About the Book
Much more than a book about flexible working, Beyond Hybrid Working is an engaging and practical management book to help organisations rethink all aspects of traditional work in the emerging post-pandemic landscape and reap the benefits from working smarter. Many organisations that had rapidly improvised and implemented Hybrid Working now want to take a more strategic approach.
‘Smart Working’ is being adopted across sectors, from technology companies, through the financial services sector to the public sector. Andy Lake has supported implementations in businesses and public sector organisations for nearly 30 years, including advising the UK Cabinet Office. He sets out a strategic, comprehensive and integrated approach to Smart Working in the context of new possibilities for working on a more distributed basis, and the impact of new AI-based technologies coming over the horizon. He also explores the possibilities for greater flexibility for workers with hands-on and site-specific roles. Featuring detailed case studies, the book takes a pragmatic and evidence-based approach covering different sectors and types of work, and presents practical techniques for implementing change.
This is essential reading for anyone involved in transformational workplace change and increasing the efficiency of organisations. It is written for managers who need to deliver change, and professionals and researchers in the fields of People, Workplace and Technology.
Table of Contents:
1. What is Smart Working? 2. Changing work in a changing world 3. Developing a strategic approach 4. Business case, metrics and evaluation 5. Who, where, when and why? 6. The Smart Working workplace 7. Working across the Extended Smart Workplace 8. Working in the Virtual Workplace 9. Embedding a Smart Working culture 10. Leading the Anywhere, Anytime Team 11. Smart, flexible and productive 12. Smarter homeworking 13. Smart Working, wellbeing and inclusion 14. Smarter government, public services and public policy 15. Smart Working and sustainability 16. Beyond Hybrid: Smart Working now and in the future
About the Author :
Andy Lake is a leading specialist in implementing Smart and Flexible Working. He has also led or participated in national and international research into the impacts of new ways of working. He is founder of Flexibility.co.uk and the Smart Work Network (www.smart-work.net).
Review :
“Beyond Hybrid Working provides an essential and compelling narrative for anyone delivering change in the workplace and improving the efficiency of their organisation. Crammed with practical advice, Andy’s first book Smart Flexibility was my playbook for developing TW3, the Governments’ own initial Smarter Working initiative: a game changer for modernising the Civil Service.”
Richard Graham, formerly Head of Workplace Transformation, UK Cabinet Office
“A much needed, clearly argued, practical approach to smart working, updated to encompass post-Covid challenges and opportunities. To negotiate our way to a more holistic approach to smart working, we need people who are able to communicate a joined-up vision of the future of work. Andy Lake not only does that, but provides a step-by-step guide to how to achieve it."
Mandy Garner, Managing Editor, wmpeople.co.uk
“There’s something in here for everyone, whether they’re new to smarter working or have been doing it for a while. Andy’s insight into modern day working practices forms a strong foundation for transformational organisational change.”
Su Jordan, Strategic Manager, Transformation, Durham County Council
“Andy truly is a founding father of Smart Working in Europe. As researcher, author, lecturer, consultant and change agent he has observed, studied and analyzed the power of Smart Working. Steadfast about the principles and culture of flexibility, he has gathered a wealth of know-how articulated in a most comprehensive and actionable best practice book that is THE go-to for aspiring and seasoned practitioners, leaders and professionals. The writing is very accessible – reading Beyond Hybrid Working is like listening to a good friend around a fireplace with a glass of wine. I am grateful for his relentless awareness-raising, education and networking on all things flexible.”
Philip Vanhoutte, author of The Smarter Working Manifesto and Co-Founder of the European Smart Work Network
“One of the leading thinkers and writers on the present and future of work, Andy’s work is once again thoughtful, thorough and innovative. A must read.”
Neil Usher, Author of The Elemental Workplace, Elemental Change and Unf*cking Work
“Insightful, relevant, and superbly written. The must-have book on workplace for 2023.”
Paige Hodsman, Workplace Concept Development Specialist, Saint-Gobain Ecophon
“We used Andy’s practical guidance and frameworks as the basis for rolling out Smart Working in the UK operation of a global engineering company, the trailblazer for the subsequent global transformation. This helped us to think much more widely about a range of considerations that must be addressed when fundamentally changing the where, how and when of people’s daily work. By focusing on the cultural as well as the practical elements, this easy-to-read and often humorous account of the modern workplace provided a great foundation for the transformation.”
Ben Hutchinson, Director, JCurv
“Andy Lake delivers a comprehensive guide to ways of working during a time of profound change, and one that is both enjoyable, and practical. As many organizations grapple with evolving attitudes to work, new workspace options, and multiplying technical possibilities, an understanding of the topics Andy presents here is fundamental to navigating though that fog with any degree of certainty.”
David Dunbar, Head of Digital Workspace, UK Department for Work and Pensions
Praise for Andy Lake’s Smart Flexibility: Moving Smart and Flexible Working from Theory to Practice (Routledge, 2013)
“… the book is a thought-provoking read and one that I feel should be essential reading for any managers wishing to take flexible working seriously within their organization.”
Sandi Mann, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 34 No. 6, pp. 588-589
“… a must-read for anyone interested in or embarking on workplace change. A combination of academic rigour, practical experience and case studies, it reflects Lake’s long-standing position as researcher and consultant in the field of smarter working. An adviser to government on the issue, his comprehensive book is based on over twenty years of experience in the field and has become an industry ‘bible’.”
Heather Greig-Smith, Flexible Boss magazine, September 7, 2015
“I like the author’s use of humour to get the point across … and the book’s gentle meadow-stream flow from one chapter to the next. I liked the arguments that he presented, and I appreciated the effort put into excellent research with real-world examples.”
Quality World, April 2013
