21st Century Work Life

Hosted by Pilar Orti

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430

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Apr 2026

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About the show

Brought to you by Virtual not Distant, the 21st Century Work Life podcast looks at leading and managing remote teams, online collaboration and working in distributed organisations. Join Pilar Orti, guests & co-hosts as they shine the spotlight on the most relevant themes and news relevant to the modern knowledge worker.

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60 recent

August 20, 202620 min

WLP383 All the World's a Workplace season kick off: Work is location agnostic. People are not.

A little August episode to celebrate the fact that I (Pilar) have finished the manuscript for All the World's a Workplace! I realise half-way through the recording that while the work is location agnostic, the people are not. (It took me over a decade to articulate this!) [0:00] Welcome, and bringing back the show's original tagline [0:39] The book's done, to be published soon: All the World's a Workplace https://www.virtualnotdistant.com/coming-soon [3:30] Why context is everything (and why the book got so long) [5:39] How the book is structured [6:27] "The work is location agnostic. The people are not." [7:57] Office mandates made by people who like the office [9:23] The "reset button" [11:24] Getting clear on what "hybrid" actually means [13:05] Netflix, Reed Hastings and the reversals we never hear about [15:59] Shakespeare, Fakespeare and the dilemmas [18:12] Wrapping up, and what's coming next You can read an article on Netflix's current take on remote here: https://wfa.team/blog/netflix-remote-work-from-anywhere-policy/ (And note that I made a mistake when I quoted the CEO saying that remote work is a pure negative. I said something else!)

April 30, 202626 min

WLP382 Booknotes: How to Change

In today's episode, Pilar shares her highlights from the book: How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Katy Milkman

March 20, 202626 min

WLP381 Booknotes: Black Box Thinking. Growth Mindset and the Secrets of High Performance

Pilar shares her booknotes from: Black Box Thinking: Growth Mindset and the Secrets of High Performance by Matthew Syed Another episode from the season Booknotes, where Pilar shares the notes she made while reading a book, allowing new insights to emerge spontaneously behind the microphone. In today's episode: Part 1 Pilar shares her booknotes from: Black Box Thinking: Growth Mindset and the Secrets of High Performance by Matthew Syed "The paradox of success: it is built upon failure." During the episode, Pilar shares: Zoe podcast episode from 16 March 2026 Tim Spector's 7 health habits for 2026 https://zoe.com/learn/tim-spectors-7-health-habits-for-2026 The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly The Trial by Rob Rinder Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths New newsletter! Pilates and Remote Work: https://pilatesandremotework.substack.com/ And don't forget to check out Connection and Disconnection in Remote Teams , the book! Part 2: Personal Updates Enjoying writing about Pilates, looking for different teachers to learn from and lots of voicoever jobs last week! If you're interested in All the World's a Workplace, sign up here.

February 26, 20261 hr 7 min

WLP380 Booknotes special: a conversation on Connection and Disconnection in Remote Teams

A different kind of episode today! We're back with two voices, and this time, instead of Pilar sharing notes from a book, she speaks to her co-author Bree Caggiati, about their latest book, "Connection and Disconnection in Remote Teams". They cover some of the book's topics, how the research has moved on, and for Part 2, they've got some connection-related personal updates. In today's episode: Part 1 Check out Connection and Disconnection in Remote Teams , the book! 1. Book and Project Origins Bree and Pilar explain how their 2019 podcast project on connection and disconnection evolved into their recently published book. 2. Evolution from Remote to Hybrid Work How remote work went from a "niche" concept in 2019 to the mainstream adoption of hybrid models post-pandemic, and the common mistake of forcing traditional office-based practices into remote environments and the benefits of establishing intentional remote-first frameworks. 3. Diversity and Inclusion in Connection: Individuals experience belonging differently and how designing for specific needs can benefit an entire team. 4. Structure and Themes of the Book An overview of the core topics addressed in the book. 5. New Research on Monthly Meetups A new study by Nick Bloom suggesting that bringing fully remote teams together just once a month can significantly boost productivity and reduce quit rates. 6. The "3A Framework" of Connection & Shared Responsibility A breakdown of three ways people connect at work., and the "overarching thesis" that connection is a shared duty between the organisation, the manager, and the individual, requiring deliberate design rather than just hoping it happens. 7. The Connection Quiz A ten-question, quiz to test Bree's memory of key concepts from the book, such as the health risks of chronic loneliness and the "remote-first" approach. 8. Generative AI and Rapport How AI chatbots might replace small human interactions, potentially impacting the bonding and trust-building typically found in quick feedback loops. Part 2: Personal Updates Talking "Away from the Work", but still connected to today's topic of connection!

