Coronavirus

Managing Through Crisis

Managing Through Crisis

Managing Your Life

Managing Your Life

How Working Parents Can Strategically Prioritize Their Time

by Carol Hagh
  • 15 Apr 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
With the many demands at home and at work, working parents need to strategically prioritize their responsibilities, so their time is spent on what make matters. They must ask themselves, what do I, as a parent, need to do that is unique? What adds the most value to my children’s lives? And what can be done by other people?

Parents, Take Your Sick Days

by Tim Sullivan
  • 14 Apr 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Responsibilities at work and at home put a lot of pressure on working parents to always be on — even when they’re sick. But continuing to work when you’re not feeling well can mean you’re not performing at your best. It also sets a bad example for your employees, coworkers, and kids, who are depending on you.

Your Burnout Is Unique. Your Recovery Will Be, Too.

by Yu Tse Heng and Kira Schabram
  • 12 Apr 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
While it’s up to employers to provide a working environment that prevents burnout as much as possible, new research suggests that addressing burnout once you’re suffering from it is a little more complicated. There are steps that organizations can (and should) take to support their employees, but the most effective measures to counteract burnout are generally driven by the individual.

Family Management: Everyday Joys

  • 12 Apr 2021
  • | 
  • Women at Work Podcast
Before Kevin had kids, he believed they’d bring him pure joy. So after the birth of his first child, he was blindsided by how little joy he actually felt. The big emotions, which people had gushed to him about, never arrived. Instead, he felt exhausted, overwhelmed, and confused. But, over time, he’s learned that joy — at work and at home — is bite-sized and to be savored.

Creative Strategies from Single Parents on Juggling Work and Family

by Marika Lindholm
  • 08 Apr 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
When it comes to handling the competing demands at work and at home, solo parents do it all — alone. While this can be an incredible challenge, it’s also an opportunity. In the face of tough obstacles, these working parents often develop unique, problem-solving skills.

Make Time for “Me Time”

by Elizabeth Grace Saunders
  • 01 Apr 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
We’re all busy. Whether it’s responsibilities at home or at work, many of us focus so much on doing it all that we forget to focus on ourselves. But ensuring your own health and happiness is critical. How do you carve out time for yourself, your health, and your needs when you’re always on?

Podcast: Introducing a Pick-Me-Up for Moms and Dads

  • 31 Mar 2021
  • | 
  • Women at Work
By this point in the pandemic, parents are running on fumes. Amy Gallo introduces two HBR editors who want to help lift spirits and keep careers advancing through a four-episode series we’re presenting called Family Management.

Be More Realistic About the Time You Have

by Sabina Nawaz
  • 23 Mar 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
It’s no surprise that many of us overload our workday, assuming we can take on many tasks in a small amount of time. Yet, at the end of the day, we’re stunned to find that work remains unfinished. Despite past evidence, our predictive engines gum up, and we’re convinced we’ll be able to achieve the extraordinary in an ordinary day. This is called “magical thinking,” and it can cause you to disappoint others, miss deadlines, feel depleted, and lose your inspiration. But you can break free of this habit.

What a Year of WFH Has Done to Our Relationships at Work

by Nancy Baym, Jonathan Larson, and Ronnie Martin
  • 22 Mar 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
More than a year into the Covid-19 pandemic and WFH, new research from Microsoft shows that employees and teams are becoming much more siloed. In particular, connections with people outside our immediate teams has shrunk dramatically, leading to fewer places to connect around innovative ideas and fewer opportunities to build social capital. Further, this trend is making employees feel lonely and isolated. To help address this issue, leaders should focus on being proactive about connecting employees across the organization, make space for connections outside official meetings, encourage and reward social support, and improve the structure of meetings.

To Lead Better Under Stress, Understand Your Three Selves

by Tony Schwartz and Emily Pines
  • 22 Mar 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
A year into a global pandemic which upended how we work and live, the complexity and intensity of the challenges many people are facing exceeds their emotional resilience. And the understanding what’s happening in your body, mind, and emotions is at least as important to sustainable performance as the skills you bring to the work you do. The authors began to look more deeply at how we react to different levels of stress in our lives. They present here a roadmap for better stress management grounded in the premise that human beings don’t operate from a single stable self. Rather, we unconsciously move between three primary selves — the child self, the defender, and the adult self — which vie for attention and control, depending on the demands we’re facing.

Staying Mindful When You’re Working Remotely

by Alyson Meister and Amanda Sinclair
  • 16 Mar 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
Remote work is taking its toll in the form of chronic stress and burnout. Cultivating mindfulness in our online environment is a way to combat this depletion of energy. The authors recommend applying three mindfulness principles to your remote work to reduce stress levels and reconnect with your purpose. First, offer your team your presence by eliminating distractions and focusing on how you’re being with the people you’re speaking to. Next, be in the moment by focusing on where you are now, rather than thinking about the future. Finally, enable connection and community by practicing deep listening and paying close attention to inclusion. Remote working doesn’t have to be a barrier to your capacity to deliver leadership presence, empathize and connect with colleagues, and build strong workplace communities.

Research: Becoming a Manager Doesn’t Always Feel Like a Step Up

by Nishani Bourmault and Michel Anteby
  • 09 Mar 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
Being promoted from the frontlines to a managerial position may seem like a step up. But for some, this new role can be disenchanting, resulting in good employees leaving their positions. To better understand who might experience “managerial blues,” researchers interviewed two types of employees promoted to management positions in the Paris subway system: former drivers and former ticket agents. They found that the drivers, who regularly dealt with protecting riders and life-or-death situations on their own, developed a heightened sense of personal responsibility that was central to their identity as workers — something they missed in their new role as a boss. In contrast, the former ticket agents found a great deal of meaning as a manager. These results can help companies better onboard new managers depending on their former roles, and might be particularly relevant to health care workers and police officers as well.

