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Tag: colleagues

  • ‘The Office’ Star Oscar Nuñez Shares Lessons From Being a Real Actor at 2 Fake Companies

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    If life imitates art, actor Oscar Nuñez’s best-known role flips the script. Over nine seasons of The Office, he and fellow cast members created comedy gold from a world defined by the highly relatable, humdrum routine of a 9-to-5 job.

    Nuñez is back on the small screen, reprising the role of Oscar Martinez, this time in Toledo, Ohio, where a documentary crew finds the iconic character back in his accounting garb at a struggling newspaper in the debut season of The Paper, the newest offering from Greg Daniels, who adapted a British show and turned The Office into an iconic American workplace satire.

    He’s also reunited with former castmates for AT&T Business in “Wake Up With CrAIg,” a campaign starring Craig Robinson that celebrates the entrepreneurial journey of small business owners. We couldn’t let him walk down memory lane alone — so we joined him last week to hear about it. While an actor is never the role they play, there were hints of Oscar Martinez in our chat: he was slyly funny, a touch sarcastic and thoughtful about the lessons he’s taken from a stint in one of the funniest, weirdest work comedies ever made.

    Ava Levinson: The first season of The Paper was released earlier this month. How did you feel when creator Greg Daniels asked you to return as Oscar?

    Oscar Nuñez: He kind of just said, ‘Hey, I’m thinking of doing a show that, I don’t know, has something to do with newspapers or reporters. Would you be willing to reprise your character and come back?’ This is months and months ago, we’re just having lunch. I’m like, ‘No, I wouldn’t, of course, I wouldn’t mind.’ And then, slowly but surely, it came together. And here we are. He’s one of those people who, because of his track record and his work ethic and blah, blah, blah, he gets things done. And so this goes from a thought to actually finished product. It’s amazing.

    I was skeptical of The Paper, because I didn’t want to go in thinking it was going to be The Office.

    Typical Ava.

    But I watched, and it’s really funny. The cast has such strong chemistry on both shows — what would you say are the biggest differences between the two ensembles?

    It’s not The Office. The Office was a long time ago. I made fast friends with Kate Flannery, and I met Brian [Baumgartner]. I had met Steve [Carell] before and Angela [Kinsey] and I were friends. We were in improv together. On this show, I know Paul Liberstein and I know my ex-boss, Greg Daniels, but everyone else I was meeting for the first time. Greg Daniels doesn’t hire anyone who’s problematic or, you know, a weirdo or whatever. So that part, I knew it was going to be fine to meet these people. It’s just a matter of who you click with and who you’re going to be buddies with and all that. And everyone is great, amazing.

    How has the show launch campaign been?

    I’ve been to Toronto, Austin, New York City, even London doing this rollout. It’s been crazy. We were a little, not concerned, but a little anxious, maybe, about what kind of reaction we were going to get for the show. It’s been positive. We’ve had so much good feedback. I’m very happy with the show. No complaints.

    This is your 10th season in an office role. Does it feel like you’re really working in an office?

    It feels like you’re in an office. You’re wearing the stupid clothes — nothing against office work, I’ve done office work. And there’s that low hum of, like, just menial, you know, clacking of keyboards and people looking at papers and stuff like that. People do it. People work in offices. There’s nothing wrong with that. But, yeah, it’s an easy mind frame to get into, because you’re like, not the worst place to be, not the best, but not the worst. It’s ‘Okay, I’m working,’ you know? ‘Okay, there’s a camera. I don’t want to be shot. Get that away from me.’ That’s basically, that’s what we do.

    Did you take anything from The Office —

    Did I physically take stuff home after?

    No. Did you take any lessons from acting in The Office into your real life?

    That’s bananas. What lessons would I take? I can’t think of any. Be on time, I guess. ‘Did you take anything from this fake movie and bring it home to your real wife and kid?’ That’s your question, Ava. Stand by it.

    I’m standing by it, and I’m still waiting for the answer.

