Work Succeeding

The Work Succeeding initiative includes tools to help all of us create flexible work options that will:

Empower teams to work collaboratively and effectively to further the MIT mission;
Support our employees' varied needs and emphasize job satisfaction and personal well-being; and
Position the Institute to retain and attract the very best talent.

These resources were informed by community feedback from employees at all levels and are intended to assist both employees and managers with discussions, planning, and decision-making about work arrangements. Team members should work together through an iterative process to determine work arrangements that best accomplish team needs and support the MIT mission while considering individual preferences.

Toolkits for Flexible Work Planning

We've provided tools and resources to help you plan for flexible work arrangements. There is a toolkit for employees (individual contributors) as well as one for managers who have direct reports; some of us may fall into both categories.

View the Toolkit for Employees

View the Toolkit for Managers

Quick Links

A short summary of the toolkit materials (PDF, two pages)
Worksheets and templates to assist with planning are available for download in section 2 of both toolkits. You may modify these documents as needed; they have been provided as Word documents so community members and teams are able to edit the wording, add signature fields, or make other adjustments. See links directly above.
Policy on Flexible Work Arrangements in the Employment Policy Manual
Recommendations for equipment when working remotely
Guidance on aligning work arrangement decisions (PDF, one page)

Note

MIT reserves the right to change, alter, or cancel a flexible work arrangement at any time, for any reason.

More About Work Succeeding

About Work Succeeding

The Task Force 2021 and Beyond was charged with exploring "how MIT might invent a thriving new future" in a post-Covid world. The task force’s Administrative Workstream focused on MIT's administrative functions and their implications as MIT plans for the future.

One of the workstream’s "Big Ideas" was to explore flexible and sustainable work practices at MIT that will continue to enable teams to further the MIT mission — including examining the many successes of remote work throughout the pandemic and the opportunities it provides. A project called "Work Succeeding" was launched to realize this idea.

Work Succeeding provides guidance and tools for how we can work together and policies to support teams as we discover how to operate in our new world. Through an iterative process, we will learn together — leveraging lessons learned to design a strategy for the future.

Work Succeeding teams

Steering Committee

Ramona Allen, Vice President for Human Resources, Co-Chair
Robin Elices, Executive Director, Office of the Executive Vice President and Treasurer
Shirley A. Entzminger, Administrative Assistant, Department of Mathematics
Amy Glasmeier, Professor, Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Joe Higgins, Vice President for Campus Services and Stewardship, Co-Chair
Tim Jamison, Associate Provost
Erin Kelly, Professor, Sloan School of Management
Tom Kochan, Professor, Sloan School of Management
Christina Lo, Director of Strategic Sourcing and Contracts, Office of the Vice President for Finance
Todd Robinson, Senior Campus Planner, Office of Campus Planning
Krystyn Van Vliet, Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Research, Co-Chair

Ambassadors

Ambassadors help share information about the Work Succeeding initiative with their areas of the Institute.

Administrative Departments

Gabrielle Acardi – Human Resources Manager (Office of Strategic Alliances and Technology Transfer)
Sharon Bridburg – Director of Human Resources (Office of the Vice Chancellor)
Chris Caplice – Executive Director (Center for Transportation and Logistics)
Peter Cummings – Executive Director of Administration (Division of Student Life)
Tolga Durak – Managing Director (Environment, Health and Safety)
Dahlia Fetouh – Counsel (Office of General Counsel)
Bill Fitzgerald – Executive Director, Finance and Operations (Alumni Association / Resource Development)
Ellen Gilmore – Executive Director of Human Resources (Resource Development / Alumni Association)
Eamon Kearns – Senior Director, Enabling Services (Information Systems and Technology)
Colleen Leslie – Assistant Provost for Research Administration (Resource Administration Services)
Jennifer Marshall – Assistant Director (Office of Campus Planning)
Ann McNamara – Executive Director, Finance, Administration and Ops (President’s Office)
Lesley Millar-Nicholson – Director of Technology Licensing (Office of Strategic Alliances and Technology Transfer)
Greg Raposa – Space Administrator (Office of the Associate Provost)
Mary Ellen Royer – Manager, HR Operations (Human Resources)
Brian Schuetz – Executive Director (MIT Medical)
Carol Wood – Director, Research Administration Systems and Support (Office of the Vice President for Research)

Academic Units:

Bill Garrett – Senior Associate Dean and Chief Administrative Officer (Sloan School of Management)
Ken Goldsmith – Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration (School of Architecture and Planning)
Marc Jones – Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration (School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences)
Elizabeth Lennox – Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration (School of Engineering)
Eileen Ng – Assistant Dean for Administration (Schwarzman College of Computing)
Heather Williams – Assistant Dean (School of Science)

Surveys

Work Succeeding Survey for Administrative and Support Staff

MIT administrative and support staff from across campus were invited to respond to a survey to provide insights on how MIT can promote flexible approaches to work while enabling teams to support MIT’s mission. The survey was open from April 26, 2021 through May 5, 2021.

Survey results are available on the MIT Institutional Research website.

Work Succeeding Survey for Faculty, Instructional Staff, and Research Staff

MIT faculty, instructional staff, and research staff were invited to respond to a survey to provide insights on how MIT can promote flexible approaches to work while enabling teams to support MIT’s mission. The survey was open from May 26, 2021 through June 7, 2021.