Future work

The way we work is overdue for change. Businesses want to increase efficiency and attract the best talent and skills. The new workforce wants a fresh deal. Aided by technology, companies now have the tools to boost output and cut costs, to give employees more freedom over how they work, and to contribute to a greener economy. But many organizations are slow to realize this. They cling to a rigid model of fixed working time and presence better suited to the industrial age than the digital age. This is bad for business. There is ample evidence that trusting people to manage their own work lives, whether individually or in teams, pays off. Organizations that measure and reward people by results, rather than hours, benefit from higher productivity, more motivated workers, better customer service, and lower costs. Future Work sets out the compelling business case for a change in organizational cultures and working practices, drawing on a unique international survey and dozens of examples of companies making the transition. It explains: Why current flexible work arrangements fail to achieve the business benefits of a wholesale shift to an autonomous work culture; Why future work requires leadership styles that play to female strengths; Why offices of the future will be meeting places rather than workplaces; How managers can help virtual teams to collaborate and ensure that technology is our servant, not our master. It takes bold leadership and a break with old habits. But future work will not wait for those who fail to grasp the opportunities now.