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Future Proof: Reinventing Work in the Age of Acceleration
For too many of us, work has become an inescapable treadmill of personal sacrifice. But having the career we want shouldn’t require us to lose ourselves. We all deserve a humanistic and sustainable job environment—and now we can have it.In Future Proof, Diana Wu David tells how her own career-focused existence shifted after the suicide of a friend, prompting her to realize there was a better way to work. Drawing on real-life stories, arguing for being truly present in life, she shows you how you can use innovation in your career and life—including experimentation, collaboration, reinvention, and recalibrating success—to make your career more resilient, relevant, competitive, and enjoyable in an ever-changing global landscape.You can have a prosperous career packed with meaning, joy, and purpose—and this book is the tool that will help you get off that treadmill and run free.
- GenresNonfiction
220 pages, Paperback
Published January 11, 2019
40 people are currently reading
703 people want to read
About the author
Diana Wu-David
4 books6 followersA former Financial Times executive, Diana Wu David, now works with leaders, companies and boards to create inspiring futures and teaches the Future Proof Course. You can find her at www.dianawudavid.com
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 4, 2020
4.5 stars.
I picked up this book for work purpose to learn more about the future of work. If you're looking for the specifics on the future of work (ie. what machine learning, AI, blockchain is, etc., this book isn't for you.
What this book is, is an opportunity for you space to reflect about yourself and your life. A self-help book in disguise! It's written on the premise that we want to do something meaningful with our lives and rooted in a development lens. It's a how-to on staying human and grounded in a shifting landscape. It's a how-to on slowing down and being present in a world that is rapidly changing. It's a glass half-full perspective and a refreshing take on how we can stay relevant and redefine success in tomorrow's world.
David draws from a very comprehensive body of literature and the book is interspersed with anecdotes, examples, and stories - easy to follow and a pleasant read that I thoroughly enjoyed. David also provides actionable advice and a tool box of exercises to do and try, which is my critique for a lot of self-help books. For anyone looking to employ meaning into their life and work, I'd highly recommend this quick read.
The following are notes, quotes, ideas that I jotted down as I read the book. This is more for me than for you, as these might be taken out of context and mean little on their own.
Intro:
• Pursuing work within the context of our lives instead of living our lives around the edges of our work
• Live on your own terms
Chapter 1: the future of work:
• Change enhances human-added value of jobs
• We may need to reassess what we are all in a rush about
• Pyrrhic-victory at a great cost
• Agility/experimentation
• Cloudsourcing ideas
• Iterate at the margins, understand the value we add to our work and use that to make our work more human
• Examine your entire quiver of skills and capitalize on them
• Make the choice to step outside of the safety of autopilot, take a break from the game to make sure we're engaged
Chapter 2: Invest in yourself
• Need strong sense of what you stand for
• Investment in self-awareness, environment, network
• Know your intrinsic values
• Purpose is a practice more than a destination
• We all need meaningful human connection
• "airbags of trust"
• Human abilities - connection, caring, coaching
• Connection fosters resilience
• Anti fragility: bouncing forward, seeing experience as growth
• Gain form adversity
Chapter 3: Experiment:
• You're the entrepreneur of your career
• Experiment within parameters
• Idea doubt vs self-doubt - there's a difference between doubting your ideas and yourself
• Meta-learning: learning about learning
• Need for constant improvement + empowers you to improve yourself + the world around you
• Value in today's iterations + trials
• Identify gaps in your tool box, lifehacking, build a successful practice that you can consistently do
Chapter 4: Reinvent
• AQ: adaptability quotient
• Be your own disruptor and interrupter + still be able to thrive
• Proactive reinvention
• Slashers: people who focus energy on people outside their work
• Taking time away from work adds to it
• One week off every quarter
• Pick a goal and work towards it
Chapter 5: collaborate:
• Division of labor = efficient but gives us tunnel vision
• Gig economy
• Think about your network intentionally
• Keep tabs of people you want to work with
• Let people know how you like to work
• Understand how to pull people across space, time, and cultural divides
• Intergeneration collaboration
• Learn people's different set up - environment that allows you to excel
• Virtual teams/intercultural comp
• Consider what you are able to do
• Draft a personal user's manual
Chapter 6: find focus
• Find themes - strengths, values, assets, who you want to serve
• Consider what is meaningful to you + finding ways to share it with the world in a sustainable way
• Work towards themes
• Broad focus --> way finding
• "combo deal"
• Throw away the instruction booklet
• Put yourself at risk of productive accidents --> take risks with no promise of success
• Benefits of the process
• Where do you get your energy?