Taking a Break Doesn’t Always Mean Unplugging

by Alexandra Samuel
  • 03 Mar 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
Frequent breaks help recharge our batteries at work, and while screen-free respites are usually best, sometimes you just can’t get away from your devices–and sometimes you just don’t want to. But the good news is that tech-based or -enhanced breaks can give you some of the same benefits as the offscreen variety, if you are able to include some combination of physical movement, social interaction, and brain stimulation. So take a few minutes to sing karaoke along with your favorite YouTube video, feel guilt-free about firing up a video game, or set aside time to chat with friends in the middle of the day.

How to Stay Optimistic (When Everything Is Awful)

by Bill Taylor
  • 25 Feb 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
These are challenging times to stay energized and upbeat. The author offers four pieces of advice to help make you and your colleagues more optimistic: 1) Insist on crisp execution, but make room for “organizational foolishness”; 2) Invite everyone to become a problem-solver, then give them room to fix things; 3) Don’t just champion new ideas; strengthen personal relationships; and 4) To counter so much bad news, share every piece of good news.

When You Lose Your Job — and It’s Your Whole Identity

by Rebecca Zucker
  • 17 Feb 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
We can be deeply committed to and engaged in our work, as well as find meaning and positive affirmation in it. Yet, we are more than our jobs. Losing your job doesn’t have to mean losing who you are. The author offers six strategies for regaining — and even redefining — your sense of who you are after a job loss.

How to Ask for an Extended Leave from Work

by Denise M. Rousseau
  • 16 Feb 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
Asking for a leave from work for a family issue can be a daunting and uncertain process. Even if there is no process or precedent, it is possible to reach an agreement for extended leave — and make it work for you, your company, and even for your boss and coworkers. Whether your need for leave is anticipated and planned for or a demand that arises unexpectedly, you can negotiate a leave by learning about your company and its policies and culture, and understanding what your boss knows about you and your contributions.

How to Plan Your Life When the Future Is Foggy at Best

by Kate Northrup
  • 11 Feb 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
With micro-planning, you can plan for the future in smaller chunks, allowing you to reassess at set points throughout the year and readjust to circumstances as necessary. To micro-plan, start with identifying your compelling purpose for your career. Then, make a plan for the year that aligns with this purpose.

How to Stop Overthinking Everything

by Melody Wilding
  • 10 Feb 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
Deliberation is an admirable and essential leadership quality that undoubtedly produces better outcomes. But there comes a point in decision making where helpful contemplation turns into overthinking. To stop the cycle of thinking too much and drive towards better, faster decisions you can: put aside perfectionism, right-size the problem, leverage the underestimated power of intuition, limit the drain of decision fatigue, and construct creative constraints.

Podcast: Taking on a Senior Leadership Role Remotely

  • 09 Feb 2021
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  • HBR IdeaCast
Muriel Wilkins, cofounder of the executive coaching firm Paravis Partners, says that starting a leadership role at a new company or via internal promotion is demanding. Doing so remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic is even more challenging. She says that new senior leaders must focus on two things: connectivity and credibility. And she explains how to build those attributes when much of the job is performed virtually.

How to Find Meaning When Your Job Feels Meaningless

by Rebecca Knight
  • 03 Feb 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
Amidst a rapidly spreading and deadly virus, a global economic crisis, and civil and political unrest that’s ripping at the fabric of society, it’s hard to feel inspired about much of anything these days — let alone your job. But while it’s understandable now to feel that your work has lost its purpose, rekindling it ought to be a top priority. What can you do to shift your perspective? Reflect on what you care about and what motivates you. Think about why you wanted to work at your organization in the first place. Remind yourself how the work you do affects others. You don’t need to be curing diseases or saving endangered species for your work to have meaning. Reflect on the projects that invigorate you, and consider the interesting problems your organization is tackling. Look, too, for ways that your purpose can be personal. You might, for instance, coach a younger employee or help a member of your team who’s struggling. Putting yourself forward even in small ways can be replenishing.

Create the Best Calendar System for Your Family

by Elizabeth Grace Saunders
  • 02 Feb 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
Working parents need a solid family calendar system to reduce stress and diminish avoidable bad surprises. There’s no one right way to keep track of your family’s schedule, but there are some basic principles that can guide you in setting up a system that works effectively and helps you all to feel like you’re on the same team. Decide on a central location, agree on how events are added, and touch base daily. When you’re all up to speed on these basics, try more experiments such as pre-blocking activities that often slip through the cracks.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Walk

by Deborah Grayson Riegel
  • 02 Feb 2021
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  • Harvard Business Review
Walking is one of the simplest and most strategic things you can do for yourself. It takes little preparation, minimal effort, no special equipment, and it can contract or expand to fit the exact amount of time you have available. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a single bout of moderate-to vigorous activity (including walking) can improve our sleep, thinking, and learning, while reducing symptoms of anxiety. When we go for a walk, we perform better on tests of memory and attention; our brain cells build new connections, staving off the usual withering of brain tissue that comes with age; we can actively change the pace of our thoughts by deliberately walking more briskly or by slowing down; and our attention is left to meander and observe, helping us generate new ideas and to have strokes of insight.

Podcast: How to Stop Remote Work Burnout

  • 01 Feb 2021
  • | 
  • The Anxious Achiever
Over the past year, millions of people have moved their meetings from offices or coffeeshops to computer screens at home. It’s a new normal that may seem like a dream come true for introverts. But the reality has been exhausting — not only for introverts, but for everyone. So how do we keep remote work from totally burning us out? In this special bonus episode, host Morra Aarons-Mele speaks with the TED Business podcast about how she protects her energy and boundaries while working remotely.

