Work + Life Book Launch: A Blueprint for The New Way of Working
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Roel Geenen is an expert consultant in flexible, hybrid and time and place independent ways of working for larger oganisations, with over 25 years of experience in organisational strategy.
As the Managing Partner and Strategy and Innovations Lead at Veldhoen + Company, Roel has dedicated his career to rethinking the evolution in the New Way of Working. His work bridges technology and human behaviour to create spaces and systems that empower individuals and organisations.
Through Work + Life, Roel shares his deep insights and personal journey in championing concepts like Activity Based Working (ABW), Agile and innovative collaboration which revolutionised traditional office norms.
Drawing from extensive hands-on experience and a global perspective, Roel offers practical, people-centric strategies for achieving synergy between professional and personal spheres. His belief in the transformative power of collaboration, adaptability, and self-leadership is at the heart of his approach, inspiring readers to reimagine how they work and live.
V+C: CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU DECIDED TO WRITE A BOOK?
Roel Geenen: 15 years ago, the younger consultants at Veldhoen + Company wanted to do things differently (V+C was then led by one person).
At the time, the focus was on concept development and design. I believe it should always include change management, personal relationship building, collaboration, and guidance in the process.
Erik Veldhoen wanted to keep the younger generation in the company, so he offered Joop Meijers and me (the most outspoken Junior Consultant) the opportunity to do independent research one day per week to focus on the New Way of Working's effect on productivity.
What initially began as a six-month undertaking became a one-and-a-half-year impact research project, which became the basis of this book.
V+C: WOW, SO THIS BOOK HAS BEEN OVER 10 YEARS IN THE MAKING. WHO IS THIS BOOK FOR?
RG: It's for all HR, real estate, IT, and facility managers, and internal advisory roles.
It's beneficial in its holistic method. 60% of the book focuses on an integral, holistic perspective within the New Way of Working and change management—the focus is on the people.
V+C: WHAT'S A COMMON PITFALL WHEN MOVING TO THE NEW WAY OF WORKING?
RG: One of the biggest misconceptions is quite simple. Many organisations who start with NWoW don’t relate or align it to their strategy or mid-long-term goals.
When they try to combine projects and programs, they often don’t feel the urge to change the patterns of behaviour in their organisation.
Initially, the focus is usually on the tactile and tooling like the built environment, IT implementation, digitisation —the practical stuff.
V+C: HOW DOES THE BOOK ADDRESS THIS MISCONCEPTION?
RG: Chapters 2 and 3 address clarity, the relationship between goals, key impact areas, and crucial steps for collaboration.
We go back to basics:
- What is organisational change?
- What is necessary to do?
- What are the parameters and focus points in the NWoW?
Coupling the NWoW with organisational change provides enormous added value, including better and different routines. It takes work.
V+C: WHAT PRACTICAL ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO LEADERS WHO ARE CONSIDERING THIS CHANGE?
RG: Chapter 4 covers COVID and the lessons we learned there. The New Way of Working is for something other than those looking for a fresh office design or environment. The NWoW is a broad, impactful level of change that involves stakeholders from the facility management, IT, and HR.
One advice included in the book is to create an integral, supportive organisation that can manage the Way of Working change constantly.
An other advice is to be very aware of individual interests when creating team agreements. Those interests post-COVID are 100% part of the way of working, the team process, and the wellbeing. You have no choice but to include it and be more interactive and inclusive in your leadership.
V+C: HOW DID YOU APPROACH THIS WRITING PROCESS?
RG: With an active personal and business life (managing Veldhoen + Company together with Luc), I had to carve time to write explicitly.
In between those moments, I carry a small notebook where I can keep track of ideas that come to me for the book, whether at night or in conversation with clients.
Then, I take half a day or a full day on the weekend to contemplate the storyline I want to use. Last year, I took some time away to Germany and Greece for a few days, giving me the focus time to elaborate on those ideas and find the connection. I had many ideas, so I had to consider the most valuable points for readers.
Work + Life is all about trendlines; while it's a practical book, it comes back to an overview. I distilled down my personal experience and lessons learned as an experienced consultant.
V+C: WHAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST SURPRISING THINGS YOU LEARNED IN CREATING THIS BOOK?
