Centric Consulting’s President, Larry English, tells the story of how his award-winning virtual consulting firm got started— and how other companies can follow suit with an office optional company culture.
COLUMBUS, OH – As cities tentatively relax their shelter-in-place orders, more companies are considering adding remote work to their permanent policies, but many don’t know how to build an infrastructure or company culture based on a virtual workplace. Larry English’s book, “Office Optional: How to Build a Connected Culture with Virtual Teams,” offers a solution.
“Office Optional,” which is available for purchase, describes how English’s company, Centric Consulting, has been a virtual company since its inception 20 years ago and how he and his fellow cofounders crafted a company culture without physical offices.
“Coronavirus created a sudden experiment that has turned business leaders into believers with many now planning to permanently adopt remote work strategies,” said English. “This book provides a guide for having a remote workforce and a great culture.”
Paperback and hardcover copies will be released in early June, with a portion of the book’s proceeds going to charities that support those affected by the pandemic.
“We were very early adopters of remote work, and quickly learned that a remote workforce leads to happier employees, a better culture and higher profits,” said English.
Before Centric, English and his friends were working 80- to 100-hour weeks, sacrificing work-life balance for the firm they worked for together. They decided to build their own company instead. They wanted their organization to be different — one way was by foregoing the traditional office in favor of a flexible work environment, one that was mostly virtual.
Today, Centric has over 900 employees with locations all over the US and India. And, in the decades since its founding, it has won numerous awards for its company culture and consistently ranks high on Glassdoor reviews. Work-life balance and remote work are regularly spouted as pros for working at Centric.
“Office Optional” offers practical tips and poignant stories from Centric’s team members about how other companies can create their own award-winning virtual culture. Readers will find chapters describing not only how to navigate setting up a company culture, but also what to do to when it comes to hiring virtually, keeping your culture top of mind and choosing the best connectivity tools. The end of each chapter also includes a “quick start guide” that recaps the most important tips.
“If there was ever a time to know how to build a virtual workforce, this is it,” said Shep Hyken, customer service and experience expert and New York Times bestselling author. “Larry English gives you a step-by-step plan to build it out, create the right culture, and avoid costly mistakes.”
About Centric Consulting
Centric Consulting is a management consulting firm that guides you in the search for answers to complex digital, business and technology problems by asking tough questions, leading crucial conversations and blending our experts with yours. As you navigate what’s next, we can help you conquer change, optimize processes, elevate your technology, and compete in a digital world.
Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, Centric has additional offices in Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa and Gurgaon, India. Centric was named one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms by Forbes in 2019 and 2020. Visit http://www.centricconsulting.com to learn more.
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