“The World is Your Office: How Work from Anywhere Boosts Talent, Productivity, and Innovation” by Prithwiraj Choudhury

Twenty-seven steps.

That’s how long your commute is now: you roll out of bed and stroll down the hall whenever you like, wearing what you want. Next month may be different, you haven’t decided yet, because it won’t matter.

You don’t have to think hard to remember the beginning of the pandemic, and what it was like to quickly commandeer a corner of your bedroom to be your new workspace. That was then, this is now, and you’re not eager to see the whole return-to-office thing return as the default.

So what if it didn’t?

Choudhury says there’s another way to work that’s a “win-win-win” for everyone: Work from Anywhere (WFA), which frees up workers to do their jobs from anywhere with an internet connection. 

He says companies of any size can implement WFA practices, and there are many benefits.

WFA allows flexibility, quality of life, and monetary savings for workers. Commutes would be limited or eliminated, work attire restrictions would be nonexistent, and flexibility for family or personal pursuits would be built. Communities would benefit by keeping talented citizens in their midst. Employers would no longer need a formal workplace, which would eliminate mortgage or rent and the cost of office supplies. WFA also offers the opportunity to hire the best employees, no matter where they live.

Of course, WFA has disadvantages, but Choudhury assures readers that the benefits far outweigh the problems. Communication is key to making this work, and he suggests several ideas for keeping it efficient.

Set up a virtual storehouse where employees can find instructions, meeting transcripts, handbooks, memos, and other necessary information. Hold virtual water-cooler sessions at random. Give established employees a chance to e-mentor new hires. Utilize digital twin technology and asynchronous communication. Offer your employees yearly off-site retreats. Do it now, says Choudhury, and you may have an advantage over the competition. 

Do you think this sounds like a work-from-home model? Author Prithwiraj Choudhury assures his readers that it’s not. For employers who are willing to make adjustments – ones that may have been needed for years anyway – WFA might be better.

That’s intriguing, as are the benefits and solutions Choudhury lays out in “The World Is Your Office.” Readers will be especially interested in the thought that this new working method may be possible in almost any industry, with technological advances appearing seemingly every day. Using medicine and assembly lines as examples, Choudhury points out that robotics and talented, properly trained employees can accomplish many micro tasks remotely. The technology will only get better.

This is a great book for CEOs, business owners, and employees who are able to bend the ear of an influential C-suite. If saving money, job satisfaction, and exciting new technology are things you need now, “The World Is Your Office” is a valid and welcome next step.