Am so with you on the 'back to the future' perspective, Euan - my irritation at the CIPD claiming that 'smart working' is a new paradigm led me to write a book in praise of the relevance of old knowledge.

Serves me right - writing not an easy process. Got to be said, though.

Looking forward to hearing about Social Business Edge.

Lewis - you'd have been better asking Stowe that question. From what I gather he is trying to avoid people from a stage talking at people in an audience. Personally I am going to have fun conversations with fun people and would be quite happy if none of that takes place on a stage.

I am also quite happy with "a soup of ideas". Isn't asking for "a solution" conferring the very status to those involved that you seem keen to avoid? I would suggest, with the same politeness that you have offered your own comment, that if you want to run something aimed at achieving a conclusion you could always organise something yourself.

Cheers,

Lewis

'Unsocial business', the division of labour, Taylorism, etc, etc are an evolutionary blip and we are are getting back to doing things the way we have have been designed to do them. Social business is as old as time, well older actually, when you think about it.

I think if we talked about it in terms of the 'old' it might seem a lot less scary to people who might resist it :)

I can't understand why everyone thinks "open plan" is so great? Generally, the kitchen is smaller as the executives don't want "chit chat" from the minions which means that in effect the workers get glued to their computer screens; don't communicate with anyone except with colleagues in their bubble and become extremely isolated. Furthermore, there seems to be a lack of consideration shown by those attending meetings who receive calls on their mobiles and take them outside the meeting in the "open space" disrupting everyone else.

I like the idea of Roman baths!