2026 and All That

The problem with most of the writing on the future of work is that it is done by hipsters in coffee shops. That’s the future of some work…the rest of it – might not be so wonderfully Starbucks.

Flip Chart Fairy Tales

There are lots of articles around at the moment about the future of work. They pop up in my timeline frequently, often accompanied by videos of futurologists at conferences outlining their vision of work in the 2020s and beyond. There’s something funny going on, though, because I seem to be hearing two very different stories without much overlap between them.

The story I hear coming out of management conferences and any number of consultants’ websites is all about how technology will revolutionise the workplace, how it will empower us and enable us to have more fulfilled working lives. It will trash hierarchy too, as we’ll all have access to so much more knowledge and information. Technology will force the democratisation and devolution of corporate decision making. Generation Y feature strongly in all of this. After all, they (and even more so, the next lot) won’t stand for hide-bound ideas…

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My first day with #Androidwear – LG R Smartwatch

I'm a big fan of all things tech and especially all things Google. I was 8th in line to try Google Glass in the UK when they launched the bootcamp. That's my level of geek. Whilst the press have been focused on the upcoming launch of an Apple watch I've been keenly following the development …

Humane Resourced 2 – update

The new book is just having one final edit before being published in time for CIPD14. I completely apologise for the delays, all my fault. Kate Griffiths-Lambeth and Alison Chisnell have been amazing in covering for my rubbishness. I owe them serious thanks and if you are an author of a chapter in the book …

In praise of ConnectedHR

I've spent the past couple of days in Amsterdam feeling completely on the fringes of things. I'm at HRTechEurope and whilst I am learning a lot and meeting some great folk I found the first day really hard. I didn't know many people and those that I did know were understandably not really focused on …

Off the beaten track

Wonderful overview of the Unfurling HR Conference in NZ by Richard Westney

Up the Down Escalator

It feels to me like HR is at something of a crossroads. I have written about this before. We have a choice. We can take the tried and trusted route, let’s call it the main road, that is direct, functional and gets us to where we think we want to go. Or we can take the scenic route, let’s call it the back road, which will be full of twists and turns, may be a bit rocky in places but is worth it for the unexpected views and discovery of new places you didn’t know existed.

This week’s Unfurling HR Unconference in Auckland felt very much like a back road experience. It was almost off road.

The unconference format was a first for me and just about everyone else in the room. Unfurling HR was the idea of #NZLead’s Amanda Sterling and she put herself out there to get…

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My greatest weakness

'Sometimes I'm not very good at my job. I annoy people, or miss something, or don't notice that I've annoyed people or missed something. Sometimes I think I've done a great job when I really haven't.' I imagine that this would be the most honest answer to the interview question 'what is your biggest development …

Quit Gushing: Richard Branson’s Unlimited Vacation Is a Trick

Really interesting to see the breadth and strength of reaction to this