Work-Life Balance Is a Cycle, Not an Achievement

by Ioana Lupu and Mayra Ruiz-Castro
  • 29 Jan 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Research has definitively shown that overwork isn’t good for employees or their companies — and yet, in practice, it can be hard to overcome unhealthy work habits and reach a more sustainable work-life balance. To explore what it takes for busy professionals to make a change for the better, the authors conducted a series of interviews with mid- and senior-level managers at two global firms. They found that while the majority of respondents assumed working long hours was inevitable, a significant minority of them were able to resist this pressure and achieve a healthier balance through a process of increasing awareness, conscious reprioritizing, and implementation of public and private changes. The authors go on to emphasize that to achieve lasting change, you must view this process not as a one-time activity, but as a cycle in which you constantly re-evaluate your evolving feelings and priorities, and adjust your work and life choices accordingly.

Navigating Pandemic Fatigue as a Working Parent

by Stewart D. Friedman and Alyssa F. Westring
  • 27 Jan 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
These are trying times. For nearly a year, many working parents have been jumping from parenting to work and back within a moment — working from home and living at work. As a result, their lives remain stuck and misaligned with their values. The author suggest that working parents should take time to revisit their values, which may have shifted during the pandemic. So, take some time to clarify what you care about now; think about changing your habits and routines to match these values; and talk to friends, family, and co-workers about your new sense of self.

Now Is a Great Time to Start Practicing Mindfulness

by Matthias Birk
  • 27 Jan 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
The past year has been marked by anger, fear, and grief. None of these feelings is particularly easy for most of us to feel, and it can be tempting to try to bypass them by suppressing, escaping, or acting impulsively. Not only are these avoidant approaches ineffective, they can harm our health, well-being, and personal and professional relationships. The author recommends three strategies for using mindfulness to address these hard-to-have feelings in a productive way. Feel the tough feeling without judging it, then examine your own interpretation and approach the situation with curiosity. Finally, make an effort to share what you’re feeling and why.

How to Stay Motivated When You’re (Still) Stuck at Home

by Elizabeth Grace Saunders
  • 25 Jan 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
After months of being stuck inside due to the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting exposure to friends and family, and juggling responsibilities at home and at work, it’s no surprise that many of us are dealing with frustration, anger, and burnout. Quite simply: We’ve had enough. And while it may be tempting to just give up, you can rally and fight these feelings, to motivate yourself to not only get through this time — but also thrive. You can do this in a few ways. First, feel your anger and release it in healthy ways. Second, question what changes you can make to your situation — and accept what you aren’t changing. Third, develop a strategy for moving forward within these realities. Finally, remember to take care of yourself, physically and mentally.

Finding Direction When You’re Feeling Lost

by Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries
  • 25 Jan 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
At a certain point in life, people transition from “time to live” to “time left to live.” This shift creates a new sense of urgency about identifying the purpose of our existence. And as people confront this challenge, they come up against a set of fundamental human needs that collectively define how we experience the meaning of our existence: belonging, purpose, competence, control, and transcendence. Thinking about these five pillars of meaning can help you reinvent your life.

This Two-Minute Morning Practice Will Make Your Day Better

by Neil Pasricha
  • 22 Jan 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Thanks to the fight-or-flight mechanism in our brains, we’re conditioned to seek out bad news and focus on the negative. This can have deleterious effects on our mental and physical health. It can be tempting to cope with bad news and emotionally challenging life events by overworking, but that only compounds those negative side effects. Instead, take a couple minutes each morning to reflect on and write down three things: what you’ll focus on, what you’re grateful for, and what you’ll let go of. This practice won’t fix everything, but it will prime your brain for positivity and improve the quality of your day.

How to Keep Your Cool in High-Stress Situations

by Robert E. Quinn, David P. Fessell, and Stephen W. Porges
  • 15 Jan 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
When faced with a high-stress situation, one that even feels threatening, it can feel like we don’t have control over our response. Research has shown that our bodies can instinctively go into a “fight-or-flight” reaction. As a leader, the more effectively you can self-regulate these reactions the better you can lead and help others. Recent research in the field of neuroscience offers insights into this process of self-regulation and how you can move from the fight-or-flight response to a higher state of openness that invites collaboration, creativity, and thriving.

Thriving in the Age of Hybrid Work

by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic
  • 13 Jan 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
As we begin to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, hiring data is highlighting a growing demand for individuals with a more unusual or heterogeneous talent profile, such that they combine soft and hard skills hitherto not found in the same individual. If you are a Jack-of-all-trades, you can now expect to be in-demand, so long as you find a niche to apply your different skills and interests. Even if you as an individual haven’t mastered the art of developing a multi-skilled and interdisciplinary talent profile, you do have choices. The most important is to avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. Instead, broaden your career horizons to expand your self-concept, reimagine your potential in the most wide-ranging and diversified way, and be open to unusual choices. There has never been a better time to keep your options open.

Be Kinder to Yourself

by Alice Boyes
  • 12 Jan 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Talking to yourself with self-compassion will help you deal with a raft of challenging situations, including those you experience personally and those you need to help your employees or kids through. To use it effectively, follow these practices to build specific, personalized habits of self-compassionate talk: give yourself a gentle and supportive nudge by asking yourself what you need in the moment; use irreverence to challenge your beliefs; reframe a trait or tendency to take a more balanced view; identify your patterns of self-sabotage; borrow language from friends, quotes, or proverbs; and write scripts for common scenarios.