    Ava, have it your way. Fine. The majority of my work, I’ve learned how to live with real people by my acting jobs. I take lessons from all my fake characters, and then I hope I don’t play a murderer, because then I’ll learn how to stalk people. And if I bring them into my real life, Ava, there’s a problem, and I will hold you accountable.

    Would you say you personally have anything in common with any of your acting roles?

    I’m afraid so. On The Proposal, you saw how wonderfully I danced. I’m a good dancer. So they took things from The Proposal, from my dance moves, and I use that in real life, I guess, and vice versa.

    If on-screen Oscar was a startup founder, what kind of business would he run?

    I’ll say it’s like a Tie of the Month Club or Tie of the Week Club. Like, here’s the tie that we’re gonna focus on this week. It’s made by Gucci. It’s made in Italy. Next week, I’ll roll out another tie. Because he wears ties all the time, you see? Tie and sock, let’s tie them together. Tie and Sock of The Week. Here’s a tie, it goes with this sock. Let’s talk about it.

    You’ve had several wins in your career thus far. What is one failure that you learned from?

    I auditioned for an Off Broadway play back in the ’80s. I auditioned for it, and I got to be the stand-in. I don’t know what happened but I kind of took it as an insult, because I’m insane, and instead of being happy about it, I didn’t take the part. I let my ego get the better of me, and, like, a week after, I’m like, What was I thinking? Why did I turn it down? What is wrong with me? So kids, don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.

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    Ava Levinson

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  • Connections in the Workplace Aren’t Just a Nice Bonus. They’re a Competitive Advantage

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    In today’s hybrid and remote workplaces, office friendships are becoming increasingly rare. More problematic, the decline of these connections signals more than just a shift in workplace culture. It’s a serious challenge for employers. 

    A recent Fast Company article describes the shift as such, “For centuries, work has been more than a paycheck. It’s been a space where people collaborate, forge meaningful bonds, and find belonging.” But today, that’s changing. Gallup research backs this up. Only 20 percent of U.S. employees report having a best friend at work. That number has been steadily declining, and it matters for everyone, company leaders and owners included. 

    Strong friendships at work drive engagement, loyalty, psychological safety, and retention. Without these connections, companies struggle to build cohesive teams, sustain productivity, and create cultures where people want to stay. 

    What does work when it comes to building meaningful bonds among employees? If leaders study environments where deep friendships tend to flourish—military units, dormitories, sports teams—they can reverse-engineer the key ingredients that reliably produce connection. They can also begin to rebuild the workplace as a place where people belong. 

    Where deep friendships form and why 

    Studies across social psychology and organizational behavior point to a set of high-trust environments where meaningful relationships form quickly and last for years. These include: 

    1. Military units and boot camps
      Why it works: Shared risk, physical hardship, and team interdependence create rapid trust and lasting loyalty.
      Result: Many veterans describe lifelong bonds forged during service. 
    2. College dormitories and campus living
      Why it works: Constant proximity and shared life transitions promote openness and frequent interaction.
      Result: Friends made in college often endure across decades and life stages. 
    3. Sports teams and performing arts ensembles
      Why it works: Collective performance, emotional highs and lows, and shared goals strengthen interpersonal ties.
      Result: Teammates frequently report feeling like “family.” 
    4. Religious small groups and faith communities
      Why it works: Shared values, vulnerability, and consistent rituals promote emotional intimacy and support.
      Result: Many people rely on these communities for lifelong friendship and belonging. 

    What these environments have in common  

    First, people spend a lot of time together. Frequent interaction creates familiarity and builds trust. Second, there’s a shared goal and sense of purpose that pulls people together and gives their effort meaning. Third, they go through challenges side by side. Facing stress, uncertainty, or pressure as a group creates a powerful sense of unity.  

    Next, these environments make room for honesty. When people feel safe being themselves, real connection follows. Finally, there’s joy. Fun moments, shared jokes, and celebrations of success that strengthen bonds and leave lasting impressions. 

