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Featured Futurist: The Future of the Office, Silicon Valley Business Journal
The rate of change is accelerating, and Covid-19 just pushed the world into overdrive. In this article we discuss what the future holds for SF and the valley.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2020) 'Featured Futurist: The Future of the Office, Silicon Valley Business Journal', 311 Institute, 19 October. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/featured-futurist-the-future-of-the-office-silicon-valley-business-journal/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Firstly, thank you to Allison for asking me to contribute to the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s cover story on the future of life in the valley post Covid-19 as many of the areas businesses and residents start to wonder whether life in Silicon Valley and downtown San Francisco will ever be the same again as people stay away, and as businesses in the area teeter on the brink or fail. And all of that, of course, is just the tip of the rapidly melting iceberg as fires light up California’s skies and companies in the area begin to rethink their workforces – from how they automate them through to how they enable truly mobile Work From Anywhere HR practises.
To say that it’s been a crazy year is an understatement – so far we’ve seen over half the world’s population placed in some form of lockdown as the world, to all intents and purposes, appeared to shut down. Furthermore, while before the pandemic companies were talking about the New Normal, where in that case the new normal was the accelerating rate of global disruption and digitisation, now all of a sudden they’re trying to get their heads around the so called “New New Normal” - a term that is in serious danger of becoming this decade’s over used buzz word.
A warning of things to come? Or just cool viral video footage?
In the SVBJ’s cover story, which you can read below, I, and four random people who I’ve never met, discuss the futures impact on the area, it’s people and its businesses, and Covid-19’s lingering legacy – for better and worse.
You can read the final article below:
FAQ
Why does this matter?
The rate of change is accelerating, and Covid-19 just pushed the world into overdrive. In this article we discuss what the future holds for SF and the valley.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 19 October 2020. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2020). Featured Futurist: The Future of the Office, Silicon Valley Business Journal. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/featured-futurist-the-future-of-the-office-silicon-valley-business-journal/
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