Are They Mad at Me…or Are They Just Blunt?

by Alice Boyes
  • 06 Jan 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
It’s normal for people to have different communication styles, but working with someone who lacks warmth or tends to be blunt can spark feelings of anxiety. Instead of spending time and energy worrying about what a colleague’s abrupt communication says about you, try out a few strategies that might improve your collaboration. First, understand what makes you uneasy and remember not to take it personally. Then try to gauge whether or not they’re willing and able to adjust how they communicate with you. Keep in mind that you have to be willing to compromise, too, and that you should resist the urge to gossip. These techniques can prevent you from distancing yourself from a colleague who has other important strengths.

How to Tell Your Boss You’re Burned Out

by Ron Carucci
  • 05 Jan 2021
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Almost half of U.S. workers report feeling burned out as a result of pandemic-related factors, such as remote work and longer hours, fear of unsafe working conditions, and concerns about job security. Many people experiencing this kind of burnout report having done nothing about it. Health experts agree that untreated burnout can put your mental and physical health in jeopardy, and the feelings and symptoms won’t just go away on their own. After taking the first step of admitting you’re experiencing burnout, follow these steps to prepare to have an honest, productive conversation about it with your boss — they’re in a unique position to help you.

How Couples Can Find Balance While Working from Home

by Mara Olekalns and Jessica A. Kennedy
  • 14 Dec 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Couples working from home during the pandemic face the challenge of balancing work and domestic responsibilities in a way that’s fair, and so far the ongoing crisis has largely reinforced existing gender gaps in the home. The first step to reaching an equitable arrangement is to understand the sources of conflict. Then, couples can employ negotiation strategies often used in professional settings to improve cooperation, identify unmet needs, and get them met. Taking the time to develop a work-from-home strategy can help strengthen couples’ relationships now and after the pandemic.

Podcast: Welcome Back to Remote Work, New Moms

  • 14 Dec 2020
  • | 
  • Women at Work
Solidarity and support for women returning from parental leave to a new normal — one that’s inhospitable to mothers’ careers.

I’m a CEO and a Working Dad. Here’s What I Wish I Did Differently.

by Tim Allen
  • 08 Dec 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
While employers are increasingly offering paid paternity leave benefits, most new dads take less time than they are allowed, and 70 percent of those who do take leave return to work in 10 days or fewer. Why? A large part of the problem is culture, which leaves most fathers feeling unsupported by leadership in their decision to take paternity leave. Simply providing benefits isn’t enough — leaders and managers must commit to fostering a dad-friendly work culture. They must be cognizant of the attitudes and behaviors that create a stressful culture for working parents. They should be vulnerable, honest, and empathetic about their own lives as working parents. Most of all they should model that they too use paternity leave, backup care, and flexible work schedules. Organizations that commit to a dad-friendly culture will see positive halo effects that benefit working mothers, further gender equality, and improve retention.

Podcast: When You Need Time Off for Health Reasons

  • 07 Dec 2020
  • | 
  • Women at Work
When an acute or chronic health issue disrupts our work life, how do we let our bosses and coworkers know? How vulnerable should we be? And, as managers, how do we best support an employee who discloses a diagnosis? We talk with two women who’ve had to consider these questions while navigating illnesses, and they share advice on disclosing and discussing health issues with colleagues.

Podcast: Anxiety, Depression, and Working Moms in a Pandemic

  • 30 Nov 2020
  • | 
  • The Anxious Achiever
Jessica Calarco, associate professor of sociology at Indiana University, is studying women struggling to balance work and parenting during the Covid-19 pandemic. She explains how societal pressures and our own ideas about motherhood, along with systemic failures, are causing working mothers to suffer greater anxiety and depression than before the pandemic. But she says there are ways workplaces can help.

Make Mindfulness a Habit

by Matthias Birk
  • 20 Nov 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
A lot has been said about the importance of mindfulness and how to practice it in the workplace, but the advice doesn’t always address how to develop a sustainable practice over time. Here's four actions that can help.

Is Self-Sabotage Burning You Out?

by Kandi Wiens
  • 19 Nov 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Our workplaces can be hazardous to our wellbeing. Strict demands, never-ending changes, and unfair policies are just a few things that contribute to burnout. But stressful work environments don’t always lead to burnout. What are those that are avoiding burnout doing to protect themselves? What can we learn from them?

5 Strategies for Reinventing Your Career in Uncertain Times

by David Lancefield and Dorie Clark
  • 13 Nov 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Despite the challenges that extended periods of uncertainty present, those periods also offer unparalleled opportunities for strategic planning. Total control and predictability are always an illusion — and when circumstance strips that illusion away, it can open our minds to the wide variety of paths we could take. Here's five strategies that can help anyone leverage the power of uncertainty to reinvent their career strategy.

Podcast: Now Is a Good Time to Take Care of Ourselves

  • 09 Nov 2020
  • | 
  • Women at Work
Are you exhausted? We are. Between the long hours working from home during a pandemic, the mental load of worrying about the outcome of the election, and the lack of sleep that all of this has brought on, it’s no wonder that we’re tired and stressed. Emotional exhaustion, as workplace well-being expert Mandy O’Neill explains, is one sign of burnout. She shares antidotes and ways to protect ourselves from experiencing it in the first place. Not having enough time for the people and things you care about can cause burnout. Happiness researcher Ashley Whillans gives us advice on how to find and protect that time.

How to Be a Visionary Leader and Still Have a Personal Life

by David Lancefield
  • 06 Nov 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Business leaders enjoy the “high” that comes from redefining the identity, essence, and capabilities of an organization and the exhilaration of achieving something few thought was possible. But given its demands, the leadership role can take over your life if you let it. By the time you realize that it’s resulted in collateral damage to you and those whom you care about, it’s often too late.

