Unworking: The Reinvention of the Modern Office

Description

As we look toward a future of hybrid or virtual offices, a timely call to rethink the very nature and design of the workplace. Over the past hundred years, the office has been integral to the development of modern society. It has shaped the architecture of our cities, the behaviour of our organisations and the everyday movements of millions of people. In 2020, however, the global pandemic brought our attendance in the office to an abrupt halt and triggered a complete re-evaluation of the purpose of the workplace. This book offers a panoramic view of the office and explores what happens next. The authors advance a manifesto for 'unworking' - unlearning old habits and rituals established for an outdated office and creating new ones fit for an age of digital technology, design innovation and diverse workforces. 'A timely new book about how to reinvent the office [by] veteran observers of the future of work.' - Andrew Hill, Financial Times 'By examining 10 forces of change that all business leaders should understand, the authors encourage us to reflect on and rid ourselves of defunct habits and rituals established by an outdated office...a must-read.' - Elite Business Magazine 'This book could not be more timely as the world grapples with what the post-pandemic workplace should look like. Jeremy Myerson and Philip Ross give us a scholarly yet deeply engaging account of the past, present and future shape of the office. Essential reading for those planning the new office environment- and anyone who's going to have to live in it.' - Rory Cellan-Jones, former BBC News technology correspondent and author of Always On: Hope and Fear in the Social Smartphone Era 'Brimming with ideas, insights, examples and wisdom, this is the go-to book for everyone interested in the future of the office and curious about the future development of work.' - Professor Lynda Gratton, London Business School and author of Redesigning Work 'A must-read for understanding the forces that influence how we work. Myerson and Ross expertly examine the facets reshaping the office landscape with a view into "What's Next". Unworking is an invaluable guide for anyone interested in the workplaces needed to help people thrive.' - Harald Becker, Director of Customer Engagements & Insights, Microsoft 'Philip Ross and Jeremy Myerson capture the most significant changes in the world of the office for decades. Their understanding of the social, economic, technology changes and the roles of home and office is unsurpassed.' - Sir Stuart Lipton, Lipton Rogers Developments

Jeremy Myerson is a design writer and Professor Emeritus in the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art. Philip Ross is a futurist, commentator and advisor specialising on the impact of emerging technology on people and their ways of working. He founded Worktech in 2003.

"Brimming with ideas, insights, examples, and wisdom, this is the go-to book for everyone interested in the future of the office and curious about the future development of work."--Lynda Gratton, London Business School, author of "Redesigning Work" "This book could not be more timely as the world grapples with what the post-pandemic workplace should look like. Myerson and Ross give us a scholarly yet deeply engaging account of the past, present, and future shape of the office. Essential reading for those planning the new office environment--and anyone who's going to have to live in it."--Rory Cellan-Jones, former BBC News technology correspondent, author of "Always On: Hope and Fear in the Social Smartphone Era" "In this fascinating new book, world-leading futurists, Myerson and Ross, look at the future of the office in the post-pandemic era, analyzing trends and helping leaders of businesses of all sizes to prepare plans for their workplace appropriately."-- "Elite Business Magazine" "To challenge the status quo so that new thinking can emerge, we have to be able to hold both a strong grasp of how we got here, and a deep understanding of the forces that are driving the need for change. Myerson and Ross have a wealth of experience and insight in both these areas. They are also consummate communicators: their manifesto is unputdownable, at turns scary and exhilarating, a thrilling invitation to create work--and work spaces--that work for all."--David Firth, consultant, coach and author in Organizational Development "Myerson and Ross capture the most significant changes in the world of the office for decades. Their understanding of the social, economic, technology changes and the roles of home and office is unsurpassed."--Sir Stuart Lipton, Lipton Rogers Developments "Myerson and Ross's Unworking looks at the post-pandemic worlds of work. There are chapters on wellbeing, diversity, and the changes in the city itself concluding we need to unlearn familiar notions of the office and develop a new approach that celebrates difference, not homogeneity."--Edwin Heathcote "Financial Times" "COVID changed our approach to the office but bold thinking is needed to secure its future. . . . Myerson and Ross [are] veteran observers of the future of work. . . . In Unworking, a timely new book about how to reinvent the office, they enlarge on some of the ways in which these realms have become increasingly porous, accelerated by the pandemic. . . . They are optimistic about the future of the office--but only if organizations can also reimagine the activities that it used to contain."--Andrew Hill "Financial Times" "Unworking takes you on panoramic journey, arriving at a plausible, evidence-based future of how work and the workplace will evolve. Rigorous and readable, it offers a better understanding of how we can reinvent the workplace taxonomy."--Alessandro Ranaldi, Head of Workplace Consultancy, Foster + Partners "A must-read for understanding the forces that influence how we work. Myerson and Ross expertly examine the facets reshaping the office landscape with a view into 'What's Next.' Unworking is an invaluable guide for anyone interested in the workplaces needed to help people thrive."--Harald Becker, director of customer engagements & insights, Microsoft "This compelling, well-written book provides a historical perspective on the world of work, as well as a forward-thinking outlook on how to navigate its impact on our lives. Leisure and work are evermore intertwined, and Unworking gave me moments of insight that I can act upon both at work and in private. A joy to read."--Cees de Bont, dean of the School of Design and Creative Arts, Loughborough University "The pandemic has dramatically changed the way we work and how we work. Unworking is a fantastic and highly readable book, providing a pathway for the new world of work and the office environments of the future. This is a 'must read' for senior executives and many others in navigating the opportunities for future workplaces--you won't regret it!"--Sir Cary Cooper CBE, 50th Anniversary Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health, University of Manchester