    Taken together, these ingredients do more than build successful teams. They build lasting relationships, and there’s no reason they can’t exist at work. With intention and structure, companies can foster the same kind of connection and benefit from the trust, loyalty, and performance that come with it. 

    Real friendships drive results  

    Years ago, I worked with the Zambian Consolidated Copper Mines, with a workforce of more 50,000 unionized miners. The goal was simply to increase copper production to meet critical delivery targets and consequently raise cash to pay down a huge amount of debt. We identified five bottleneck operations and created improvement teams for each. Teams that achieved throughput improvements earned self-funded bonuses. 

    Four of the five teams thrived. They collaborated, succeeded, and celebrated their bonuses together. One team failed, despite their best intentions. Why? Team size. At 2,000 members, it was simply too large to allow the trust, camaraderie, and proximity that fuel human motivation. The other, smaller teams had formed real friendships. That made the difference. 

    A repeatable pattern for connection and performance 

    Throughout the years, I’ve worked with hundreds more companies and a clear pattern for excellence emerged: 

    • Gather input on key challenges including employee surveys 
    • Align around a focus for improvement 
    • Make progress transparent to everyone 
    • Establish team-based, self-funded bonuses that reward measurable success 
    • Celebrate wins together, publicly and meaningfully 
    • Explore new areas of focus 
       

    Sound familiar? It should. These steps align closely with the five drivers of economic engagement—a proven approach to increasing both productivity and connection. 

    Economic engagement helps companies build stronger relationships and stronger results by making employees true stakeholders in the business. It turns hired hands into partners. Here’s how: 

    1. Customer engagement connects owners and workers with the noble goal of serving customers by providing what customers value.  
    2. Economic understanding aligns owners and workers with a common understanding of what defines success for the company.  
    3. Economic transparency enables owners and workers to see how the company is doing and learn from successes and failures.  
    4. Economic compensation gives owners and workers a shared stake in the results, making them economic partners in the company. 
    5. Employee participation leads to lower turnover and better relationships between owners, managers, and employees.  

    These five pillars generate engagement, profits, and friendship. As employees work side-by-side toward common goals with transparency and shared rewards, bonds naturally form. 

    Want better results? Build better relationships 

    The truth is that a workplace without connection is a workplace at risk of disengagement, turnover, and burnout. The solution isn’t a ping-pong table or a forced happy hour. Its structure, strategy, and shared ownership. Friendship, in this sense, isn’t just a nice bonus. It’s a competitive advantage. 

    As Harvard Business Review noted, employees who have strong social connections at work are more productive, more resilient, and more loyal. Data from Gallup shows that those with a “best friend” at work are seven times more likely to be engaged in their job. 

    Leaders in the workplace have spent decades chasing productivity, engagement, and profitability. What they may have missed is more human. If your workplace is low on friendship, don’t settle. Rethink how your teams work together. Rethink how they share goals, risks, wins, and rewards. The best way to build it isn’t through perks or platitudes. It’s through economic engagement. 

    The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

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    Bill Fotsch

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  • A Final Chapter Unbefitting an Extraordinary Legacy

    A Final Chapter Unbefitting an Extraordinary Legacy

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    Senator Dianne Feinstein, who died last night at 90, braved one of the most remarkable political expeditions in American history—and also one of the grimmer spectacles at the end of her life and career.

    Is it too soon to point this out? Yes, perhaps. With the official notice of her death today, Feinstein received her just and proper tributes, hitting all the key markers: How Di-Fi, as she is known in Washington shorthand, had stepped in as mayor of San Francisco after her predecessor was assassinated in 1978. How she was a fervent proponent of gun safety, the longest-serving woman in the Senate, and the chamber’s oldest member. How, as chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, she presided over the preparation of an incriminating report describing the CIA’s torture of suspected terrorists in secret prisons around the world. How she was a trailblazer, stateswoman, powerhouse, force, grande dame, etc. Give her her due. She deserves it.