Feeling Overwhelmed? Here’s How to Get Through the Workday.

by Alice Boyes
  • 02 Nov 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
You know those days when it feels as though life is kicking you in the teeth? We all have those days. And yet we still need to get things done. Here are some tips for pushing through. When handled right, work can have a grounding effect that can help with whatever life is throwing at you.

How to Thrive When Everything Feels Terrible

by Christine Porath and Mike Porath
  • 30 Oct 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Research shows that there is a productive way to counter the toxic effects of negativity. It’s called thriving — the psychological state in which people experience a sense of both vitality and learning. Thriving individuals are growing, developing, and energized rather than feeling stagnated or depleted.

Mentoring During a Crisis

by David P. Fessell , Vineet Chopra and Sanjay Saint
  • 29 Oct 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
If you consider yourself a mentor to someone on the front lines, the first step is to take care of yourself. You can’t offer emotional support if you don’t have your own emotional fortifications in place. Then you can turn to helping your mentees by offering them emotional support and concrete tactics.

Podcast: Going Back to the Office

  • 26 Oct 2020
  • | 
  • Women at Work
If working from home intensified the invisible labor women do and put even more pressure on us professionally and personally, what should we expect from life split between home and office? And without much of the interaction and amenities that being in an office used to offer us, is going in worth the trouble of wearing a mask all day, navigating the new rules, and taking the potential health risk? And what about those of us who can’t go back? Women who’ve returned to their workplaces describe what it’s like to be back.

“Serious” Leaders Need Self-Care, Too

by Palena Neale
  • 22 Oct 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
It’s not just a bunch of hippy-dippy nonsense.

How to Find and Form a “Parenting Posse”

by Avni Patel Thompson
  • 22 Oct 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Four ways to build a support system that works for you.

Audio: Have Technology And COVID-19 Accelerated Social Changes?

by Jamie Bologna and Tiziana Dearing
  • 15 Oct 2020
  • | 
  • WBUR
Life and work during the pandemic is markedly different. For many, Zoom is how you meet, including kids in school. And family time? Outside and six feet apart, or another Facetime call with grandma. Much of this will remain, even after a vaccine. Harvard Business School's Debora Spar says that's not surprising. She argues in her new book, that how we live, love and work--and what we perceive as "normal" in everything from relationships to gender roles--has always been driven by our technological advancements.

Navigating Office Politics When There Is No Office

by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Dorie Clark
  • 12 Oct 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Across jobs, companies, and industries, people’s success has always depended not just on what they produce or deliver, but also on their ability to navigate the murky waters of office politics. But how do you do that with no office?

How Mothers WFH Are Negotiating What’s Normal

  • 12 Oct 2020
  • | 
  • Women at Work Podcast
Harvard Business School professor Kathleen McGinn highlights findings from her ongoing research on how working parents are reconsidering and shifting their roles and responsibilities.

Want to Be Happier? Make More Free Time

by Dina Gerdeman
  • 06 Oct 2020
  • | 
  • Working Knowledge
Enjoying life requires time, but too often we willingly give it away in pursuit of money and career. Ashley Whillans shows how to restore the proper balance.

All the Help We Can Get

  • 05 Oct 2020
  • | 
  • Women at Work Podcast
When there’s way too much on your plate, here’s how to ask colleagues to lend you a hand.

How to Defeat Busy Culture

by Serenity Gibbons
  • 29 Sep 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
It’s toxic and wrecks productivity.

How to Build Rapport … While Wearing a Mask

by Dustin York
  • 28 Sep 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Eight tips for communicating when no one can see your smile.

You're Right! You Are Working Longer and Attending More Meetings

by Danielle Kost
  • 14 Sep 2020
  • | 
  • Working Knowledge
A study of 3 million people confirms what many work-from-home employees already know: We're swamped. Research by Raffaella Sadun, Jeffrey Polzer, and colleagues.

When Your Boss Doesn’t Respect Your Family Commitments

by Rebecca Knight
  • 01 Sep 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
When trying to balance your work and family commitments, it helps to have a boss who is understanding and supportive: someone who doesn’t raise an eyebrow when you sign off early to attend a school event or take a personal day to accompany an aging parent to a doctor’s appointment.

How to (Actually) Save Time When You’re Working Remotely

by Lauren C. Howe , Ashley Whillans and Jochen I. Menges
  • 24 Aug 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
While the widespread shift to remote work hasn’t been without its challenges, it does offer a major silver lining: For many of us, commuting has become a thing of the past. In the United States alone, eliminating the daily commute has saved workers around 89 million hours each week — equivalent to time savings of more than 44.5 million full workdays since the pandemic began! These numbers suggest that working remotely could be a deus ex machina for reclaiming one of our most precious and limited resources: time.

Podcast: Covid and Kids

  • 20 Aug 2020
  • | 
  • Dear HBR
Are you a working parent stressing over how to advance your career during the pandemic? In this episode of HBR’s advice podcast, Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Alyssa Westring, a professor at DePaul University’s Driehaus College of Business and coauthor of the book Parents Who Lead: The Leadership Approach You Need to Parent with Purpose, Fuel Your Career, and Create a Richer Life. They talk through what to do when you now want to quit your job to be a stay-at-home parent, your reduced salary and growth prospects are hurting your plans to have children, or a Covid-delayed job start date is tricky timing for your pregnancy.

Thinking of Skipping Vacation? Don’t!

by Rebecca Zucker
  • 11 Aug 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Many of us have had our summer vacation plans cancelled due to the pandemic. Whatever your thwarted plans entailed, you might be thinking of skipping a vacation altogether. And given that productivity has been hampered for many of us over the last few months, it’s easy to think, “I should keep working, so I can get more done,” or “What’s the point? I can’t really go anywhere.” But everyone needs a break.

