In this episode of What the F is Happening to the Office?, host Bob Fox talks with Brian Elliott — CEO of WorkForward, senior advisor with BCG, bestselling author of How the Future Works, and publisher of the Flex Index.
The workplace is changing – fast. Hybrid work, distributed teams, AI, culture, leadership, collaboration, flexibility, and the role of the physical office are all in flux. So what does the future of work really look like?
With experience at Slack, Google, and leading one of the most influential workplace research programs of the pandemic era, Brian brings real data, practical insight, and a grounded perspective on how organizations must evolve.
What the F is Happening to the Office?, is NOW on Spotify! New episode every other week!
Main Takeaways
- Why the workplace conversation is bigger than “remote vs. hybrid”
- The mindset shift leaders need to navigate change
- Flexibility, talent strategy, and organizational performance
- Workplace design trends and the role of technology
- AI and automation in workplace experience and operations
- How companies are using workplace strategy as a leadership tool
- What the Flex Index reveals about real policy vs. headlines
- The future of office space, culture, engagement, and employee experience
Meet Brian Elliott
Brian Elliott is CEO of Work Forward, executive-in-residence at Charter, and a Senior Advisor with BCG. A recognized expert on the future of work, he’s the bestselling author of How the Future Works and a noted speaker and columnist. He spent 25 years building teams and leading companies as a startup CEO and executive at Google and Slack before co-founding Future Forum, a think tank focused on the future of work. He publishes Flex Index and the Work Forward newsletter, and was named to Forbes’ Future of Work 50.
Key Moments
1:28 – Intro: Why the office still matters
3:00 – Brian Elliott’s journey, WorkForward & Flex Index
5:18 – Talent strategy and leadership mindsets (System X vs System Y)
9:53 – What we learned (and missed) about the office
13:57 – Why executive alignment is make-or-break
17:07 – Command-and-control, Elon, and why RTO mandates fail
21:09 – Using space as a storytelling and leadership tool
24:33 – New metrics: from cost per square foot to cost per event
29:56 – Inside the Flex Index: what companies are really doing
32:49 – Policy vs behavior: how hybrid actually works
35:40 – Airbnb’s “one week a month” model and performance
37:34 – Designing for hybrid collaboration and connection
41:52 – Integrating workplace tech with physical space
44:06 – How AI will reshape workplace and facilities operations
46:54– Where to begin a workplace redesign (listen to your employees)
49:12 – Human-centric workplaces, wellbeing & performance
51:03 – Experimenting with space: PagerDuty, flex space, iteration
54:49 – Closing thoughts & where to learn more (Flex Index & Brian)
