Episode 5: From Cubicles to Clouds: Building the Right Connections with Your Team

Glenn Carroll, professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Michael Arena, a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, share new leadership insights on why the work-from-home vs. work-in-office debate must go beyond the working environment and instead focus on intentional leadership. They discuss building better connections across your team on and off the screen.

Hosted by Stuart Paap

Does proximity matter when it comes to performance? Michael Arena, a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania, is no longer convinced it does.

In this episode, discover the latest insights and thinking around what connections teams need to make to spur innovation, build collegial bonds, and boost productivity regardless of where they work. Hear why Michael and Glenn both urge leaders to be more intentional regarding how they connect their teams, with a key focus on creating more informal moments for employees to interact. Learn how remote managers can make the most of virtual working environments and how leaders can deliver more effective messages to their teams on and off the screen.

Michael Arena is the Chief Science Officer and Co-founder of Syndezos. He is a faculty member in Penn’s Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics program and acts as a design thinking coach within the Stanford School. Michael is the author of the book: Adaptive Space: How GM and Other Companies are Positively Disrupting Themselves and Transforming into Agile Organizations.

He was the Chief Talent Office for General Motors Corporation, where he launched GM2020, a grassroots initiative featured in Fast Company and Fortune Magazine. Michael lives in Detroit with his wife and two daughters. You can follow Michael and connect with him via Connected Commons or LinkedIn.

Glenn Carroll is The Adams Distinguished Professor of Management at the Stanford School of Business, teaching executives and MBA students. He has taught in many programs, including most prominently several high-level custom executive education programs for global Fortune 50 companies, including General Motors’ “Transformational Leadership Program.”

Glenn is the author of several books, including: Making Great Strategy,