It’s Okay to Say “No” to Social Events During Covid

by Ashley Whillans , Annie Wilson and Tobias Schlager
  • 06 Aug 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
As social restrictions lift, we are likely to find ourselves facing difficult decisions more often. Should we reject invitations to in-person events from friends and family? And if we do, should we communicate our concerns, or keep them to ourselves?

Conquer Your To-Do List With This Simple Hack

by Ellen Auster and Shannon Auster-Weiss
  • 06 Aug 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business School
In times of crises (as this is) Dwight Eisenhower, former US President and WW2 General focused on two criteria – importance and urgency. Covey popularized a matrix using these criteria which can be adapted for current conditions. On one axis is importance, and on the other is urgency. When you need to prioritize your assignments, this matrix can help you decide when you can delegate, eliminate, or postpone the less essential in order to focus on what is mission critical.

Anxious About What’s Next? Here’s How to Cope.

by Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter
  • 05 Aug 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Gaining greater clarity of mind on how we maneuver new territory will help us all. Here are some ways that will help you enter the post-Covid period with less anxiety and more clarity.

What’s Your Family’s Mission Statement?

by Priscilla Claman
  • 04 Aug 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
There is no adequate word to describe the life of a working parent. Busy doesn’t cut it. The stay-home-and-work-while-teaching-your-children-and-feeding-everyone-multiple-meals-a-day Tilt-A-Whirl that resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic caused many of us to stop and reassess. And, as a new school year begins and some of us return to our offices for at least some portion of the week, how do we get started without getting back on the too-much-to-do treadmill? Having a family mission statement may help.

Reframe How You Think About Self-Care

by Liane Davey
  • 03 Aug 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
As a manager, leading in this era of change, urgency, and accountability requires so much. You need the energy to be fully present even as you’re fretting about the 72 emails piling up in your in-box. You need the patience to be empathetic when facing resistance from your employees. You need the wherewithal to be creative instead of defaulting to tried-and-true approaches. You need the self-control to be open and vulnerable without losing your team’s confidence. And you need the endurance to be present, patient, creative, and controlled day after day and week after week. In sum, you need tremendous fortitude.

How to Break Up with Your Commitments

by Elizabeth Grace Saunders
  • 03 Aug 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
For some activities, like a required weekly company meeting, you need to show up even if you don’t feel like it. But for those optional activities where you have a choice and where you might have already drifted away, it could be time to make a clean break.

What to Do If Your Boss Doesn’t Like You

by Liane Davey
  • 29 Jul 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Do you have a feeling in the pit of your stomach that you and you boss just don’t click? Are you flummoxed about why your manager seems to interact so effortlessly with your colleagues but then avoids you or acts like you’re not there? Do you worry that they don’t trust you or, even worse, don’t like you? Before you work yourself into a frenzy, take a moment to assess what’s really going on and identify what’s causing the strain in your relationship. Once you do, you can build a targeted plan for how to make things better.

Don’t Work on Vacation. Seriously.

by Laura M. Giurge and Kaitlin Woolley
  • 22 Jul 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Spending weekends or holidays working undermines one of the most important factors that determines whether people persist in their work: intrinsic motivation. People feel intrinsically motivated when they engage in activities that they find interesting, enjoyable, and meaningful.

7 Science-Backed Ways Successful People Stay Calm

by Tony Ewing
  • 20 Jul 2020
  • | 
  • Forbes
Most of us assume our best response to a stressful situation is to force ourselves to calm down. Yet, behavioral scientists from Harvard Business School have found that’s a bad idea. They note our stress often stems from worrying bad things will happen—even if they're unlikely.

Learn to Solicit Feedback … from Your Kids

by Scott Edinger
  • 17 Jul 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Understanding how others experience us is an important tool for change. That’s true in the workplace and especially at home, where we’re often so busy being parents and partners that it’s easy to overlook the impact we have on others. How can we measure how we’re doing as parents? What work tools might we adapt to use at home? Following the best practices you’d use in the workplace to solicit upward feedback from your children can help you identify areas to improve as well as positive behaviors to continue.

Fighting The COVID Blues: Advice From Business Research

by Dina Gerdeman and Danielle Kost
  • 09 Jul 2020
  • | 
  • Forbes-Working Knowledge
Life was hard enough for the one-third of Americans who had wrestled with anxiety prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the disease that has killed more than 100,000 in the United States, left millions unemployed, and socially distanced many people from friends and family continues to cause fear, isolation, and financial distress—a mentally toxic combination for many.

Working Parents, Your Family Needs a “Board of Directors”

by Priscilla Claman
  • 08 Jul 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Assemble trusted advisors for every aspect of your life.

How to Prepare Yourself for a Return to the Office

by Ron Carucci
  • 06 Jul 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
We’re all feeling anxious about it.

How risky is a hug right now?

by Steve Calechman
  • 25 Jun 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Health Blog
“Can I get a hug?” It’s a simple question for a simple act that’s been especially missed because of COVID-19 distancing. But even as restrictions have started to loosen, there are no clear-cut answers on personal interactions between adults.

Lessons from a Working Mom on “Doing It All”

by Francesca Gino
  • 25 Jun 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Stop aiming for perfection, and start aiming for happiness.

Starting Your Career in a Pandemic

  • 22 Jun 2020
  • | 
  • Women at Work Podcast
Starting out your career is a formative, fragile time — in the best of circumstances. It’s even more challenging during the intersecting crises we’re living through. Many young women are navigating work relationships and cultures without strong networks, sponsors, and other kinds of support that take time to build. So we’ve pulled together perspectives and practical advice for women who are new to the workforce or entering it now.

