In this episode of What the F is Happening to the Office?, host Bob Fox talks with Brian Elliott — CEO of WorkForward, senior advisor with BCG, bestselling author of How the Future Works, and publisher of the Flex Index.
The workplace is changing – fast. Hybrid work, distributed teams, AI, culture, leadership, collaboration, flexibility, and the role of the physical office are all in flux. So what does the future of work really look like?
With experience at Slack, Google, and leading one of the most influential workplace research programs of the pandemic era, Brian brings real data, practical insight, and a grounded perspective on how organizations must evolve.
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Main Takeaways
Why the workplace conversation is bigger than “remote vs. hybrid”
The mindset shift leaders need to navigate change
Flexibility, talent strategy, and organizational performance
Workplace design trends and the role of technology
AI and automation in workplace experience and operations
How companies are using workplace strategy as a leadership tool
What the Flex Index reveals about real policy vs. headlines
The future of office space, culture, engagement, and employee experience
Meet Brian Elliott
Brian Elliott is CEO of Work Forward, executive-in-residence at Charter, and a Senior Advisor with BCG. A recognized expert on the future of work, he’s the bestselling author of How the Future Works and a noted speaker and columnist. He spent 25 years building teams and leading companies as a startup CEO and executive at Google and Slack before co-founding Future Forum, a think tank focused on the future of work. He publishes Flex Index and the Work Forward newsletter, and was named to Forbes’ Future of Work 50.
Key Moments
1:28 – Intro: Why the office still matters 3:00 – Brian Elliott’s journey, WorkForward & Flex Index 5:18 – Talent strategy and leadership mindsets (System X vs System Y) 9:53 – What we learned (and missed) about the office 13:57 – Why executive alignment is make-or-break 17:07 – Command-and-control, Elon, and why RTO mandates fail 21:09 – Using space as a storytelling and leadership tool 24:33 – New metrics: from cost per square foot to cost per event 29:56 – Inside the Flex Index: what companies are really doing 32:49 – Policy vs behavior: how hybrid actually works 35:40 – Airbnb’s “one week a month” model and performance 37:34 – Designing for hybrid collaboration and connection 41:52 – Integrating workplace tech with physical space 44:06 – How AI will reshape workplace and facilities operations 46:54– Where to begin a workplace redesign (listen to your employees) 49:12 – Human-centric workplaces, wellbeing & performance 51:03 – Experimenting with space: PagerDuty, flex space, iteration 54:49 – Closing thoughts & where to learn more (Flex Index & Brian)
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