On stage and in the newspaper I am the demography guy, on Twitter I'm the map guy. In real life I am also an avid reader and book clubber. Here are three books that helped me think through how we might restructure the world of work once the whole COVID-19 spook is over. All three are totally worth reading and will go a long way in preparing you for the post-corona workforce.
The first book is one of my favorite books of all time. Reinventing Organisations by Frederic Laloux. You really must read this one! It’s a collection of case studies shows organisations that put people first without being silly "death by consensus" monsters. It's beautifully written and embedded in integral theory. It permanently changed my outlook on what work should look like.
The second book is An Everyone Culture by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey. Your employer probably has some meaningless bla bla on their website about putting people first and investing in their employees. This book provides the scientific foundation for supporting real adult development in the workplace. It’s truly a great book by two wonderful authors.
The third book is US vs THEM by Ian Bremmer. It’s a bit left field to suggest a sociological and geopolitical to readers wanting to learn about the future of work. The book helped me understand how populist movements shape the world today, how they shape the broader societal framework in which work occurs. The US vs THEM mindset is dangerous and unnecessary. We need a revitalised political system and books like this one helped me to sort my thoughts on the matter.
Happy reading everyone!