How to Manage the Emotional Impact of Getting Laid Off

By Holly Epstein Ojalvo
  • 21 Jun 2020
  • | 
  • New York Times
"In this moment, people don’t feel empowered to talk about looking for new work or about personal issues as opposed to collective issues,” said Laura Huang, an associate professor at Harvard Business School. “They’re almost ashamed to talk about what they’re personally going through.”

Summer’s here, teens and parents — now what?

by Kathryn D. Boger, PhD, ABPP
  • 17 Jun 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Health Blog
Summer is upon us, and for many teens in this country, school’s already out. Now what? There is a general sense of uncertainty about what the coming months will bring, and higher levels of worry in cities and states that struggled with many cases of COVID-19. This is going to be a very different summer than usual for many teenagers and their families. As the weather heats up, here are four tips to guide parents in helping their teens plan for the months ahead.

How to recognize the signs of burnout from stress

by Alyssa Giacobbe
  • 05 Jun 2020
  • | 
  • Boston Globe
Five ways to better take care of yourself.

Don’t Let Your Partner’s Work Stress Become Your Own

by Jennifer Petriglieri
  • 04 Jun 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
A five-step plan, based on research.

Stay Motivated When Feedback Is Scarce

by Deborah Grayson Riegel
  • 02 Jun 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
It’s easy to fall into catastrophic thinking — especially when you’re working remotely.

How to Negotiate…with Your Kids

by Mary (Molly) Kern and Terri R. Kurtzberg
  • 29 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
You’re going to negotiate with your kids today, probably multiple times. According to one informal survey of 2,000 parents, we negotiate with our children an average of six times a day (lasting about eight minutes each, or 24 hours a month). Imagine how much these numbers have escalated under the circumstances many now find themselves — working at home and being with their kids 24/7.

You’ve Been Furloughed. Now What?

by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic and Becky Frankiewicz
  • 26 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Five questions to ask yourself.

Love in the time of COVID

by Liz Mineo
  • 21 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Gazette
During stressful periods, people look for support from their partners more than ever, but personal space is important too. A Harvard expert on healthy relationships offers advice for the COVID-19 lockdown and beyond.

How to Cope with That “Always-On” Feeling

by Charn McAllister , DJ Steffensen , Pamela L. Perrewé , C. Darren Brooks and Gang Wang
  • 21 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
While we’re all experiencing greater job and family stress in this new normal, recent research has found there are steps that employees can take to protect their well-being.

Podcast: Quitting Mid-Crisis

  • 20 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Are you leaving your organization during a critical time? In this bonus episode of HBR’s advice podcast, Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Shirli Kopelman, a negotiations professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and the author of Negotiating Genuinely: Being Yourself in Business. They talk through what to do when you’re planning to give notice during the coronavirus pandemic and can’t train your replacement.

HBR Quarantined: Bozoma Saint John, CMO at Endeavor, on Reinventing Yourself

  • 19 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
How will this pandemic change our career paths — and what new opportunities will it open up? The hosts talk with Bozoma Saint John, CMO at Endeavor, about how we can write new scripts to succeed during and after this crisis.

5 Tips to Reduce Screen Time While You’re WFH

by Elizabeth Grace Saunders
  • 15 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
To help her time management coaching clients maintain and regain energy, the author has been working on ways that they can reduce or eliminate technology throughout their day. Here are a few strategies that have been most effective.

The Downside of Flex Time

by Maura Thomas
  • 14 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
It can blur the line between work and life.

Working Parents, Make Friendships a Part of Your Routine

by Neal J. Roese and Kyle S. H. Dobson
  • 12 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Even on a tight schedule, you can connect through shared experiences.

Podcast: Goop’s Chief Content Officer on Balancing Self-Care at Work

  • 11 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
The Anxious Achiever Host Morra Aarons Mele speaks with Elise Loehnen, Chief Content Officer at Goop, about her own experiences with anxiety at work, how she manages employees and their mental health, and what self-care really means.

HBR Quarantined: Arianna Huffington

  • 11 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
How can we best take care of ourselves while we get through this pandemic? And how can we set ourselves up to thrive afterward? The hosts talk about the importance of sleep, meditation, and more with Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global.

Working Parents, Save Time for Hobbies

by Scott Behson
  • 07 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review

Healthy dose of religion

by Chris Sweeney
  • 06 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Gazette
People who regularly attend religious services tend to have a lower risk of alcohol poisoning, drug overdose, and suicide, a Chan School study finds.

Social distance makes the heart grow lonelier

by Alvin Powell
  • 04 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Gazette
Harvard experts discuss ways to ease the rising sense of isolation and feel more connected.

Gender Equity Starts in the Home

by David G. Smith and W. Brad Johnson
  • 04 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
The shift to remote work is highlighting domestic inequity in many households.

Stop Zoning Out in Zoom Meetings

by Sarah Gershman
  • 04 May 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Five strategies to get your head in the game.

Dear HBR Podcast: Coronavirus Career Limbo

  • 30 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Is the Covid-19 pandemic messing up your career plans? In this episode of HBR’s advice podcast, Dear HBR:, cohosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Scott Galloway, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business and the author of The Algebra of Happiness: Notes on the Pursuit of Success, Love, and Meaning. They talk through what to do when you’ve been laid off with a promise that you’ll be hired back eventually, your goal of moving into management has stalled, or your employer’s inflexible work-from-home policy is forcing you to look for other jobs in a difficult market.

How to Refuel When You’re Feeling Emotionally Drained

by Monique Valcour
  • 30 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review

To Take Care of Others, Start by Taking Care of Yourself

by Whitney Johnson and Amy Humble
  • 28 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
As businesses and schools are shuttered, economic uncertainty encroaches, and a pandemic rages worldwide, there is plenty of anxiety to go around. We’re watching our healthcare system be pushed to its limits, but the grief and trauma we’re seeing presages a second wave of need: Before long, our mental healthcare system is going to be stretched to the breaking point as well. As physical distancing continues, we need to make sure that we help alleviate the isolation, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and other mental health impacts that will result, driving a potentially system-overwhelming curve of their own. And now is the time to head off this second crisis.

