What The F* is Happening to The Office?

What if your office could tell you who to sit next to based on what you're working on? What if the building knew you were stressed before you did? In this episode, Bob Fox sits down with Melissa Marsh, founder and CEO of PLASTARC. With 25+ years in the field and clients like Microsoft, Google, Lululemon, and Logitech, Melissa is an expert on where the workplace is headed and why most organizat...

Are we designing offices that are already obsolete before anyone moves in? Workplace strategist and circular economy advocate Celeste Tell joins Bob Fox to challenge one of workplace design's most embedded assumptions — and make the case for a fundamentally different approach. Celeste Tell, co-founder of Epicycled, argues that in an era of constant organizational change, designing a workplace for...

What if the biggest threat to your organization's performance isn't your people — it's the space you put them in? Rebecca Swanner is workplace sector leader at HED, and she and her team have been not just asking how AI is changing how we work, but what that actually means for the physical spaces we design. Here's what their national research study found. Spaces for collaboration? A...

The people deciding the future of your company… aren’t talking about the workplace. And it’s costing more than anyone realizes. Not in real estate—but in performance. In this episode of What the F* is Happening to the Office?, Phil Kirschner explains why the workplace has become one of the biggest blind spots in modern organizations—and what leaders are getting wrong. At major conferences, CFOs, C...

What if the office isn’t underperforming… it’s just never been aligned with how people actually work? In this conversation, I sit down with Ken Baker, Regional Managing Principal at Gensler, to unpack what’s really changing in the workplace, and what most organizations are still getting wrong. Ken brings a unique perspective, not just as a designer, but as someone leading a global firm while navig...

Bringing people back to the office does not automatically create collaboration. In this episode, Ben Waber breaks down why the design and use of the physical workplace can have a major impact on communication, innovation, and organizational success. In this conversation, Bob Fox talks with MIT Media Lab lecturer and researcher Ben Waber about what collaboration really is and why most organizations...

What if the biggest challenge facing the workplace today isn’t mandates, hybrid policy, or productivity… but loneliness? In this episode of *What the F is Happening to the Office?**, I sit down with sociologist and Steelcase VP of Workplace Insights Dr. Tracy Brower, Phd to explore how convenience, technology, and even AI may be quietly reducing real human connection. Her research is compelling:•...

What if we could look into a crystal ball and design the future workplace today? Are we preparing for what’s next, or redesigning yesterday’s office? In this episode of What the F* is Happening to the Office?, Bob Fox sits down with Mark Bryan, Chief Research & Strategy Officer at IIDA, to explore why most “future of work” conversations are stuck debating layouts, policies, and attendance - in...

Hybrid work broke the old playbook—but leaders never agreed on a new one. In this episode of What the F* is Happening to the Office?, Bob Fox, Founder of Work Design, sits down with Amanda Schneider, Founder and President of ThinkLab (Sandow Design Group), to explore why workplace culture is failing—and how Gen Z may hold the key to fixing it. Drawing on years of research, focus groups, and real-w...

What if the next evolution of work isn’t an office — but a marketplace of hidden genius? We’re applying old thinking to new technology — and wondering why work still feels stuck. In this episode of What the F* is Happening to the Office? , futurist and executive coach Rex Miller introduces The Fourth Place — a bold new model for how work, learning, and human connection come together in an AI-drive...

The modern workplace is in radical flux, driven by hybrid work, AI, and shifting talent strategy. In this essential episode, host Bob Fox sits down with Brian Elliott—CEO of WorkForward, BCG Senior Advisor, and publisher of the authoritative Flex Index—to cut through the noise. Drawing on his experience at Slack and Google, and leading one of the most influential workplace research programs, Brian...

What happens when Gen Z starts reshaping the rules of work—while the Boomers are still playing by the old ones? In this essential episode, host Bob Fox sits down with generational researcher and leadership expert Warren Wright, CEO of Second Wave Learning (formerly of Gallup), to explore how the newest generation is changing the workplace culture from the inside out. Warren brings decades of insig...

What happens when AI meets the office? Host Bob Fox sits down with Jeremy Reding, Global Workplace Leader & Senior Principal at DLR Group, architect, and workplace futurist, to explore the cutting edge of workplace design. Tracing his roots from hands-on design communities to leading global workplace strategy for top tech companies, Jeremy offers an inspiring look at how organizations can navi...

