Just a few years ago, the possibility of working from anywhere made us wistful. With family and friends, we’d play the “what if” game: What if we could work from home? What if we could live somewhere warmer? What if we could move to another country?

When the pandemic hit and remote work made “what if” possible, some responded, “why not?” And that’s when things got complicated.

Now we’re faced with a different set of questions; Why should we ever return to the office? When we’re not in the office, how do we make friends? How do we create an equitable work experience for remote employees?

These are the kinds of questions Anne Helen Petersen and I talk about in this interview. Anne came on the show once before to discuss her book, Can’t Even, about burnout and the millennial generation. I invited her back on to discuss her latest book, Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working from Home.

Anne and her co-author, Charlie Warzel argue that, when it comes to what work can look like, we’re living in a time where the answers we arrive at have never been more important. We have an opportunity to make work better.

Episode Links

Culture Study on Substack by Anne Helen Petersen

Galaxy Brain on Substack by Charlie Warzel

The Remote Work Revolution Hasn't Happened Yet

How to Care Less about Work

The Surprising Science of Meetings by Steven Rogelberg

Beginner's Mind by Yo-Yo Ma

Beyond Collaboration Overload by Rob Cross

The Team

Learn more about host, Gayle Allen, and producer, Rob Mancabelli, here.

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CM 202: Anne Helen Petersen on the Peril and Promise of Working from Home

Curious Minds at Work