Just like 2020, this past year didn’t turn out like we expected. And, yet, we got through it. In this episode, we reconnect with three women who were on our show during the height of the pandemic to find out what they’ve been up to and how they’re making sense of the big shifts in society, our workplaces, and our lives. The questions they’re asking themselves are important ones: Is the path I’m on the right one? What does a “healthy and happy me at work” look like? We discuss the value of self-reflection, why we’ve generally been putting it off, and the introspection that the death of a family member brings about. The Amys reflect on two recent losses, how they managed grief and work, and the lessons they took away from those experiences. Resources: “How to Cope with Anticipatory Grief at Work,” by Sabina Nawaz “Make Space for Grief After a Year of Loss,” by Gianpiero Petriglieri “How Women Who’ve Lost Work Are Coping,” by Women at Work “Starting Your Career in a Pandemic,” by Women at Work “Has Anything Changed for Black Women at Work?” by Women at Work Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter. Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

Why do some freelancers feel depleted and discouraged at the end of their workdays while others feel happy and hopeful? Having a successful career in the gig economy, no matter your profession, requires a certain set of psychological and social skills. Two researchers break down six common existential and interpersonal challenges that freelancers confront in their day-to-day work lives. They share routines and practices that help independent workers keep themselves motivated, productive, and developing professionally. Guest experts: Brianna Caza is a management professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  Erin Reid is a management professor at McMaster University. Resources: “Are You Ready to Go Freelance?” by Brianna Barker Caza et al. “What Successful Freelancers Do Differently,” by Ben Laker et al. “Freelancing, Self-Employment, and Mental Health” by The Anxious Achiever “Thriving in the Gig Economy,” by Gianpiero Petriglieri et al. The Gig Work Life Participate in Erin and Brianna’s research study. Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter. Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

Which feelings (and shoes) are work-appropriate these days? What happens now with the transparency and informality that, for many professionals working from home, became more normal and acceptable? How do return-to-office mandates compromise the authenticity of employees who prefer to stay remote? Tina Opie, an expert on authenticity, joins us to share impressions of how notions of professional behavior and dress have changed. She also gives advice for expressing yourself as expectations of professionalism shift. Guest expert:   Tina Opie is a DEI consultant, visiting scholar at Harvard Business School, and management professor at Babson College. Resources: “Lead with Authenticity,” by Women at Work “How Much of Your “Authentic Self” Should You Really Bring to Work?” by Susan McPherson “Working from Home While Black,” by Laura Morgan Roberts and Courtney L. McCluney “How Organizations Are Failing Black Workers — and How to Do Better,” by Adia Harvey Wingfield Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter. Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

Once you’ve committed to a leadership role — formally and officially or simply in your mind and heart — getting everyone else at work to buy in requires relationship management. How do you successfully shift the role you’re playing on your team? What sorts of conversations help clear the way? Which steps shouldn’t you skip? Is this transformation harder to make over Zoom? To address these questions, we revisit a 2019 interview with two leadership development experts — essential listening for any woman who’s ready to step up — and share an update on how their advice applies in the context of remote and hybrid work. Guest experts: Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins are the founders of the executive coaching and leadership development firm Paravis Partners. They co-wrote the book Own the Room, and Amy is the author of The Leader You Want to Be. Muriel hosts the HBR Presents podcast Coaching Real Leaders. Resources: “Seeing Ourselves as Leaders,” from Women at Work “Anyone Can Learn to Be a Better Leader,” by Monique Valcour “How to Develop Your Leadership Style,” by Suzanne J. Peterson, Robin Abramson, and R.K. Stutman “Begin with Trust,” by Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter. Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

How are women who started a job remotely during the pandemic faring? Have they been receiving the support and making the connections necessary to succeed in their role? What lessons can they pass on to other women who are about to join an entirely remote or hybrid organization? We highlight findings from our survey of new hires. Then, Emily speaks with management professor Beth Schinoff and HR executive Amelia Ransom about their own experiences starting new jobs — the challenges they faced and how they worked to overcome them. They also share advice on how to approach onboarding, whether you’re starting a new position yourself or supporting a new member of your team. Guest experts: Beth Schinoff is a management professor at Boston College. Amelia Ransom is the vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the software company Smartsheet. Resources: “How Remote Workers Make Work Friends,” by Beth Schinoff et al. “Starting a New Job? Take Control of Your Onboarding,” by Susan Peppercorn “How to Set Up a Remote Employee for Success on Day One,” by Darleen DeRosa “How to Re-Onboard Employees Who Started Remotely,” by Rebecca Zucker “How to Succeed Quickly in a New Role,” by Rob Cross et al. Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter.   Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

