Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
Teams have historically been considered the foundation of productivity. But that’s no longer the way work naturally unfolds. Today’s reality calls for a different architecture — one that mirrors the fluid, cross-functional nature of modern collaboration: the community.
There was a time when an org chart clearly mapped the structure of a company. Your manager guided your daily output. Your teammates were the folks you collaborated with. And as a leader, your team was your engine for delivering outcomes.
That framework doesn’t hold up anymore.
As Microsoft’s 2025 Work Trend Index points out, we’re transitioning from static org charts to dynamic “work charts” that mirror the real-world complexity of work. Today’s workflows are non-linear, roles evolve, and collaboration increasingly happens across teams — and now includes AI agents that draft documents, automate processes, and drive decisions.
If the work chart is our new compass, we need a structure that brings it to life.
That structure isn’t the traditional team. It’s the community.
Why the Org Chart Model Is Breaking Down
Throughout the 20th century, the solution to scaling was simple: hire more people. The result? Linear org charts, hierarchical management, and clearly defined roles.
Then came the gig economy and the rise of platforms — bringing access to global talent without the need for traditional hiring. Networks began to supplement the org chart, allowing value to flow through freelancers, partners, and distributed ecosystems.
Now, we’re entering a new era. With AI in the mix, organizations aren’t just adding human talent, they’re integrating smart tools across every layer of the workflow. Teams now consist of both people and AI agents working side by side.
But as this accelerates, the human need for connection, alignment, and purpose becomes harder to satisfy. We need new mechanisms for fostering belonging and enabling flow.
Enter: communities.
Teams Provide Stability. Communities Enable Momentum.
Teams were built for consistency. They operated under fixed goals, clear responsibilities, and defined hierarchies. Team-building was meant to forge lasting bonds that supported ongoing collaboration under a single manager.
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But work today doesn’t sit still. A designer might contribute to a marketing-led customer journey one day and consult on an IT-driven AI initiative the next. Toss in autonomous AI agents, and the notion of a rigid team feels not just outdated, but counterproductive.
Modern work centers on problems, not departments. People come together to solve specific challenges, then disband and regroup elsewhere. Communities provide the agility to support this movement. They’re as fluid as the work they support.
Communities Mirror Real-World Collaboration
While teams are assigned, communities form around shared missions or interests. People join because they’re passionate, curious, or bring something to the table. Leadership is often organic. Value flows through engagement, not authority.
Far from being soft social spaces, well-structured communities act as operational engines. They allow knowledge to circulate across silos, reduce dependencies, and shine a light on hidden work — fueling faster learning and more innovation.
As AI offloads routine tasks, the human role becomes more strategic. We’re no longer needed just to complete tasks, we’re here to make sense of complexity, ask better questions, and generate meaning.
This also redefines leadership. Today’s managers must shift from directing work to enabling context. They help teams navigate, align, and evolve in sync with both human collaborators and AI tools.
But they can’t do it alone. They need spaces that allow people and agents to interact, contribute visibly, and co-create openly.
That’s where communities shine.
Moving from Teams to Communities
You don’t need to overhaul your org to begin this transition. Start by empowering people to gather around meaningful challenges. Build shared digital environments where contributions — from humans and AI alike — are easy to track and connect.
Reward outcomes over job titles. And appoint facilitators, not just managers — individuals who keep the momentum going rather than controlling every detail.
These incremental changes build a new kind of organizational muscle. People become proactive, information flows outward instead of upward, and work happens through networks instead of rigid structures.
As we look to the future, the idea that productivity relies on permanent teams is becoming obsolete. What matters now is designing systems that reflect the dynamic, evolving nature of work, where humans and intelligent tools collaborate seamlessly.
Work charts reveal how collaboration really happens. But they’re only meaningful if paired with structures that support them.
And that structure is community.