Reinventing Your Career in the Time of Coronavirus

by Herminia Ibarra
  • 27 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Unexpected events or shocks disrupt our habitual routines, jolt us out of our comfort zones, and lead us to ask big questions about what matters and what is worth doing. It’s no wonder, then, that during the current pandemic, many people are rethinking their careers. But is this really the right time?

How to Communicate Your Self-Care Needs to Your Partner

by Jackie Coleman
  • 22 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
As working parents with a seemingly endless array of responsibilities, it can be hard to make space for yourself. The tendency to focus all your energy on work or family and put your own needs on hold is the norm. And this has only become more difficult with the current crisis. But the benefits of taking care of ourselves, whether that’s physically, emotionally, spiritually, or mentally, are undeniable.

Another Workplace Crisis: Loneliness

  • 21 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • HBR IdeaCast
Vivek Murthy, former U.S. Surgeon General, says that even before the Covid-19 pandemic, we were facing another health crisis: loneliness. Studies show that, around the world, more people have been feeling a greater sense of social isolation, which has many negative affects, including increased blood pressure, reduced immune response, and decreased engagement and productivity at work. But organizations can be a place where people find a greater sense of belonging. Murthy wants us to take loneliness more seriously and focus on fostering the types of authentic connections — face-to-face and virtual — that we need to combat it.

Feeling more anxious and stressed? You’re not alone

Harvard Gazette
  • 16 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • by Alvin Powell
The pandemic is taking a toll on mental health as people shelter from coronavirus, and each other, says a Chan School professor of psychiatric epidemiology.

Don’t Let Fear of COVID-19 Turn into Stigma

by Valerie Earnshaw
  • 06 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
My decades of research show that stigma harms the mental and physical health of people with disease. Stigma can take the forms of social rejection, gossip, physical violence, and denial of services.

How Working Parents Can Let Go of Perfectionism

by Alice Boyes
  • 06 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
While it’s commendable to want to excel to the highest extent possible (and show your boss and coworkers that you can), obsessing over mistakes can do more harm than good.

3 Tips to Avoid WFH Burnout

by Laura M. Giurge and Vanessa K. Bohns
  • 03 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
The lines between work and non-work are blurring in new and unusual ways, and many employees who are working remotely for the first time are likely to struggle to preserve healthy boundaries between their professional and personal lives.

The Restorative Power of Ritual

by Scott Berinato
  • 02 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Rituals, it turns out, are a powerful human mechanism for managing extreme emotions and stress, and we should be leaning on them now. A Q&A with HBS professor Michael Norton.

How To Be Happy During COVID-19

  • 02 Apr 2020
  • | 
  • Managing Through Crisis Video Series
Social distancing and being forced to work remotely due to the coronavirus has us feeling a range of emotions every day, from happy or sad, to anxious, nervous, disconnected, and sometimes even grief. Professor Arthur Brooks shares tips to help you remain positive during such uncertain times.

7 Questions to Raise Immediately After You’re Laid Off

by Susan Peppercorn
  • 31 Mar 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
With millions of people wondering what to do in the face of an actual or potential job loss, I polled several human resources experts and executive coaches about the questions they recommend asking should they receive a layoff notification during the global pandemic.

Balancing Work and Elder Care Through the Coronavirus Crisis

by Liz O’Donnell
  • 31 Mar 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
For these working daughters and sons, setting boundaries, employing technology and routines, asking for flexibility (and some forgiveness), and managing well-being will be critical.

How Dual-Career Couples Can Work Through the Coronavirus Crisis

by Jennifer Petriglieri
  • 27 Mar 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
With no clear division of labor between paid work and housework, dual-career couples are facing a host of new and unfamiliar challenges. How can both partners work productively under the same roof? Who gets to use the home office, and when?

You’re Not Powerless in the Face of Uncertainty

by Nathan Furr
  • 27 Mar 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Although part of our capacity to deal with the unknown is innate, a larger portion is learned. Those who develop this “uncertainty capability” are more creative, more successful, and better able to turn uncertainty into possibility.

The Contagion We Can Control

by Sigal Barsade
  • 26 Mar 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
When it comes to stress, there is good news: We’re not helpless. Understanding how negative emotional contagion works increases your awareness of it — and is a form of prevention in its own right.

That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief

by Scott Berinato
  • 23 Mar 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
If we can name it, perhaps we can manage it. We turned to the world’s foremost expert on grief, David Kessler, for ideas on how to do that.

A Guide for Working (From Home) Parents

by Avni Patel Thompson
  • 19 Mar 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
Readjusting to the new normal may be challenging, but maintaining routines, creating modified schedules, and swapping in new ways to do old things can help relieve stress and increase productivity.

Slow Down to Make Better Decisions in a Crisis

by Art Markman
  • 15 Mar 2020
  • | 
  • Harvard Business Review
The news about the spread of COVID-19 is changing fast — and people are trying to make decisions about everything from whether to cancel vacations to how to best protect themselves and their communities. There are several psychological reasons why you may find decision-making difficult right now.

How To Work Remotely

  • 11 Mar 2020
  • | 
  • Managing Through Crisis Video Series
Coronavirus has forced many organizations to suddenly take the plunge into remote work with many unanswered questions. Professor Tsedal Neeley and CMCO Brian Kenny use Zoom to discuss everything from creating a routine and connecting with colleagues to using virtual presentations and flex work time to make the most out of working from home.