• Career eulogy: write virtues/characteristics --> define the kind of person you become
Chapter 7: Redefine Success
• Don’t settle for what you've been given - prepare for the life you want
• Don't chase what seems to be right without understanding your values/talent
• What kind of life do you want to have?
• "the society factor"
• "you can never cross the ocean unless you lose sight of the shore"
• "we're walking in shoes too small for us"
• Minimum viable life style: consider non-negotiables
• "fear setting" and Plan Z: best worst option
• Future-proof life is one that has considered how to mitigate the risk of accelerating change and disruption by being prepared mentally, professionally, and financially. It is a life with a broad enough definition of success to honor the experiences, relationships, and opportunities you've achieved, not just milestones of achievement externally defined.
Chapter 8: Re-balance your Portfolio
• Life portfolio: how/when you spend your time, energy, and resources
• What would life look like if we spent time on what mattered most?
• Audit:
• Time audit: does how you spend your time align with your priorities?
• Trust audit: who do you trust deeply? Who are your 3 am friends?
• Financial audit: How much $ do you need in your MVL?
I picked up this book for work purpose to learn more about the future of work. If you're looking for the specifics on the future of work (ie. what machine learning, AI, blockchain is, etc., this book isn't for you.
What this book is, is an opportunity for you space to reflect about yourself and your life. A self-help book in disguise! It's written on the premise that we want to do something meaningful with our lives and rooted in a development lens. It's a how-to on staying human and grounded in a shifting landscape. It's a how-to on slowing down and being present in a world that is rapidly changing. It's a glass half-full perspective and a refreshing take on how we can stay relevant and redefine success in tomorrow's world.
David draws from a very comprehensive body of literature and the book is interspersed with anecdotes, examples, and stories - easy to follow and a pleasant read that I thoroughly enjoyed. David also provides actionable advice and a tool box of exercises to do and try, which is my critique for a lot of self-help books. For anyone looking to employ meaning into their life and work, I'd highly recommend this quick read.
The following are notes, quotes, ideas that I jotted down as I read the book. This is more for me than for you, as these might be taken out of context and mean little on their own.
Intro:
• Pursuing work within the context of our lives instead of living our lives around the edges of our work
• Live on your own terms
Chapter 1: the future of work:
• Change enhances human-added value of jobs
• We may need to reassess what we are all in a rush about
• Pyrrhic-victory at a great cost
• Agility/experimentation
• Cloudsourcing ideas
• Iterate at the margins, understand the value we add to our work and use that to make our work more human
• Examine your entire quiver of skills and capitalize on them
• Make the choice to step outside of the safety of autopilot, take a break from the game to make sure we're engaged
Chapter 2: Invest in yourself
• Need strong sense of what you stand for
• Investment in self-awareness, environment, network
• Know your intrinsic values
• Purpose is a practice more than a destination
• We all need meaningful human connection
• "airbags of trust"
• Human abilities - connection, caring, coaching
• Connection fosters resilience
• Anti fragility: bouncing forward, seeing experience as growth
• Gain form adversity
Chapter 3: Experiment:
• You're the entrepreneur of your career
• Experiment within parameters
• Idea doubt vs self-doubt - there's a difference between doubting your ideas and yourself
• Meta-learning: learning about learning
• Need for constant improvement + empowers you to improve yourself + the world around you
• Value in today's iterations + trials
• Identify gaps in your tool box, lifehacking, build a successful practice that you can consistently do
Chapter 4: Reinvent
• AQ: adaptability quotient
• Be your own disruptor and interrupter + still be able to thrive
• Proactive reinvention
• Slashers: people who focus energy on people outside their work
• Taking time away from work adds to it
• One week off every quarter
• Pick a goal and work towards it
Chapter 5: collaborate:
• Division of labor = efficient but gives us tunnel vision
• Gig economy
• Think about your network intentionally
• Keep tabs of people you want to work with
• Let people know how you like to work
• Understand how to pull people across space, time, and cultural divides
• Intergeneration collaboration
• Learn people's different set up - environment that allows you to excel
• Virtual teams/intercultural comp
• Consider what you are able to do
• Draft a personal user's manual
Chapter 6: find focus
• Find themes - strengths, values, assets, who you want to serve
• Consider what is meaningful to you + finding ways to share it with the world in a sustainable way
• Work towards themes
• Broad focus --> way finding
• "combo deal"
• Throw away the instruction booklet
• Put yourself at risk of productive accidents --> take risks with no promise of success
• Benefits of the process
• Where do you get your energy?
