Brian Elliott - How the Future Works

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Foreword

5 Introduction: The 9-To-5 Just Doesn’t Work for Us Anymore (And Maybe Never Did) Why the 9-to-5 Mentality Needs to Go What Is Future Forum, Anyway? Seven Steps to the Future of Work Notes

6 Why Flexible Work Works What We Mean by Flexible Work The Competitive Advantage What's Getting in the Way The What: Digital-First The How: Flexibility within a Framework Notes

7 How the Future Works: The 7 Steps to Getting There Step 1: Stand for Something: Agree on Purpose and Principles Your Flexible Work Purpose: What's Your Why? Your Flexible Work Principles: How Can You Support Your Purpose? The Process: How Leaders Can Start to Create Alignment Notes Step 2: Level the Playing Field: Create Guardrails for Behavior What Are Guardrails? Leadership Guardrails Workplace Guardrails Culture Guardrails Why Guardrails Really Matter Notes Step 3: Commit to How You'll Work: Develop Team-Level Agreements What Are Team-Level Agreements? Where to Start A Reminder Before You Get Started Values: What Do We Value in Our Working Environment as a Team? Schedules and Meetings: How Will We Collaborate? Accountability: How Do We Hold Each Other Accountable? Relationships: Coming Together as a Team Checking-in: Evolving Our Team Agreements Over Time The Process: How to Use Our Starter Template to Get Agreement Guidance for Your Team Leaders Notes Step 4: Experiment, Experiment, Experiment: Normalize a Culture of Learning Build Momentum for Change Find Early Champions and Change Advocates Prototype the Path Bring Managers Along for the Ride Build the Case Lather, Rinse, Repeat Notes Step 5: Create a Culture of Connection from Anywhere: Reimagine Your Headquarters The Importance of Connection and Belonging What Really Builds Connection Acknowledge the Challenge Look at What People Actually Want Make Digital Your New Headquarters (and Give It the Same Intentionality) Rethink the Role of Shared Space Give Teams the Freedom to Decide (Because One-Size Does Not Fit All) Support Teams with Options and Tools Set the Tone from the Top Notes Step 6: Train Your Leaders to Make It Work: “Soft” Skills Matter More than Ever Redefine the Role of Managers Inspire Trust by Reskilling Managers to Create Psychological Safety Create Clarity Unlock Potential by Building Equity into Processes and Policies Redesign Career Tracks Invest in Reskilling Your Managers to Inspire Trust, Create Clarity, and Unlock Potential Notes Step 7: Focus on the Outcomes: Avoid the Doom Loop and Embrace the Boom Loop What's Wrong with the Old Way? Abandon the “Monitoring” Mentality Adopt a Better Way: Outcomes Over Activity Measuring Outcomes on Individual and Team Levels: Moving from Doom to Boom Continually Reassess Your Measures Building Company Success = Business + People Notes

8 Conclusion: Making a Difference

9 Resources: Your Future of Work Toolkit Step 1 Tool: A Simple Framework for Creating Your Flexible Work Purpose and Principles Step 2 Tool: A Simple Framework for Creating Guardrails Step 2 Tool: Do We Need a Meeting? Step 3 Tool: Team-Level Agreements Starter TemplateWhat Is This Document? Keep in Mind … Team-Level Agreements Template Schedules & Meetings: How Will We Collaborate? Accountability: How Do We Hold Each Other Accountable? Relationships: Coming together as a team Checking-in and evolving our team agreements over time Step 4 Tool: Applying Design Thinking to Flexible Work Challenges Step 5 Tool: Creating Meetings that Matter Step 6 Tool: Tips to Inspire Trust, Create Clarity, and Unlock Potential on Your Team Inspire Trust: Build a Culture of Psychological Safety Create Clarity: Make Feedback the Norm Unlock Potential: Build Equitable Policies and Practices Step 6 Tool: Personal Operating Manual (POM) Worksheet POM: Brainstorm Step 1: How to best describe me (my work style, what people misunderstand about me) Step 2: My catchphrase (how to best communicate with me, how to help me) Step 3: My Values (what I value, what I don't have patience for) Step 7 Tool: Measuring Outcomes Step 7 Tool: Management Leadership for Tomorrow’s 3-Question Prompt Step 7 Tool: BCG's Team Success Survey Note

10 Acknowledgments Brian: Sheela: Helen:

11 Cast of ExpertsExecutives Academics and Thought Leaders

12 About the AuthorsBrian Elliott Sheela Subramanian Helen Kupp

13 Index

14 End User License Agreement

1 Why Flexible Work Works Figure 1 Dropbox's core collaboration hours Figure 2

2 Chapter 1 Figure 1.1 The percentage of companies that are experimenting with new ways ...

3 Chapter 2Figure 2.1Figure 2.2

4 Chapter 4Figure 4.1

5 Chapter 5Figure 5.1 My sense of belonging at workFigure 5.2 Percent of knowledge workers who agree that “my team is generatin...Figure 5.3Figure 5.4 Early technology adopters, versus technology laggards, across 4 d...

6 Chapter 6Figure 6.1 The employee experience of middle managersFigure 6.2

7 Chapter 7Figure 7.1Figure 7.2Figure 7.3

8 Resources: Your Future of Work Toolkit Figure Toolkit 1: “Do we need to meet” framework inspired by Harvard Busines ...

1 Cover

2 Table of Contents

3 Title Page

4 Copyright

5 Foreword

6 Introduction: The 9-To-5 Just Doesn’t Work for Us Anymore (And Maybe Never Did)

7 Why Flexible Work Works

8 Begin Reading

9 Conclusion: Making a Difference

10 Resources: Your Future of Work Toolkit

11 Acknowledgments

12 Cast of Experts

13 About the Authors

14 Index

15 End User License Agreement

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