The Future of Work & Organisational Design
Work is changing—and so must the structures, cultures, and systems that support it. From hybrid workplaces and async collaboration to redefined roles and flatter hierarchies, the future of work demands a rethink of what organisations are and how they thrive.
This Insight Pathway explores how to design adaptive, inclusive, and high-performance environments where people and innovation flourish. Ideal for HR leaders, organisation designers, and future-focused executives.
Included Summaries
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Remote: Office Not Required – Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson (the remote-first mindset)
A guide to building great teams without physical proximity. It addresses trust, productivity, and communication challenges in distributed teams—long before the pandemic made it mainstream. -
Reinventing Organizations – Frederic Laloux (evolutionary org models)
A visionary book that maps the evolution of organisational paradigms—from rigid hierarchies to “Teal” organisations defined by self-management, wholeness, and evolutionary purpose. -
No Rules Rules – Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer (Netflix culture and performance)
A behind-the-scenes look at Netflix’s radical culture of freedom and responsibility. This book challenges assumptions about policy, control, and innovation at scale. -
Work Rules! – Laszlo Bock (lessons from Google’s people operations)
Google’s former HR chief shares data-driven practices for hiring, development, and culture—blending behavioral science with real-world experimentation. -
The Infinite Game – Simon Sinek (building enduring organisations)
Sinek reframes leadership around infinite thinking—prioritising purpose, trust, and long-term value over short-term wins and fixed endpoints.
Reflection & Application
The workplace is no longer a place—it’s a network of people, values, and capabilities. These books challenge you to design not just efficient organisations, but resilient and meaningful ones.
Key Takeaways:
- Remote gives practical tools for thriving outside traditional offices.
- Reinventing Organizations reimagines structures for human flourishing.
- No Rules Rules offers bold strategies for unlocking performance through trust.
- Work Rules! applies evidence to design people systems that scale.
- The Infinite Game helps anchor your org in purpose beyond the quarterly report.
Applying the Insights
To redesign work for the future:
- Run an async collaboration audit—what work could be decoupled from time and place?
- Experiment with self-management in one team or process.
- Redefine performance reviews based on freedom and responsibility, not just metrics.
- Implement a continuous feedback loop using methods from Work Rules!.
- Craft your Just Cause and share it widely, as Sinek recommends.
The future of work isn’t coming—it’s already here. This pathway equips you to meet it with clarity, compassion, and bold design.
“The strongest cultures are not built on rules. They’re built on beliefs.” – Reed Hastings