Libsyn Directory

In Praise Of The Office WIth Peter Cappelli - TWMJ #1007

Release Date: 10/26/2025

Navigate Hidden Markets With Judd Kessler - TWMJ #1015

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1015 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a moment when scarcity shapes everything from opportunity to attention, understanding who gets what (and why) has become one of the most consequential questions in modern life. is the inaugural Howard Marks Endowed Professor at the , an award-winning economist, and one of the leading thinkers in market design, public policy and behavioral economics. His research examines how rules, incentives, and institutional structures shape outcomes in environments where price alone cannot (or should not) decide...

Creators And Entrepreneurs With Joe Pulizzi - TWMJ #1014

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1014 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a moment when careers feel increasingly precarious and algorithms quietly dictate how value is created and captured, it’s worth learning from someone who has spent more than two decades helping creators and entrepreneurs reclaim ownership of their work and their futures. is the founder of multiple influential startups, including , the and is widely recognized as the person who first coined the term “content marketing” in 2001, long before it became an industry unto itself. A bestselling...

Emotionally Intelligent Teams With Vanessa Urch Druskat - TWMJ #1013

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1013 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when organizations are wrestling with fractured cultures, hybrid work, and teams struggling to stay connected, it helps to learn from someone who has spent three decades proving that collaboration is not a personality trait but a designed environment, which is why this episode turns to the work of , an award-winning researcher, educator at the , and one of the world’s leading experts on team emotional intelligence. Vanessa has devoted her career to understanding how teams actually function in...

Facing Fear And Finding Purpose With Ranjay Gulati - TWMJ #1012

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1012 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). Amid a moment when uncertainty defines every industry and leaders everywhere are confronting fear disguised as strategy, it is worth turning to someone who has spent his career decoding how individuals and organizations find the courage to act, which is why this week’s guest, , offers such rare authority. Ranjay is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor at , a globally recognized organizational sociologist, bestselling author, and one of the world’s most cited scholars on leadership,...

Why Great Teams Beat Star Talent With Jon Levy - TWMJ #1011

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1011 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). We tend to romanticize leadership as an act of personal brilliance, but the deeper story is often about the people who understand what truly moves human beings toward one another. has built a career around that question. A renowned human behavioral scientist, consultant and creator of the long-running - a global, invitation-only experiment where guests cook together anonymously to dissolve status cues and foster authentic connection - Jon has spent over fifteen years studying why people bond,...

Why Authenticity Is Overrated With Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic - TWMJ #1010

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1010 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). What if the search for our “true selves” has been leading us away from who we actually need to become? That’s the tension at the heart of ’s work, a globally respected authority on people analytics, talent, leadership, and the Human–AI interface whose career spans , , , , , and decades of research that have shaped how organizations understand human behavior. His latest book, challenges one of the most cherished modern beliefs - that success comes from projecting our raw, unfiltered selves - and...

Beyond Flying Cars And Futurist Myths With Nick Foster - TWMJ #1009

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1009 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). The future isn’t something to predict... it’s something to practice. Few people embody that idea more completely than , a designer, futurist and author whose work has quietly influenced some of the most innovative companies on the planet - from , , and to , where he served as head of design. In his new book, , Nick challenges the way we imagine what comes next. Rather than offering forecasts, he explores four mindsets - could, should, might, and don’t - that shape how individuals and organizations...

Radical Humanness In The Age of AI With Henrik Werdelin - TWMJ #1008

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1008 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). What if artificial intelligence didn’t just build faster startups... but redefined what it means to be an entrepreneur? has been exploring that question for years. As the co-founder of (the company behind and the new ) and (the startup studio that helped launch ventures like , , and ), Henrik (who also has a great podcast called, ) has spent his career creating businesses that live at the intersection of creativity, community and technology. Now, with his new book , he’s rethinking...

In Praise Of The Office WIth Peter Cappelli - TWMJ #1007

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1007 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). The debate over hybrid work has become one of the most emotionally charged topics in business... but few people have studied it as deeply as , the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at the and Director of its . In his latest book, , co-authored with , Peter challenges the idea that remote work is the inevitable future of knowledge work. Drawing from decades of research and real-world case studies, he argues that while technology has allowed us to untether from our desks, it has also quietly eroded...

Epic Disruptions And The Future of Innovation With Scott Anthony - TWMJ #1006

Thinking With Mitch Joel

Welcome to episode #1006 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). Disruption isn’t always loud. It’s often quiet, slow and deeply human. That’s one of the lessons has spent his career unpacking. As a leading voice on innovation and the managing partner emeritus at (the consultancy founded by the late ), Scott has helped global companies navigate the uncertainty that comes with change. He si currently a Clinical Professor of Strategy at 's . His latest book, , reframes how we think about progress through stories that stretch from gunpowder to generative AI,...

More Episodes

Welcome to episode #1007 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

The debate over hybrid work has become one of the most emotionally charged topics in business... but few people have studied it as deeply as Peter Cappelli, the George W. Taylor Professor of Management at the Wharton School and Director of its Center for Human Resources. In his latest book, In Praise Of The Office - The Limits To Hybrid And Remote Work, co-authored with Ranya Nehmeh, Peter challenges the idea that remote work is the inevitable future of knowledge work. Drawing from decades of research and real-world case studies, he argues that while technology has allowed us to untether from our desks, it has also quietly eroded the social fabric, mentorship and serendipity that make work meaningful, and organizations effective. In this conversation, Peter dives into the paradox of productivity versus connection, exploring why human resources has become more transactional, how AI is reshaping education and engagement, and why hybrid work often brings out the worst of both worlds when poorly managed. He also unpack how the office - once dismissed as a relic of corporate control - remains a critical engine for creativity, trust and long-term career growth. From the psychology of “coffee badging” to the economics of empty buildings, this discussion examines not just where we work, but what we risk losing when we stop showing up. Enjoy the conversation...

Running time: 1:04:44.
Hello from beautiful Montreal.
Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.
Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.
Check out ThinkersOne.
Here is my conversation with Peter Cappelli.
In Praise Of The Office - The Limits To Hybrid And Remote Work.
Ranya Nehmeh.
Wharton School.
Center for Human Resources.
Peter’s other books.
Follow Peter on LinkedIn.

Chapters:

(00:00) - Introduction to Peter Capelli and His Work.
(00:59) - The Changing Landscape of Business Education.
(02:28) - The Impact of AI on Learning and Teaching.
(07:02) - The Role of Human Resources in Modern Organizations.
(12:04) - In Praise of the Office: A Case for Physical Workspaces.
(14:53) - The Political Dynamics of Office Work.
(19:55) - The Evolution of Employee Engagement and Company Culture.
(24:35) - Debating the Future of Work: Office vs. Remote.
(33:58) - The Data Behind Productivity and Employee Well-being.
(36:42) - Rebuilding Social Connections in Hybrid Work.
(38:47) - The Dilemma of Return to Office Mandates.
(40:31) - Management's Role in Organizational Change.
(44:39) - The Importance of Anchor Days.
(48:37) - Cultural Dynamics in the Workplace.
(52:29) - The Challenge of New Hires.
(56:25) - The Disconnect in Remote Work Practices.

TOPICS