Work Disrupted: Opportunity, Resilience, and Growth in the Accelerated Future of Work, reviewed

We look at this timely book which assess the changes coming to the world of work, and what ‘good’ could look like. By Jeff Schwartz, Suzanne Riss, with some great illustrations by Tom Fishburne. You can buy the book from Wiley here.

Work Disrupted: Opportunity, Resilience, and Growth in the Accelerated Future of Work, reviewed

This book works well. It is readable, and broken up with engaging, informative, and perhaps mostly usefully, funny illustrations. The author is well positioned to write this book as it is his day job to stay on top of analysing trends like these. It is not actually that long, coming in at under 170 pages, though the font is on the small side, so you could perhaps increase that, and still have a useful, engaging and perhaps slightly more accessible book. That issue to one side the book does a good deep dive into the key challenges now being faced by all companies and corporations around the world.

We are in interesting times and, now, as we see a gradual rise in the number of people vaccinated for covid19, we can begin to imagine, or perhaps more importantly, re-imagine what work can look like. It doesn’t need to go back to how it was. Work has truly been disrupted, and it is not just a buzz word. Books like this one help to provide a useful roadmap going forwards in terms of what good or even excellent could be like.

Not everyone is going to get it right, but those that do could really differentiate themselves, and, as there is a hunt for talent globally, those that do it better could reap the benefits. A smart, informative book, and well worth reading.

More about the book ->

Work Disrupted: Opportunity, Resilience, and Growth in the Accelerated Future of Work

The future of work swept in sooner than expected, accelerated by Covid-19, creating an urgent need for new maps, new mindsets, new strategies– and most importantly, a trusted guide to take us on this journey. That guide is Jeff Schwartz. A founding partner of Deloitte Consulting’s Future of Work practice, Schwartz brings clarity, humor, wisdom, and practical advice to the future of work, a topic surrounded by misinformation, fear, and confusion.

With a fundamental belief in the power of human innovation and creativity, Schwartz presents the key issues, critical choices, and potential pitfalls that must be on everyone’s radar.

If you’re anxious about robots taking away your job in the future, you will take comfort in the realistic perspective, fact-based insights, and practical steps Schwartz offers. If you’re not sure where to even begin to prepare, follow his level-headed advice and easy-to-follow action plans.

If you’re a business leader caught between keeping up, while also being thoughtful about the next moves, you will appreciate the playbook directed at you.
If you’re wondering how Covid-19 will change how and where you will work, Work Disrupted has you covered.

Written in a conversational style by Schwartz, with Suzanne Riss, an award-winning journalist and book author, Work Disrupted offers a welcome alternative to books on the topic that lack a broad perspective or dwell on the problems rather than offer solutions. Timely and insightful, the book includes the impact of Covid-19 on our present and future work.

Interviews with leading thinkers on the future of work offer additional perspectives and guidance.Cartoons created for the book by leading business illustrator Tom Fishburne bring to life the reader’s journey and the complex issues surrounding the topic.

Told from the perspective of an economist, management advisor, and social commentator, Work Disrupted offers hope–and practical advice–exploring such topics as:

How we frame what lies ahead is a critical navigational tool. Discover the signposts that can serve as practical guides for individuals who have families to support, mortgages to pay, and want to stay gainfully employed no matter what the future holds.

The importance of recognizing the rapidly evolving opportunities in front of us. Learn how to build resilience—in careers, organizations, and leaders—for what lies ahead.

Why exploring new mental models helps us discover the steps we need to take to thrive.Individuals can decide how to protect their livelihood while businesses and public institutions can consider how they can lead and support workforces to thrive in twenty-first-century careers and work.

More about the creators ->

JEFF SCHWARTZ is the founding partner of Deloitte Consulting’s U.S. Future of Work practice and the global editor since 2011 of its Global Human Capital Trends report. Jeff has led research on the evolution of work, workforces, and workplace practices and advised clients around the world on workforce transformation. A global consultant, Jeff has lived and worked in the United States, India, Russia, Belgium, Kenya, and Israel. A graduate of the Yale School of Management and Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, Jeff currently resides in New York City.

SUZANNE RISS is a storyteller, content strategist, and the author of two previous books. During her tenure as editor-in-chief of Working Mother, the magazine received four Folio awards for excellence. Her expertise in work/life trends has been tapped for interviews with The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, and CNN. Suzanne has held marketing and communications roles at JPMorgan Chase and, currently, at Knopman Marks.

TOM FISHBURNE, Illustrator: From a student cartoon strip at Harvard Business School, Tom Fishburne’s Marketoonist cartoon series has grown by word of mouth to reach a few hundred thousand readers a week. Tom draws (literally and figuratively) from 20 years of marketing roles at HotelTonight, Method, General Mills, Nestlé, and his own agency. Tom currently works with businesses to tell stories with cartoons and help drive organizational change through humor.

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