Vasundhara Sawhney

Food has historically played a critical role in bringing people together or welcoming strangers into a community. This practice of eating together (or commensality) is also a part of some work cultures around the world. However, it is also an alien concept for many. Modern workplace cultures can make shared eating somewhat difficult. Whether or not people eat with others at work can vary based on many factors such as company and industry norms, workplace-timing arrangements, or even job status. So, what would happen if people who don’t normally share a meal at the office did so more regularly?

Elizabeth Grace Saunders

Flex time is an appealing benefit for most, offering the ability to take time during work hours to handle commitments at home. But sometimes the blessing of a flexible schedule can turn into what feels like a curse when you don’t have enough time during normal work hours to get your job done. There are ways to be more strategic with your time. First, set realistic standards for what is “enough” at work and at home. Next, clarify where you add most value in both realms. Third, set boundaries, even if it makes others unhappy. Finally, define times where you’ll be really “on”—and really “off.”

Our Management Tip of the Day newsletter continues to be one of HBR’s most popular newsletters. In this article, we list six of our favorite tips on managing through conflict, covering topics like encouraging healthy conflict on your team, dealing with a jealous coworker, leading an emotionally charged meeting, and more.

Daniel Jolles, Teresa Almeida, and Grace Lordan

A survey of U.S. and U.K. professionals shows that many want more remote-work opportunities and flexible schedules.

Colin M. Fisher, Julianna Pillemer and Teresa M. Amabile

Asking for and receiving help at work can boost employees’ creativity, help them learn new skills, and strengthen their interpersonal ties. Yet a years-long study at a global design consultancy found that even in organizations with strong helping cultures, a significant portion of help is perceived as unhelpful.

Madison Fugard

The most important discoveries are rarely planned. Penicillin. Post-it Notes. Slack. None of these began with a roadmap. They emerged from paying attention to what others might ignore, from remaining open to the unexpected.

John Cutler

I spoke with a company recently that discovered that 20 teams had built business cases around moving the same metric. If ALL of those teams realized their "case," the metric would have increased by 500% (which was impossible, governed by physics). This was a failure in context, capturing Intent, a theory around investment, and likely a mismatch between reality and how the company perceived collaboration.

James Plunkett

Watching the Spending Review from a distance