The Future of Work

Richard Donkin's The Future of Work (Palgrave Macmillan), is a timely sequel to Blood Sweat and Tears: The Evolution of Work. The rapid rate of change in technologies, living patterns and social attitudes has the potential to transform the way we work, and therefore the nature of the workplace.

"The history of the way we live and work is more evolutionary than revolutionary in nature, but there have been discernible watersheds and milestones in the past. The one we are experiencing today is multifaceted, drawing influences from a series of trends that cumulatively add up to shift in attitudes, straining to find a more comfortable environment."

The final chapter pulls together the implications for a broader society and argues "for people in work to have more discretion and latitude to do their work as they know it should be done." The key imperatives for employers and policymakers that Donkin proposes as an agenda for a better society, are positive, pragmatic and focused on performance.

A must read for all who are interested in the evolving relationship between people, processes and high performing teams.