Is the real workplace problem space—or is it leadership? Host Bob Fox sits down with Ray Milora, Senior Director of Workplace Design & Construction at Cisco, to unpack the critical elements that actually drive people back to the office. Ray shares an inspiring, candid blueprint: it’s not excessive amenities, but leadership presence, clear purpose, and friction-free hybrid tech that truly matte...

Hybrid work isn't broken because employees don’t want to gather—it struggles due to the coordination tax, that hidden productivity killer that strikes when freedom lacks structure. In this essential episode, host Bob Fox sits down with Mark Gilbreath, CEO & Founder of LiquidSpace, to dive deep into the real enemy of hybrid: coordination chaos. Mark unpacks how smart enterprises like T-Mobile,...

What would it truly take to make the office matter again? Host Bob Fox sits down with Lauren Hasson, Senior Vice President of Workplace Strategy at JLL, to tackle why the post-pandemic office hasn't evolved as expected—and how to fix it. This is an essential conversation for leaders, facility managers, and designers rethinking how and where we work. Lauren shares an inspiring vision, urging organi...

If we could pioneer a new vision of the workplace, what would it truly look like? Host Bob Fox explores this possibility with Jennifer Berthelot-Jelovic, founder of A SustainAble Production and a global authority who helped shape the WELL Building Standard. This inspiring episode is a powerful call to action for leaders ready to embrace holistic sustainability. Jennifer shares her unique expertise...

Prepare to redefine what corporate wellness truly means! Bob Fox welcomes Brendan Herbert, COO of Infinity Wellness Partners, for an inspiring conversation on creating healthier, high-performing teams in the era of hybrid work. Brendan reveals how innovative companies are moving past outdated programs, embracing a holistic model that integrates ergonomic tips, accessible on-demand fitness, and imp...

The office as you know it is over. In this must-listen episode, host Bob Fox sits down with Meg Swanson, Chief Market Officer at Eptura, to explore the seismic shifts reshaping the workplace experience. Meg provides an inspiring look at how organizations are embracing seamless technology integration and leveraging the power of data-driven decisions to create truly engaging and efficient modern wor...

Workplace experience expert Jess Klay joins Bob Fox to break down the Three Pillars of Workplace Strategy—Connection, Wellbeing, and Adaptability—and how they are shaping the next generation of office environments. Whether you're a facility manager, workplace strategist, corporate real estate leader, or HR professional, this conversation is packed with insights on how to create dynamic, human-cent...

In this episode of What the F is Happening to the Office?, Bob Fox talks with Caitlin Begg, sociologist and founder of Authentic Social, about how technology and human connection need to be integrated and how smart workplace design can optimize both. We explore socio-technical design, how communication norms impact hybrid work, how AI is reshaping behavior, why casual "water cooler" conversations...

The United State of Work: Julia Hobsbawm on the Global Transformation of Work What the F* is Happening to the Office? In this episode of What the F is Happening to the Office?, host Bob Fox is joined by Julia Hobsbawm, a globally recognized author, speaker, and thought leader on the future of work, workplace culture, and social health. Julia shares her personal journey from a nontraditional career...

How is the workplace evolving in the face of cultural, technological, and structural disruptors? In this compelling discussion, Melissa Fisher, PhD, a social scientist, cultural anthropologist, and thought leader on work, shares groundbreaking insights into the shifting dynamics of the modern workplace. As an award-winning writer, speaker, consultant, and professor, Dr. Fisher examines how hybrid...

Join us for a powerful conversation with Leigh Stringer, Global Director of Advisory Services at Perkins&Will and bestselling author of The Green Workplace and The Healthy Workplace . Leigh explores how the pandemic reshaped our understanding of equity, health, and inclusion at work—digging into invisible factors like air quality, sensory experience, and neurodiversity. From hybrid collaborati...

Wendy Feldman Block, one of the pioneers in WELL and LEED Platinum-certified office lease negotiations in the DC market, discusses the evolution of workplace wellness, sustainability, and the changing dynamics of commercial real estate. In this conversation, Wendy shares her unexpected journey into wellness-focused real estate, how pandemic-driven concerns like air quality accelerated demand, and...