Today my latest book, The Squeezed Middle, is published. It’s about people most organisations rely on but rarely talk about properly: middle managers. They translate strategy into reality. They manage pressure from above & expectations from below. They hold teams together if things get messy. 1/

Pleased to have featured on the latest episode of Learning Now TV, being interviewed by Lisa Minogue-White about the role of middle managers in the modern world of work and how we can develop the right attributes for success. Catch it here: learningnow.tv/watch/progra...

My LinkedIn account has been hacked. Please disregard anything that comes from it whilst I work to have it restored.

It’s the launch of #AdventBlogs with the theme of “its time to change”. Our first blog comes from @garycookson.bsky.social, who I took over the curation of #AdventBlogs from, so its only right that he gets us started. www.danieltaylordevelopment.com/blog/the-wor...

Please get involved in this wonderful series of #AdventBlogs

Here’s a video summary of @garycookson.bsky.social’s awesome session on hybrid work. www.linkedin.com/posts/mgilro... #T5S4 #LT25uk

Sharing my views on how AI helps organisations to transform their approach to hybrid working and potentially to redesigning the working week. www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1914... With thanks to Eleanor Whitehouse for commissioning me to write this for People Management.

Headed to #LT25uk shortly for a day and a half. Unbelievably it’s my first time attending. Looking forward to catching up with so many people, and speaking on three occasions (twice at the Kogan Page stand, and once in the main conference). Please come and say hello if you see me.

Happy birthday to my beautiful wife Katie xxx

𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡 𝗨𝗦 𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗘𝗗𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗗𝗔𝗬 Hybrid working isn’t working. Organisations regularly get it wrong, causing frustration and rising tensions in the workplace. In this session Gary Cookson will examine why this is, where hybrid has come from and where it is going www.eventbrite.com/e/hybrid-isn...

Hybrid work isn’t failing—leadership is. In this episode of The State of Work Today podcast, Gary Cookson (@garycookson.bsky.social) explains why the five-day workweek is outdated, how AI can transform HR, and what it takes to lead hybrid teams effectively. 1/2

If your company is struggling with productivity, culture, or engagement, this episode has the answers. Listen now: pod.fo/e/2bb037 #Leadership #HybridWork #WorkplaceCulture #FutureOfWork #AI 2/2 (end)

Missed yesterday’s State of Work Today podcast? You need to catch up. Gary Cookson joined me to talk about how companies are failing at hybrid work—and what they need to fix. One of his biggest insights? Hybrid work isn’t the problem—bad leadership is. 1/2

Really enjoyed taking part in this podcast

Have you read Making Hybrid Working Work? If so, would you please leave me an Amazon review? www.amazon.co.uk/review/creat... Thank you in advance.

People are messing me about with my book research and it’s making me mad. They offer to help and then ghost me or, worse, try to sell me something.

Congratulations to @garycookson.bsky.social for becoming a Gold Standard 4-day week employer!🥳🥳 Epic HR have made it their mission to help businesses adapt, evolve and excel. It’s clear they’ve applied the same goals to their own business by implementing a 4-day week! 🙌

Pleased to have added my thoughts to this piece by Islam Soliman in People Management magazine on data that shows hybrid working and flexibility in general boosts women's (and by extension all working parents) career progression. What are your views? www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1909...

Remembering Pancake Day in 2018 when I travelled 1st class on Virgin Trains and was so disappointed they didn’t serve pancakes that I tweeted them to moan. Several days later a pancake maker arrived by post, courtesy of Virgin Trains.

Really pleased to be invited onto the OrgDev podcast hosted by Dani Bacon & Garin Rouch. It publishes today - find it wherever you get your podcasts, plus YouTube. We had a great time recording this, - I loved sharing my thoughts on how to make hybrid working work. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F6o...

Pleased to have added my thoughts to this piece in People Mgt on whether the trend for “micro-retirements” has merit. TL:DR - yes but you need enormous piles of money to do it more than once, or be prepared to work longer. Would you be attracted to it? www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1908...

Wondering if replying to a request from People Management for comments on a particular topic is ideally done after three-quarters of a bottle of wine. We'll find out. I will report back tomorrow.