One way to help close the gender earnings gap? Deliberate redundancy at work, according to economic historian Claudia Goldin. Claudia expands on this idea and shares other insights about the U.S. female labor force. Emily and the Amys reflect on the career-family decisions they’ve made (or plan to make) and imagine what it would be like to have a colleague who could fill in for them whenever they needed time off.

We all go through periods at work when we think, I am done with this job and ready to move on. But are you really ready to leave your team and your company? You owe it to your career and your future self to make that decision carefully. Amy G talks through essential questions to consider. And if you decide that bowing out is indeed the right move, she gives advice for doing that conscientiously, including how much notice to give. Then we hear from a listener in New Zealand who recently gave her notice at her public sector job about how she handled her guilt and fear over leaving. Resources: “How to Quit Your Job: An HBR Guide,” by Amy Gallo “5 Reasons Not to Quit Your Job (Yet),” by Amii Barnard-Bahn “Christine vs. Work: How to Quit Your Job with No Regrets,” by Christine Liu “How Much Time Can I Take Off Between Jobs?” By Rebecca Zucker Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter. Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

If you’ve invested in someone you manage, it’s natural to feel hurt when that person tells you they’re leaving. Yet the classic management advice is: Don’t take it personally. Be professional. Acknowledging your feelings and working through them — for yourself and with your team — is actually part of being an emotionally intelligent, compassionate leader. Five managers, including Amy B, share their experiences of losing team members and how they’ve learned to cope with the shock, sadness, and stress. Guests:  Nicole Smith is HBR’s editorial audience director. Maureen Hoch is the editor of HBR.org and the supervising editor of Women at Work. Resources: “Your Star Employee Just Quit. Will Others Follow?” by Art Markman “Never Say Goodbye to a Great Employee,” by Tammy Erickson “How to Lose Your Best Employees,” by Whitney Johnson “When an Employee Quits and You Didn’t See It Coming,” by Rebecca Knight “With So Many People Quitting, Don’t Overlook Those Who Stay,” by Debbie Cohen and Kate Roeske-Zummer Sign up to get the Women at Work monthly newsletter. Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org

In leading their teams and organizations through a crisis, women have repeatedly stepped up to the plate. How have they done it? By flexing the leadership capabilities that set them apart, such as taking initiative and communicating powerfully. We asked our listeners to tell us about bosses whose management approach they admire and whose values and skills have had a positive impact on them personally. Here we’re celebrating and learning from four of these women: the managing partner at a law firm, the chief technology officer at a community college, the head of HR at an employee recognition company, and the CEO of a bank. Then, leadership coach Muriel Wilkins shares advice on how to take care of yourself while taking care of the people you manage. Guest expert: Muriel Wilkins is the co-founder of the executive coaching and leadership development firm Paravis Partners. She hosts the HBR Presents podcast Coaching Real Leaders.  Resources: “Research: Women Score Higher Than Men in Most Leadership Skills,” by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman “Research: Women Are Better Leaders During a Crisis,” by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman “Research: Women Took on Even More Invisible Work During the Pandemic,” by Marianne Cooper

It’s one thing to know you want to upgrade your work life. It’s another to take the steps necessary to establish a new routine and career outlook. There are three phases to any major life change, according to management research findings: separation, experimentation, and reintegration. Making a change is possible, manageable, and worth the effort. As proof, two women who are well into the process reflect on the steps they took to come as far as they have, as well as the payoff they’ve seen in their lives. Guests:  Shilpa Bhandarkar is the CEO of the tech venture arm of a law firm. Bridget O’Brien is a marketing director within a large health system. Resources: “The 3 Phases of Making a Major Life Change,” by Herminia Ibarra “How Dual-Career Couples Can Work Through the Coronavirus Crisis,” by Jennifer Petriglieri “How Dual-Career Couples Make It Work,” by Jennifer Petriglieri Sign up to get the Women at Work newsletter. Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org