RG: In 2023, after writing five chapters, I tried to dive into the book again to see if I could discover trendlines based on the existing story of the past 12 years. I write about the history of the new way of working in Chapter 1.
Together with our R&D team, we discovered that trendlines that started in the 90s remained steady.
We discovered 15 trendlines with the same trajectory, which was surprising but also encouraging. It helped me to write Chapter 5, which focuses on how the future of new work will look. People talk about COVID as a disrupter, which it has been in many cases, but not for the trends; it has been an accelerator.
V+C: WHAT ROLE DOES TECHNOLOGY PLAY AT WORK AND HOW DO YOU SEE IT EVOLVING?
RG: The book includes a schema of trends from the last decades separated into bricks, bytes, and behaviours.
From mobile phones, laptops, and apps that support us working anywhere to AI's ability to automate tasks, we can now work more efficiently to share information and reduce menial tasks. It also reduces people's thinking processes.
AI helps us combine/aggregate knowledge; soon, it will tell us how and with whom to work. 10-20 years ago, at Veldhoen + Company, we said that was a conscious choice of the individual.
I'm convinced that AI will overtake that part of the consciousness, so we will become increasingly dependent on tech to make those choices.
V+C: WHAT ARE SOME BOOKS THAT MADE YOU THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT WORKPLACE STRATEGY?
RG: There's an extensive reading list included with the book.
A couple of my favourite books to help others think differently about the workplace are Keys to Effective Leadership, and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is also a must read for anyone involved in organisational change.
V+C: IF YOU COULD TRAVEL IN TIME AND GIVE YOURSELF ADVICE, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? WOULD YOU HAVE LISTENED?
RG: When we had the opportunity to take over V+C, we decided to cherry-pick projects that were the most cutting-edge NWoW projects in the world. We chose these over taking on more projects that came about more locally in the Netherlands.
Looking back, it was quite an adventurous approach.
I learned that the ceiling is never high enough for me. My advice to myself would be to recognise when good enough is good enough. This advice could also apply to the writing process.
In 2020, one of the board members read the book and said you must publish it now, Roel. He understood that otherwise, the book would have been on the shelf, and he inspired me to write the last couple of chapters and complete it.
V+C: WHAT LEGACY DO YOU HOPE TO LEAVE IN THE FIELD OF WORKPLACE STRATEGY?
RG: I want organisations to be inspired to think more holistically about their New Way of Working projects.
Take the necessary time to dive into it and introduce it to the organisation in the best possible way, together with an expertly guided tailormade approach.
This book is there to support this complex process. It helps to determine and define your next NWoW project.
V+C: IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WAY WORKPLACES OPERATE TODAY, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
RG: For us, it's never about the office. The office is just a practical tool.
It's always about the change that you aspire to. I hope organisations will take a thoughtful, holistic approach to the process based on where you want your organisation to stand and function in 2030. If you need inspiration, read Chapter 5. If you need research, read Chapter 2, and if you need challenge and prioritisation—contact us!
V+C: WHAT DOES THE WORLD OF WORK IN ONE WORD MEAN TO YOU?
RG: Curiosity.
We don't know what the future of work will look like but it's extremely interesting to examine the trends in evolving Way of Working to come to a futuristic scenario. What is changing, how is it evolving, what did we learn and what is a real fit to OUR organisation.
THE NEW WAY OF WORKING: Redefine Work for a Flexible Future
The New Way of Working goes beyond being a passing trend—it's a fundamental transformation of how we approach work, where it happens, and how it connects to our lives. By focusing on flexibility, wellbeing, technology, and ongoing learning, we've enabled clients to build environments where employees excel, productivity increases, and innovation thrives.
Looking ahead, one thing is certain: the future of work is already upon us, shaped by the evolving needs of employees and the opportunities created by technology. This is not just a short-term adaptation but a lasting change that redefines the way we work for years to come.
Drawing on over 30 years of expertise, Roel explores the trends that have reshaped work—from agile methodologies to the profound impacts of COVID-19—and presents a simple yet powerful model to help organisations thrive in a rapidly changing world. Filled with vivid examples, Work+Life offers a clear roadmap for building resilient, flexible, and future-ready workplaces.