I really hate INSET days

Pleased to announce EPIC is now a Gold Accredited Four-Day Week organisation. We have been four-days for 3 years - it works well. So much has been learnt. I spend part of my time helping organisations to consider what the working week looks like for them. Interested to know more? Message me.

Really pleased to have been a guest on Tim Hughes #TimTalks podcast talking about themes from my book Making Hybrid Working Work. Catch it here: youtu.be/D3CX8lFpd7Q

Pleased to have added my thoughts to this article by Islam Soliman in People Management magazine on whether younger workers are lazy for not wanting to commute to an office every day. Link in Comments.

It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day unless Katie had made some kind of threat to my continued existence, and reminded me how lucky I am to have her, and made exciting future plans with me, all in the same sentence. Still, though, I love her. Happy Valentine’s Day to my wife. XXX

What?

I've been invited via a cold email onto a Women in Leadership course, as the sender feels that it would benefit me on my career journey to being a great female leader. I wonder what would happen if I accepted the invite?

Pleased to have added my thoughts to this article by Islam Soliman in People Management magazine commenting on President Trump’s plans to offer severance packages to US Federal Government employees who don’t work to return to the office. www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1904...

Pleased to have added my thoughts to this piece by Dan Cave in HR magazine (first time in YEARS!) on the barriers to making a four-day working week a reality. www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news...

Pleased to see an extract from Making Hybrid Working Work feature in Chartered Management Institute's Insights page focusing on new skills needed for managers in a hybrid working organisation. www.managers.org.uk/knowledge-an... #MakingHybridWorkingWork

Today is the US publication day of Making Hybrid Working Work. It is leading to some great conversations already - the debate about hybrid doesn't seem to be going away given recent pronouncements by Donald Trump and Elon Musk. If hybrid isn't working, who ya gonna call? #MakingHybridWorkingWork

Did you watch Panorama last night on remote and hybrid working? What did you think?

Our neighbours still have their outside Christmas lights up and turned on and it is driving me mad

Someone shared their (UK) mobile number with me in a message and it was in the format 07xx-xx-xxxxx. I have only ever seen mobile numbers in 07xxx-xxxxxx format and this has thrown me.

Today marks the end of the 14th series of the #AdventBlogs - my 6th and final series as curator. Today's #AdventBlogs post is from me. One last post... epichr.co.uk/2025/01/13/a...

In today's penultimate #AdventBlogs post of the series, @mparryslater.bsky.social reflects on whether she really wanted to move to Australia. epichr.co.uk/2025/01/12/a...

33 years ago and I am not over this.

In today’s #AdventBlogs post Kate Jenkinson is happier where she is. epichr.co.uk/2025/01/11/a...

In today's #AdventBlogs post @clarehaynes.bsky.social reflects on playing the violin. epichr.co.uk/2025/01/10/a...

In today’s #AdventBlogs post @sharongchiara.bsky.social remembers her neighbour. epichr.co.uk/2025/01/09/a...

The current series of the #AdventBlogs will conclude on Sunday unless any further posts are received. In the final post I’ll say my own goodbyes to the series and those who have read and contributed to it.

In today’s #AdventBlogs post @valentinahynes.bsky.social shares one of her family traditions. epichr.co.uk/2025/01/08/a...

Thanks to editor Eleanor Whitehouse for publishing this piece for me in People Management magazine on trends in the world of work for 2025 and how leaders should respond. www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1901...

In today’s #AdventBlogs post Claire Ingle is having fun. epichr.co.uk/2025/01/07/a...

In today’s #AdventBlogs post Bina Briggs reflects that it’ll turn out well in the end. epichr.co.uk/2025/01/06/a... Nb posting time of socials back to normal from tomorrow

In today’s #AdventBlogs post Dawn Smedley remembers her Dad. epichr.co.uk/2025/01/05/a...

In today’s #AdventBlogs post @liorlocher.bsky.social discusses tipping points. epichr.co.uk/2025/01/04/a...

Today Making Hybrid Working Work is published, so it’s a special day for me. It’s been a long time coming. If you read it - thank you - I’d love to know what you think. Message me or leave me a review. #MakingHybridWorkingWork www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Hybri...