Larry English, a Forbes Contributor, writes about the virtual workforce and remote work in his column, Office Optional.
Virtual work isn’t the model of the future — it’s here now. And Larry English is here to guide the way.
Even before the pandemic, Larry was at the forefront of the virtual model. As president of Centric Consulting, he helped pave the way for an entirely virtual company.
Twenty 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 1,000 team members with primary locations in 13 U.S. cities and India.
In his book, Office Optional: How to Build a Connected Culture with Virtual Teams, Larry unpacks everything he’s discovered about creating and sustaining a virtual culture of collaborative teams.
A Forbes contributor, he also regularly writes columns regarding the virtual workforce and remote work. See Larry’s Office Optional column below and check back regularly for more.
Read the Latest
Caught Off Guard By the AI Revolution? Here’s How Your Company Can Catch Up
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’ve been caught off guard by the AI revolution, don’t worry — you’re hardly alone. Read more
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Essential Tips For Navigating the “Messy Middle” Of Hybrid Work
Hybrid work is emerging as a winner for workers and organizations alike. There’s just one problem: Hybrid work is most definitely a “messy middle,” forcing companies to navigate numerous complexities in an attempt to find an arrangement that works for everyone. Read more
Look to Hospitality for the Future of Commercial Real Estate and In-Office Work
Adapting to meet consumer needs has not been a part of the commercial office model. While the business world has changed, the office model hasn’t yet needed to evolve to keep up. Read More
AI and Security: Is Your Organization Ready?
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
Top Priorities for CIOs Managing Through Uncertainty
Ready or not, the role of AI and working through everything from security to governance is now on every CIOs radar. Read More
The Impact of AI on Company Culture and How to Prepare Now
Your company’s culture will impact how quickly and successfully an organization can adopt AI. And, done well, AI can actually improve company culture. Read More
Wondering How ChatGPT Will Impact Businesses? Look To RPA As an Example
Implemented thoughtfully, advancing technology can improve employees’ experience, unshackling them from draining menial work and freeing them up for more meaningful, satisfying tasks. Read More
Without The Right Culture, Your Digital Transformation Efforts Will Fail
According to a McKinsey survey, most businesses see less than one-third of the results expected from digital transformation efforts. Read More
4 Tactics to Keep Company Culture Strong During Difficult Times
As leaders face an uncertain economy in 2023, it’s important to remember the power and value of culture. It’s not a project that can be shoved aside during difficult times. Read more
Digital Nomads Increased 131 Percent From 2019. Will the Trend Prevail in a Tough Economy?
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
I Experimented With Virtual Reality. Here’s What Leaders Need to Know.
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
25 Percent of Employees Feel They Don’t Belong at Work. Could Tech Solve the Problem?
Recent studies have found that 25 percent of employees feel they don’t belong at their workplace, and 40 percent of employees feel isolated. Read More
Upskilling Leaders Is Essential in the New World of Work: 4 Steps to Get Started
According to LinkedIn’s 2022 Workplace Learning Report, 49 percent of learning and development programs in 2022 focused on leadership and management training. Read more
Hybrid B2B Sales Will Be the Norm By 2024. How to Embrace the Future of Sales Now
Before 2020, B2B sales of complex solutions and services were conducted almost entirely in person. All that changed with the pandemic. Read More
How to Ensure Every Generation Has a Great Remote Work Experience
My son is what I like to call a remote native. He entered the workforce after the pandemic hit, and so he’s never known full-time office life. Read more
Interviewing for Remote Jobs? A Guide to Evaluating Whether a Company Has Great Remote Culture
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
4 Essential Tactics for Building Influence in a Hybrid Setting
The debate is over: Hybrid work is the new normal. The 2022 Microsoft Work Trend Index found hybrid work up seven points from last year (to 38 percent). Read more
Do You Still Use Email to Collaborate With Other Companies? Here’s Why That’s a Mistake
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
Why Offering Remote Work Isn’t Enough to Attract Talent in 2022
In 2022, offering remote work isn’t a perk. It’s table stakes. The pandemic showed people the benefits of working from home, and they’re demanding flexibility from their workplaces. Read more
The Risks of Doing Hybrid Yourself
In response to the overwhelming evidence that employees don’t want to go back to full-time office life, companies everywhere are adopting hybrid workplace models. Read More
Having Trouble Embracing Remote Work? You Need to Overcome These 3 Limiting Beliefs
Companies that embrace the new world of work are reaping the benefits. For instance, they’re able to attract a significantly larger talent pool. Read More
4 Signs Your Hybrid Strategy Isn’t Working
You may think your hybrid strategy is going well, but do your employees agree? Read More
Will On-Demand Talent Be the Next Work Revolution? 3 Tips for Building a Freelance Talent Strategy
The remote work revolution is already over — hybrid has won — but another major shift could be coming. Read more
Virtual Healthcare is the Future If Organizations Can Clear These Hurdles
Many healthcare organizations are working on advancing virtual care options. That said, the path to digital healthcare transformation is bumpy. Read more
How We Work Has Forever Changed. It’s Time for Leadership to Catch Up
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
The Office Needs to Become Hybrid Friendly: 4 Tips for Getting Started
After compensation, the No. 1 thing employees care about in 2021 is flexibility. Read more
Outdated Tech is a Non-starter in the Hybrid World: 3 Ways to Start a Digital Transformation
A recent Office Depot survey revealed that companies are failing their remote employees when it comes to technology. Read more
Going Hybrid Isn’t Simple, But It Is Necessary: Here’s How to Get Started
After getting a taste for the flexibility offered by remote work, 73 percent of employees don’t want to go back to full-time office life, says the 2021 Microsoft Work Trend Index. Read more
AI Holds the Key to Helping Remote Organizations Maintain a Great Culture
How do you know if remote employees are engaged and happy? Do your remote teams have the dynamics that fuel success? Read more
The Hidden Cost When Remote Workers Spend All Day on the Couch
The remote worker typing away while lounging on a comfy couch or bed is a familiar image.
Read more
Gig Workers Are the Workforce of the Future: Here’s How to Engage Them
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
Digital Exhaust: The Most Valuable Asset Your Organization Owns But Isn’t Using
The pandemic has led many companies to become distributed, as their employees suddenly transitioned to working remotely. Read more
Supporting Digital Nomads in Your Business Is Good for the Bottom Line
Digital nomads — employees or contractors who work remotely while traveling — were a small growing trend before the pandemic. Read More
How to Permanently Adopt Remote Work for Hourly Employees
As I talk with leaders of companies about permanently adopting remote work, they often ask, “What do I need to do differently to manage remote hourly workers vs. salaried employees?” Read more
A Silver Lining: How the Pandemic Will Help Bridge the Digital Divide
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
Should Companies Ditch the Office After the Pandemic Is Over?
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
The Next Silicon Valley Will Have No ZIP Code
As of May 2020, Silicon Valley was home to 2,000 tech companies — the greatest concentration anywhere in the world. Read more