    But Congress can be a tough and ghoulish place, with its zero-sum math and unforgiving partisanship. Over her last year, Feinstein’s declining health became a bleak sideshow—her absences and hospitalizations, shingles, encephalitis, and bad falls; the lawsuits over her late husband’s estate and the cost of her medical bills and long-term care.

    Feinstein’s insistence on remaining in the Senate—and the uncertainty of her schedule—complicated life for Democrats, making it harder for them to hold votes, set strategy, and confirm judges. Her colleagues and White House officials whispered their frustration. And she became the latest exemplar of a basic, egalitarian principle in lawmaking: Even the most legendary figures ultimately amount to a vote. Often your most important job is simply to be available, show up, be counted.

    Franklin Foer: Dianne Feinstein and the cult of indispensability

    When that is in doubt, patience can wear fast. Questions about “fitness” arise. Such is the price of continued residency in the senior center of the Capitol. Feinstein resisted quitting for years, and only grudgingly said she wouldn’t seek reelection in 2024, leaving the race to succeed her in a kind of morbid suspension.

    Politics, of course, runs on its own schedules and follows its own rules. A few weeks ago, I asked Adam Schiff, one of the California House Democrats running to succeed Feinstein in the Senate, whether she should step down. In other words, was she fit to serve? Again, maybe this was harsh, but it had become a standard question around Washington and California, and perfectly germane, given the tight split in the Senate. “It’s her decision to make,” Schiff said, a classic duck, but also practical. “I would be very concerned,” he continued, “that the Republicans would not fill her seat on the Judiciary Committee, and that would be the end of Joe Biden’s judicial appointments.” (Politico reported today that Republican Whip John Thune, of South Dakota, said he expects that his party will not resist efforts to fill committee seats left vacant by Feinstein’s death.)

    Schiff added that he had continued to have a productive working relationship with Feinstein’s office, despite her health struggles. He was a proponent of business as usual, for as long it lasted, and Feinstein was still there. The pageant continued, the government heading for another shutdown, House Republicans tripping toward an impeachment and over themselves.

    In the hours after Feinstein’s death was announced, Washington took a brief and deferential pause. Statements and obituaries were dispatched, most prepared in advance. Then it was on to the next. Who would California Governor Gavin Newsom pick to serve out Feinstein’s term? How would that affect the race to succeed her next year? Who would replace Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee, and when would they be seated?

    Ronald Brownstein: Who will replace Dianne Feinstein?

    The hushed questions about how long the nonagenarian senator could hang on finally had their resolution. Far too many people in power resist the option of a restful denouement. The stakes can be high, even harrowing, for the country. These sagas can be distressing to follow, but there’s no shortage of dark fascination. Stick around too long, and you risk losing control of the finale. It can happen to the best, and at the end of the most extraordinary careers.

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    Mark Leibovich

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  • Has Remote Work Impacted Our Relationships With Other Employees? Find Out.

    Has Remote Work Impacted Our Relationships With Other Employees? Find Out.

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    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    The concept of remote work and the impact it could have on the productivity and motivation of employees, has been in discussion long before the Covid-19 pandemic. A 2013 Stanford University study with 500 employees in China reported that employee productivity increased by 13% as a result of working remotely in quieter environments.

    The pandemic forced employers and governments across the world to adopt the remote work model. According to Statista, the global collaboration software market revenues rose by a whopping $15.9 billion in 2019 to $19.2 billion in 2021. These figures are expected to increase over the next few years, as digital transformation and remote work are here to stay.

    Some companies believe that the best practice is a hybrid-first work model, while others are pursuing efforts to bring employees back to the office. In September 2022, Kastle Systems, a key-card property management company that monitors entries and exits from office buildings, reported that some businesses are close to 50% office capacity.

    So, how has remote work impacted the relationships of employees? The way they connect on a professional level or even in a friendly manner?

