After 18 months of writing and editing my second book was published at the beginning of 2018. Conquering Digital Overload: leadership strategies that build engaging work cultures was written by a combination of 16 people, all of whom are Partners in the Future Work Forum. My role as the main editor was to pull together these inputs as well as write some major parts of the content.
The result is a fascinating book that exposes the stresses caused by digital technology and lays down a challenge to leaders to find a solution. It makes the point that the life of leisure promised by the technology has in fact turned out to be an ‘always-on’ lifestyle with poor work-life balance ending in burn-out or drop-out for many people. The cause can be found in the organisational cultures that allow, and in some cases encourage, unhealthy working patterns. And it’s the leaders who set that culture.
The book contains guidance for leaders so they can deal with the cause of this growing problem. The answer is not a welfare programme which simply deals with the symptoms. It’s not solved by turning off the email servers at weekends either. It’s a fundamental change to the way people are managed, giving them control over the way they work. As we move into the world of the ‘gig’ worker, this book is essential reading for anyone concerned about the talent and productivity of their workforce.
The book is available in hardback and Kindle formats from Amazon and other booksellers. It can be ordered direct from the publishers as well. (http://www.palgrave.com/gb/book/9783319637983)