Office Shock: Creating Better Futures for Working and Living

  • 4h 29m
  • Bob Johansen, Christine Bullen, Joseph Press
  • Berrett-Koehler Publishers
  • 2023

Leading futurist Bob Johansen and workplace architect Joseph Press guide organizations and individuals on how to weather the inevitable future of "office shocks."

Most people have experienced “office shock” during the past two years, with the pandemic disrupting where and how they work. It's clear that we can't go back to the office the way it was. This book reimagines the office and shows how we can plan for more sustainable ways of working.

Instead of just focusing on the present moment, Office Shock includes a FutureBack perspective, which refers to thinking back from the future and allows us to anticipate directions of change. The book starts by exploring the history of the office and then looks to the future to navigate office shock. It identifies key spectrums of choices, including purpose and desired outcomes, for better office futures and offers FutureBack recommendations for individuals, organizations, and policy makers. The book ends with a series of possible action steps we can all take together.

We're in a decisive decade, and this book offers a way forward that is based on adaptability and agility.

About the Author

Joseph Press joined the Institute for the Future as a futures advisor in 2020, following nearly five years of collaboration with Bob Johansen. Press leverages his architectural, consulting, and leadership expertise when working with leaders and organizations to change existing situations into preferred futures.

Christine Bullen is a retired industry professor who taught graduate courses in strategic information systems and global sourcing at the Stevens Institute of Technology. Prior to that, she was a senior lecturer at Fordham University Graduate Schools of Business and the Assistant Director for the MIT Center for Information Systems Research.

Bob Johansen is a distinguished fellow at the Institute for the Future in Silicon Valley. He has done forecasts for a wide range of corporations, including Procter & Gamble, Kellogg’s, Disney, Intuit, Walmart, Syngenta, GlaxoSmithKline, and United Rentals. He is the author or coauthor of twelve books, including The New Leadership Literacies, Leaders Make the Future, Get There Early, and The Reciprocity Advantage.

In this Book

  • Introduction—The Great Opportunity
  • Futureback Thinking—About Office Shock
  • Looking Back to Look Forward—The Technology Didn’t Happen Overnight
  • Impossible Futures—Imagining Better Offices and Officing
  • In Good Company—The Spectrum of Purpose
  • Pursuing Prosperity—The Spectrum of Outcomes
  • Beyond Sustainablity—The Spectrum of Climate Impacts
  • Cultivating Community—The Spectrum of Belonging
  • Everyone Amplified—The Spectrum of Augmentation
  • Better Than Being There—The Spectrum of Place and Time
  • Coordinating with Clarity—The Spectrum of Agility
  • Thinking Futureback about Office Shock—Introducing Our Quick Start Guide
  • Personal Choices—How You Can Navigate Office Shock
  • Organizational Choices—How Your Organization Can Navigate Office Shock
  • Community Choices—How Your Community Can Navigate Office Shock
  • Conclusion—What We Can Do Now to Create Better Futures
  • Office Shock Navigational Stars
  • Office Shock—Discussion Guide
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
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