• Career eulogy: write virtues/characteristics --> define the kind of person you become
Chapter 7: Redefine Success
• Don’t settle for what you've been given - prepare for the life you want
• Don't chase what seems to be right without understanding your values/talent
• What kind of life do you want to have?
• "the society factor"
• "you can never cross the ocean unless you lose sight of the shore"
• "we're walking in shoes too small for us"
• Minimum viable life style: consider non-negotiables
• "fear setting" and Plan Z: best worst option
• Future-proof life is one that has considered how to mitigate the risk of accelerating change and disruption by being prepared mentally, professionally, and financially. It is a life with a broad enough definition of success to honor the experiences, relationships, and opportunities you've achieved, not just milestones of achievement externally defined.
Chapter 8: Re-balance your Portfolio
• Life portfolio: how/when you spend your time, energy, and resources
• What would life look like if we spent time on what mattered most?
• Audit:
• Time audit: does how you spend your time align with your priorities?
• Trust audit: who do you trust deeply? Who are your 3 am friends?
• Financial audit: How much $ do you need in your MVL?
February 12, 2019
Redefining “success”
This book is not only relevant to those in the corporate world but also in academia and the realm of non-profits. For me, it reenforces the idea that everyone should have a personal strategic plan. Review that plan often. Stay fresh, stay focused, be bold and experience personal success and satisfaction. In Future Proof, Diana has provided readers with the tools.
This book is not only relevant to those in the corporate world but also in academia and the realm of non-profits. For me, it reenforces the idea that everyone should have a personal strategic plan. Review that plan often. Stay fresh, stay focused, be bold and experience personal success and satisfaction. In Future Proof, Diana has provided readers with the tools.
January 24, 2019
Been wondering whether your climb up the corporate ladder is really “you”? A very easy read with insights from experts and examples from people successfully making real change in their lives. Are you sure you are where you should be?
December 22, 2019
Packed with ideas, fresh thinking and original viewpoints, this is a highly readable and enjoyable book - whether you are content with your career or not.
The author also offers exercises and further assistance on her website, which further enhance the appeal of her counsel.
Cracking stuff for anyone waking up to the true potential of their lives.
The author also offers exercises and further assistance on her website, which further enhance the appeal of her counsel.
Cracking stuff for anyone waking up to the true potential of their lives.
June 15, 2020
This book was Stevo's Business Book of the Week for the week of 6/14, as selected by Stevo's Book Reviews on the Internet and Stevo's Novel Ideas. This book is the tool that will help you get off that treadmill and run free.
Find more Business Books of the week on my Goodreads Listopia page at https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9..., and find many more recommended books on my Amazon Influencer page at https://www.amazon.com/shop/stevo4747 or by searching for me on Google.
Find more Business Books of the week on my Goodreads Listopia page at https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9..., and find many more recommended books on my Amazon Influencer page at https://www.amazon.com/shop/stevo4747 or by searching for me on Google.
January 29, 2022
Diana’s insightful and authentic guide to finding a values based approach to reinventing yourself at work is an easy read with practical tips on making a difference today. Highly recommended for anyone at a crossroad in their career or just seeking reinvention if perception.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews