Out Of Office

“This book will challenge you to rethink what it takes to make remote work work—not just for companies, but for people.” —Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the TED podcast WorkLife The future isn’t about where we will work, but how. For years we have struggled to balance work and life, with most of us feeling overwhelmed and burned out because our relationship to work is broken. This “isn't just a book about remote work. It's a book that helps us imagine a future where our lives—at the office and home—are happier, more productive, and genuinely meaningful” (Charles Duhigg, best-selling author of The Power of Habit). Out of Office is a book for every office worker – from employees to managers – currently facing the decision about whether, and how, to return to the office. The past two years have shown us that there may be a new path forward, one that doesn’t involve hellish daily commutes and the demands of jam-packed work schedules that no longer make sense. But how can we realize that future in a way that benefits workers and companies alike? Based on groundbreaking reporting and interviews with workers and managers around the world, Out of Office illuminates the key values and questions that should be driving this conversation: trust, fairness, flexibility, inclusive workplaces, equity, and work-life balance. Above all, they argue that companies need to listen to their employees – and that this will promote, rather than impede, productivity and profitability. As a society, we have talked for decades about flexible work arrangements; this book makes clear that we are at an inflection point where this is actually possible for many employees and their companies. Out of Office is about so much more than zoom meetings and hybrid schedules: it aims to reshape our entire relationship to the office.

From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together

Work where you want, when you want! Want the flexibility to work outside the office? It’s not all “peaches and cream”! There are real pitfalls, real tradeoffs, real hassles. But there are also real solutions. Whether you’re freelancing, telecommuting, or workshifting, this up-to-the-minute guide will help you anticipate every challenge—and overcome them! Simon Salt shares the experiences of dozens of people who’ve customized successful out-of-office work arrangements for virtually every imaginable job and industry. Discover what it takes to run a successful meeting from a coffee shop...manage a Skype call from 35,000 feet aloft...juggle your family’s demands while you’re working at home...set limits, and make technology serve you, instead of enslaving you! Make a clear-eyed decision about whether out-of-office work makes sense Set up a workspace where you can be happy and productive Establish the right boundaries—both personal and physical Maximize your productivity in airports, hotels, airplanes, and trains Keep your work secure and private, wherever you go Stay fully connected and “top of mind” with your colleagues Work with remote teams to build your own personal business Get the job done without working 24x7 (and even take vacations!) www.outofofficesuccess.com

What would your life be like if you didn't have to spend every working day at an office? Perhaps you would have a more enjoyable work environment, be able to spend more quality time with your family, reduce or eliminate the time and expense of a daily commute, reduce interruptions and increase productivity, be more flexible with scheduling personal tasks, and enjoy a more relaxing lifestyle. This is not just a pipe dream. The Internet makes this possible and practical for millions of people, and you could be one of them. This book is for you if you like your job or your business, but you'd like to use the Internet to give you more convenience, comfort and freedom in where and when you work. It will help you move "out of office," part-time or full-time, without being out of sight and out of mind.

Single mom Rachel Gibson seriously needs a break. Between an absent ex-husband, rowdy twin boys, and running her own work-from-home business, her candle isn't just burning at both ends, it's a full-blown puddle of wax. She's the go-to girl for other entrepreneurs, handling all the tasks they dread. Social media posts? She's got it. Website updates? She's on it. Light bookkeeping? She loves it. Thank goodness Rachel’s about to get a reprieve, as her former in-laws plan to whisk her boys away for a summer of fun at the family lake house. But when her ex backs out at the last minute, she finds herself in a pickle. Even though she's drowning in to-dos, she's horrible at saying no—especially when it comes to providing some stability for her kids. Once Rachel arrives at the lake house, she struggles to keep up with work and balance the demands of family, all the while fending off pesky new feelings for her ex-brother-in-law. It’s just another messy complication added to the dumpster fire of her life. Then again, anything is possible when she's out of office... Don't miss these other laugh-out-loud rom-coms from Christina Hovland: * There's Something About Molly * April May Fall

A leadership and learning expert shows you how to change your behavior, develop soft skills, and achieve personal and professional growth through a series of small experiments she calls “Flexing.” A personnel shift at your organization puts you into a leadership role you don't feel prepared for. Your boss tells you that you seem aloof and unapproachable in client meetings. You need to win the support of the members of a local community group for a project you feel passionate about. Addressing these diverse issues depends on improving your soft skills—such as time management, team building, communication and listening, creative thinking, and problem-solving. But this isn’t as easy as it may seem. Sue Ashford, the chair of the Management and Organizations group at the Ross School of Business, has the solution. In this timely book, she introduces Flexing—a technique individuals, teams, and entire organizations can use to learn, grow, and develop their skills and knowledge with every new project, work assignment, and problem. Flexing empowers you to embrace any challenge and adapt to any change, yielding practical, valuable takeaways that ensure growth. Flexing helps you move ahead when you’re confronted with a new challenge, or simply want to develop a vital skill. It’s a journey that begins with setting a flex goal—stating explicitly what you want to learn and how you want to grow. Once that flex goal is set, you then begin to run experiments, solicit feedback from peers or colleagues, and monitor and tweak your progress on the way to achieving your goal. Flexing can be tailored to each person, allowing you to reflect on your own experiences and incorporate the lessons you learn in the next project you tackle. It’s a growth mindset that will help you become the best version of yourself. Flexing also works with teams and organizations. Ashford teaches small groups and large how to implement flexing to ensure their members are ready for new challenges. With more people moving to remote working full-time and developing new ways of collaborating in teams, this warm and practical guide will help every professional and any organization on the journey to greater effectiveness.

Work where you want, when you want! Want the flexibility to work outside the office? It's not all "peaches and cream"! There are real pitfalls, real tradeoffs, real hassles. But there are also real solutions. Whether you're freelancing, telecommuting, or workshifting, this up-to-the-minute guide will help you anticipate every challenge--and overcome them! Simon Salt shares the experiences of dozens of people who've customized successful out-of-office work arrangements for virtually every imaginable job and industry. Discover what it takes to run a successful meeting from a coffee shop...manage a Skype call from 35,000 feet aloft...juggle your family's demands while you're working at home...set limits, and make technology serve you, instead of enslaving you! Make a clear-eyed decision about whether out-of-office work makes sense Set up a workspace where you can be happy and productive Establish the right boundaries--both personal and physical Maximize your productivity in airports, hotels, airplanes, and trains Keep your work secure and private, wherever you go Stay fully connected and "top of mind" with your colleagues Work with remote teams to build your own personal business Get the job done without working 24x7 (and even take vacations!) www.outofofficesuccess.com