Work Transformation: Planning and Implementing the New Workplace

When I got through reading Ken Roberston's book, I was struck by its far-reaching implications. As a corporate real estate professional in a medium-size Midwestern city, I realize that there are few companies in the U.S. that are making optimal use of their available real estate options. (I'm sure this applies equally to Robertson's Canada and every other Western industrialized country.) One hears a lot these days about "downsizing" and "outsourcing"--and these are certainly among the options to many organizations. But Robertson goes way beyond these obvious alternative space arrangements to discuss how an organization needs to rethink ALL of its space requirements. What makes this book so useful is that he takes this major and complex challenge and shows step-by-step how to approach it, involve all parties, and implement and evaluate pilot programs. This goes a long way toward avoiding costly surprises. Although Roberston presents plenty of examples and case histories, he does not explicitly show how his appoach should be tailored to each type of organization. Some readers may consider this a flaw. I think, however, that such a treatment would be beyond the scope of the book. The thoughtful real estate professional will want to bring his or her own experiences/situation to bear, anyway , in applying Roberston's methodology. I highly recommend the book for it cohesive approach. The 300 or so pages are worth FAR more than would be thirty 10-page publication articles on the subject.

Here, at long last, is a book that presents the 'big picture' as far as integrating altenative space arrangements, alternative work arrangements, and information technology. These days, it's hard not to be caught up in the excitement about the latest communication breakthroughs and how they might be used in your office. This book leaps past the technojargon, sales hype, and vague theoretical musings to present practical, useful tools for analyzing your organization's present space and work arrangements, and determining what changes would be most helpful. The diagrams are well chosen, and the writing style is clear. It's hard to know just who might benefit most from the discussions--executives, corporate real estate professionals, HR professionals, and even IT people (who often need to be brought down to earth with the rest of us) could all appreaciate this book, as I did.

The information contained in Ken Robertson's book has proved to be invaluable in helping our organization implement necessary changes to increase efficiency. Particularly helpful were the strategies the author presented about alternative work and space arrangements. The book is well written and well worth reading!

It's hard not to be swept up by breakthroughs in information technology and the promise they hold for somehow making our work environment a better place. This is the book that explores that "somehow" in a way that few other books in the field have succeeded in doing.With care and precision--and alot of insight--the author presents the "big picture" of how alternative work arrangements, alternative space arrangements, and information technology are interconnected. Without in any way being a "cookbook," the book provides the tools that should allow just about any organization to assess what means of work transformation are most appropriate for its own situation. It then shows how to overcome organizational inertia to win support for those changes. Easier said than done, but here at least is a navigational aid!The book is clearly written and avoids the hype of technojargon so much in fashion by proponents of IT. The author is Canadian, but the content is fully applicable to any U.S. organization.

Ken Robertson has captured the very essence of work transformation in his easy-to-comprehend pyramid model. He cleverly exposes the heretofore mystery links and interdependencies that give an organization the necessary synergy for successfully entering into the 21st century. He brings enlightenment to human resource, facilities, and information technology managers by presenting solid foundations, realistic analyses, and user-friendly evaluation tools. This book fills a void for work transformation agents and consultants. I recommend this book to anyone serious about coping with current work transformations and to anyone considering 21st century teleworkforce strategies that complement customer service.