Invisible Work: The Future of the Office is in Your Head

by John Howkins

‘John Howkins’ books have proven clairvoyant; this new book is no exception. It is a must-read for innovation leaders’ Alice Loy, CEO and co-founder of Creative Startups

A visionary exploration of the global future of work and an essential framework for work/life growth in the era of the remote professional.

>The old models no longer apply. Work today depends on personal, subjective ideas which begin inside our heads and whose success depends on never-ending negotiations with what’s going on inside other people’s heads. It depends on attitudes and behaviours in small, smart, fast teams. Job descriptions, office structures and nine-to-five expectations have become optional. All the crucial moments – the thoughts and feelings that decide what we do – are invisible. How we manage this and make it visible determines how well we do, how we are paid and whether we enjoy our work.

In Invisible Work, John Howkins explores how to discover purpose, autonomy and opportunity in this new isolated, yet connected, world.

PRAISE FOR INVISIBLE WORK

'Fresh, original, powerful, profound and deeply practical' Jeremy Hunter, founding director of Executive Mind Leadership Institute

'This wise and inspiring book shows us the true meaning of work in the 21st century... Essential reading for anyone in pursuit of a more productive and purposeful life' Paul Owens, Founder & Chairman of BOP Consulting and Director of the World Cities Cultural Forum

'John invites us to discover a world of unseen possibilities. In an age of "invisibilities", he masterfully helps us understand that those who carry out the actual job of delivering creativity and innovation are the cornerstone of defining our modern world' Felipe Buitrago, co-author of The Orange Economy and The No Collar Economy

342 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 5, 2020

About the author

John Howkins is a leading strategist on creativity and innovation. He first published his ideas in The Creative Economy in 2001 which became the standard book (revised in 2013). He developed his ideas in Creative Ecologies: Where Thinking is a Proper Job (2006). His book Invisible Work (2020) shows how private personal work is the key to the future including our relationship with AI.

He has worked in over 30 countries. In 2019 he spoke at events in London, Geneva, Madrid, Kiev, Los Angeles, Bogota, Medellin, Santiago, Manila, Beijing, Chengdu and Hong Kong.

His ideas are based on his business career in publishing, TV, film, digital media and streaming. He was associated with HBO and Time Warner from 1982 to 1996 with responsibilities for TV and broadcast businesses in Europe. He is a former Chairman of CREATEC, Tornado and BOP Consulting, and a board member of Equator Films, HandMade plc, HotBed Media, Screen East, First Person Films and other companies.

He is a Member of the United Nations Advisory Committee on the Creative Economy. He has been Chairman of the London Film School, Deputy Chairman of the British Screen Advisory Council (BSAC) and Council Member of the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). He was Executive Director of the International Institute of Communications (IIC).

He was Executive in Residence at the Drucker School of Management, Claremont, Los Angeles, Visiting Professor, City University, London, and Vice Dean and Visiting Professor, Shanghai School of Creativity, Shanghai Theatre Academy, China.

He founded and directed the RSA Adelphi Charter on Creativity, Innovation and Intellectual Property.

He worked as a journalist for many years on Time Out, The Sunday Times, Harpers & Queen and The Economist. He was editor of InterMedia, Vision and The National Electronics Review.

He has a BA in International Relations (Keele University) and a AA (Dip) and MA in Urban Design (Architectural Association).