February 12, 202637 min

WLP379 Booknotes: Code Dependent: How AI Is Changing Our Lives

Another episode from the season Booknotes, where Pilar shares the notes she made while reading a book, allowing new insights to emerge spontaneously behind the microphone. In today's episode: Part 1 Pilar shares her booknotes from: Code Dependent: How AI Is Changing Our Lives by Madhumita Murgia "The problem that we have is not the algorithms, but the humans." And don't forget to check out Connection and Disconnection in Remote Teams , the book! Part 2: Personal Updates Pilar shares some of the ways in which she's using generative AI to help with the writing of her book. If you're interested in All the World's a Workplace, sign up here.

January 22, 202633 min

WLP378 Booknotes: Make Time and Four Thousand Weeks

Another episode from the season Booknotes, where Pilar shares the notes she made while reading a book, allowing new insights to emerge spontaneously behind the microphone. In today's episode: Part 1 Pilar shares her booknotes from: Make Time: How to focus on what happens every day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky Four Thousand Weeks: Embrace your limits. Change your life. Make your four thousand weeks count by Oliver Burkman "The technologies we use to try to 'get on top of everything' always fail us, in the end, because they increase the size of the 'everything' of which we're trying to get on top." And don't forget to check out Connection and Disconnection in Remote Teams , the book! Part 2: Personal Updates Pilar is reading this novel, which she's really enjoying: In a Good Light by Clare Chambers An announcement: Pilates for Remote Workers is in the making… Feedback has come through for All the World's a Workplace Pilar has to go back to re-writing the cozy mystery in third person… pilarwrites.com

December 9, 202530 min

WLP377 Booknotes: The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary

Another episode from the season: Booknotes, where Pilar shares the notes she made while reading a book, allowing new insights to emerge spontaneously behind the microphone. In today's episode: Part 1 Pilar shares her booknotes from: The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary by Catherine Gray Favourite highlight: "Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have." And don't forget to check out Connection and Disconnection in Remote Teams , the book! Part 2: Personal Updates If you're interested in the future book The A to Z of Spanish Refrains, sign up here: https://atozofspanishculture.com/2025/01/16/n-is-for-un-libro-nuevo/ Pilar talks about her recent experience recording for an audioguide (the producer was great!), how her writing is going (the cozy mystery, not so great) and her ongoing learnings as Pilates teacher. pilarwrites.com

November 24, 202530 min

WLP376 Booknotes: The Art of Possibility

Another episode from the season: Booknotes, where Pilar shares the notes she made while reading a book, allowing new insights to emerge spontaneously behind the microphone. In today's episode: Part 1 Pilar shares her booknotes from: The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander Favourite highlight: I love my weeds as much as my unblossomed roses. (Which actually comes from a letter received by one of the author's students.) Part 2 Recommendations for other reading: Mark Kilby's newsletter Staying Human with Tech Practical Presenting: 100 Actionable Tips by Guy Michaels And don't forget to check out Connection and Disconnection in Remote Teams , the book! Personal Updates Hello to Andrew and Mike from Blue Goat Books, thank you for listening! Pilar tells of what she learned from having a substitute teacher for her choir singing class. And how she experienced cognitive load herself while teaching Pilates. pilarwrites.com

November 3, 202526 min

WLP375 Booknotes: Futureproof by Kevin Roose

Another episode from the season Booknotes, where Pilar shares the notes she made while reading a book, allowing new insights to emerge spontaneously behind the microphone. In today's episode: Part 1 Pilar shares her booknotes from: Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation by Kevin Roose Favourite highlight: "It's on us—the people who love technology but worry about its use—to explore this adjacent possible and push for the best version of it." Part 2 Updates from Pilar: A fiction recommendation: You Are Here by David Nicholls The struggles writing the chapter on leadership for All the World's a Workplace. What Pilar is learning through choir singing lessons. pilarwrites.com And don't forget to check out Connection and Disconnection in Remote Teams , the book!

October 16, 202528 min

WLP374 Booknotes: Because Internet

Another episode from the season: Booknotes, where Pilar shares the notes she made while reading a book, allowing new insights to emerge spontaneously behind the microphone. In today's episode: Part 1 Pilar shares her booknotes from: Because Internet: Understanding how language is changing by Gretchen McCulloch Listener Roberta recommends: It's Not Magic. The Ordinary Skills of Exceptional Leaders by John Amaechi and the fiction book: N o Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister. Pilar in turn recommends Roberta Sawatzky's memoir Between here and Where? Embracing life's transitions and the novel Home Stretch by Graham Norton And don't forget to check out Connection and Disconnection in Remote Teams , the book! Part 2 Updates from Pilar: The interview on The Creative Penn podcast episode 831: How to Pivot Careers, Co-Write Books, And Stay Connected As A Remote Creative With Pilar Orti The importance of attending Pilates classes as a student The workflow for this show pilarwrites.com