216 - Your CEO pushing for RTO? Ask these 5 Q’s: Brian Elliott (CEO, Work Forward)

Brian Elliott, a leading expert on flexible work, joined us on the show.

We talked about whether or not remote work is actually dead (looked at the actual data), the questions to ask when your CEO pushes for a RTO, and why a return to office won’t fix bad management.

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(07:36) How Brian became a leading voice on the future of work

(13:39) The origins of Slack’s Future Forum and key findings

(14:56) The media vs. reality: Is remote work really dead?

(17:14) CEOs pushing RTO: Data-driven decision or gut feeling?

(19:02) The role of real estate, stealth layoffs, and productivity concerns

(23:27) The trust factor: Why some leaders struggle with hybrid models

(26:35) Politics and workplace decisions: The hidden forces at play

(28:34) The shift from central business districts to neighborhood economies

(30:37) The future of work isn’t fully remote or in-office—it’s flexible

(34:12) How HR leaders can push back on RTO mandates

(38:19) The contradiction: CEOs demanding AI innovation while enforcing RTO

(41:50) Performance management in a hybrid world: Why tracking outcomes matters

(47:33) How leading companies successfully implement flexible work policies

(49:30) The impact of return-to-office policies on women in the workforce

(54:23) What cities will look like in a remote-first future

(57:57) Five years from now: What will the workplace look like?

(01:01:43) The economic realities of remote work and city tax structures

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Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), and many more.