Bookmark: RTO is never going to happen for real until we redesign the office
Revamp office designs to boost productivity and employee well-being, making workspaces attractive for top talent and enhancing creativity.
In a thought-provoking piece from Fast Company, architect Bakr Kurani dives into why the push to return to traditional offices isn’t working. The key issue? Outdated office design that ignores modern needs for focus, creativity, and well-being. Reimagining workspaces with diverse, thoughtfully designed areas can make a significant difference in productivity and employee satisfaction. A smarter office environment could transform the workplace from a burden back into a magnet for top talent.
“A lack of fresh, circulating air creates stale, stuffy environments that make people drowsy and sicker.”
RTO is never going to happen for real until we redesign the office
The agent-shaped org chart
Every real org has the same topology: principal, role-holder, specialists. Staff AI maps onto it, node for node, and the cost collapse shows up in the deliverables that were always just human-handoff overhead.
AI as staff, not software
Two frames for what AI is doing to work. The tool frame makes tools smarter. The staff frame makes roles unnecessary. Those aren't the same product, the same company, or the same industry.
Knowledge work was never work
Knowledge work was always coordination between humans who couldn't share state directly. The artifacts were never the work. They were the overhead — and AI just made the overhead optional.
The work of being available now
A book on AI, judgment, and staying human at work.
The practice of work in progress
Practical essays on how work actually gets done.
How do I get my dev team to adopt AI?
A stub on helping mixed-interest development teams find their own useful ways into AI.
Want to learn about agents? Talk to someone who ran an agency.
I spent 20 years running consulting engagements at Fortune 500 companies. Turns out that's the best preparation for running a fleet of AI agents ... because the problems are identical.
Your AI agents need a water cooler
We run a twelve-session AI fleet that coordinates through an IRC breakroom. A friend asked: why are you making AI agents act like humans? The answer turned out to be more interesting than the question.
Bookmark: How return-to-office mandates could change in 2025, according to top HR leaders from pwc, ey, and canva
Explore insights from HR leaders at PwC, EY, and Canva on how return-to-office policies may evolve by 2025. Stay ahead in workplace trends!
Bookmark: Half of companies with office space say leases are affecting their RTO policies
Leases are driving RTO policies for half of companies with office space, forcing a balance between costs and evolving work patterns.
Bookmark: Amazon’s RTO delays exemplify why workers get so mad about mandates
Amazon's return-to-office delays reveal critical issues with office space and communication, risking top talent and heightening employee dissatisfaction.