    We conducted a survey in the United States across a wide age range, asking the participants about their experiences with remote and hybrid work models, and how it has impacted their productivity and their relationships with their colleagues.

    The participants

    To understand the role of remote work in the internal network of employers, we included participants across 31 states who are either working entirely remotely or with a hybrid work model. The survey sample included a diverse audience, as people of various ages and industries have varying preferences when it comes to the methods and tools they use to perform.

    • 82% of the participants were aged between 25 and 44 years old.
    • 18% were aged between 45 and 55 years old.

    The majority worked across different industries including, but not limited to, finance, software, healthcare and information services.

    Related: Employers: Productivity Among Your Remote Workers Isn’t A Problem — Your Proximity Bias Is.

    Remote work and productivity

    71% of our participants claimed that their productivity has improved over the past two years. A further 21% stated that it remained unchanged and 8% believe that it deteriorated.

    This came as no surprise. Removing the hours of commute, preparing food at home and being close to the family are all elements that employees have appreciated. In the words of Allyson Zimmermann, Executive Director at Catalyst, “access to remote work increases employee wellbeing, productivity, innovation and inclusion.”

    Whereas, no one under the age of 34 found their productivity deteriorating.

    Remote work and relationships with colleagues

    Despite the fact that remote work removes the boundary between work and home, people have been able to establish methods to communicate with colleagues without it becoming a burden. So much so, that for some, remote work has improved their relationships with their colleagues.

    67% of our participants believe that their relationships with their colleagues have improved during the last two years. This figure was sufficiently higher among the younger ages, as 73.8% of the respondents between the ages of 25-34 answered positively.

    This is in line with the findings of Dan Schwable, Managing Partner of Workplace Intelligence, who highlights that “over the past year their relationships have improved with their managers (32%), peers/colleagues on their team (25%), and peers/colleagues on other teams (21%).”

    “When people trust one another and have social capital, you get a willingness to take risks, you get more innovation and creativity and less groupthink.”

    Methods of interactions

    No matter the benefits of remote work, employees can get lonely. Nancy Baym, Jonathan Larso and Ronnie Martin from Harvard Business Review elaborate, “the spontaneous informal interactions at risk in hybrid and remote work are not distractions or unproductive. They foster the employee connections that feed productivity and innovation — these interactions are the soil in which ideas grow.”

    Our survey participants, however, have shared different methods that their employers promote in-person interactions:

    • 26% said that social outings have been their company’s go-to method.
    • 23% of our participants stated their company does so through work retreats and off-site gatherings.

    An interesting point to note is that some companies encourage remote interactions with colleagues:

    • 23% connect through digital Interactive Office Solutions.
    • 11% interact through online video game sessions.

    Admittedly, we have tried the last two points at Covve by hosting virtual game nights and online yoga sessions once per month with great success, connecting our teams.

    In addition to the above responses, we invited the participants to share other activities that would help them interact better with their colleagues at work. The most prominent responses were:

    • The inclusion of outdoor activities and sports in the company’s schedule.
    • Department-wide lunches or occasional dinners with colleagues. This is a technique introduced at Google (and then the wider Silicon Valley) to encourage employees to eat together, connect and share ideas for new projects.
    • The introduction of biweekly or monthly mentorship sessions.
    • Working together on volunteering activities and community service projects.

    Related: How to Strengthen Communication Within Remote and Hybrid Teams

    Conclusion

    The key message from our findings is that while remote work has increased employee productivity and improved their relationships, it did not eliminate the need for social interaction.

    Company networking and bonding is still heavily facilitated at company outings and gatherings. Although online interactions and even video games are novel and rising methods in connecting employees at the remote or hybrid workplace, employees still need to connect over drinks, food, exercise, or even volunteering. This is well explained by a research-backed op-ed by Edward Glaeser and David Cutler featured in The Washington Post, which claims that “over the medium to long term, long-distance employment can’t deliver key benefits — including learning and new friendships — that come from face-to-face contact.”

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    Gleb Tsipursky

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