but another major shift could be coming. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Virtual<\/a>Virtual Healthcare is the Future If Organizations Can Clear These Hurdles<\/a><\/h4>\n

Many healthcare organizations are working on advancing virtual care options. That said, the path to digital healthcare transformation is bumpy. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Leadership<\/a>How We Work Has Forever Changed. It’s Time for Leadership to Catch Up<\/a><\/h4>\n

The rise of virtual work will bring widespread demand for work-life balance, and it will also lead to a more inclusive world with opportunities open to talent no matter where they call home. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Hybrid-Friendly\"<\/a>The Office Needs to Become Hybrid Friendly: 4 Tips for Getting Started<\/a><\/h4>\n

After compensation, the No. 1 thing employees care about in 2021 is flexibility. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Hybrid<\/a>Outdated Tech is a Non-starter in the Hybrid World: 3 Ways to Start a Digital Transformation<\/a><\/h4>\n

A recent Office Depot survey revealed that companies are failing their remote employees when it comes to technology. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Hybrid<\/a>Going Hybrid Isn\u2019t Simple, But It Is Necessary: Here\u2019s How to Get Started<\/a><\/h4>\n

After getting a taste for the flexibility offered by remote work, 73 percent of employees don\u2019t want to go back to full-time office life, says the 2021 Microsoft Work Trend Index. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"AI<\/a>AI Holds the Key to Helping Remote Organizations Maintain a Great Culture<\/a><\/h4>\n

How do you know if remote employees are engaged and happy? Do your remote teams have the dynamics that fuel success? Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Remote<\/a>The Hidden Cost When Remote Workers Spend All Day on the Couch<\/a><\/h4>\n

The remote worker typing away while lounging on a comfy couch or bed is a familiar image.
\nRead more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Gig<\/a>Gig Workers Are the Workforce of the Future: Here’s How to Engage Them<\/a><\/h4>\n

More and more, workers are breaking free of the 9-to-5 paradigm and striking out on their own as independent contractors, freelancers and digital nomads. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Digital<\/a>Digital Exhaust: The Most Valuable Asset Your Organization Owns But Isn’t Using<\/a><\/h4>\n

The pandemic has led many companies to become distributed, as their employees suddenly transitioned to working remotely. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Digital<\/a>Supporting Digital Nomads in Your Business Is Good for the Bottom Line<\/a><\/h4>\n

Digital nomads \u2014 employees or contractors who work remotely while traveling \u2014 were a small growing trend before the pandemic. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Hourly<\/a>How to Permanently Adopt Remote Work for Hourly Employees<\/a><\/h4>\n

As I talk with leaders of companies about permanently adopting remote work, they often ask, \u201cWhat do I need to do differently to manage remote hourly workers vs. salaried employees?\u201d Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"digital<\/a>A Silver Lining: How the Pandemic Will Help Bridge the Digital Divide<\/a><\/h4>\n

The pandemic has more greatly exposed workers who have been unable to participate in the digital economy, threatening to leave them further behind. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"Remote<\/a>Should Companies Ditch the Office After the Pandemic Is Over?<\/a><\/h4>\n

COVID-19 has helped many companies see the value of operating virtually. Businesses have continued to operate with empty offices while maintaining the same or improved productivity. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

\"Remote<\/a>The Next Silicon Valley Will Have No ZIP Code<\/a><\/h4>\n

As of May 2020, Silicon Valley was home to 2,000 tech companies \u2014 the greatest concentration anywhere in the world. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Larry English, partnered with Forbes, shares his insights into continuing forward with a remote workforce. This is his Office Optional column.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":31746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[20871,16927],"coauthors":[15095],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2024-07-21 19:52:14","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31374"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31374"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52408,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31374\/revisions\/52408"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31374"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=31374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}