Reading round-up: the future of work
Everything I’m reading and listening to about work and productivity
Organisers and campaigners I speak with regularly seem to share a common trait: a constant thirst for knowledge and learning. We all seem to be invested in developing new skills. I know I’m always finding bits of time in my day to learn about what other people are struggling with, how they’re problem-solving and what successes they’re enjoying. In 2016, I got into the habit of walking to work and listening to audiobooks and podcasts. During the pandemic, the habit became an early morning walk and I continue to consume large amounts of content.
In the past year, I’ve been fascinated by a few key topics on work and productivity that continue to resonate in our weird, upside-down, COVID-recovery world. In fact, a recurring topic for every in-person meeting I’ve had in the last month is the future of work and work-life balance. This month on the blog, I’m sharing my recommendations on that topic.
This four-part piece on remote working by the incredible Toni Cowan-Brown should be mandatory reading for everyone, as the debate on what model is best rages on.
One of the podcasts I discovered this last year is So Money with Farnoosh Torabi. It bills itself as interviews and deep conversations about money. Money can be a stressful topic, but I’ve learned a lot and found it quite inspirational at the same time. This 2019 episode with George Kinder covers the concept of life planning versus financial planning. The key difference between the two is the freedom to do what you want. Certainly, the pandemic has made me ask myself what is actually important.
Spoiler alert: work culture is such a huge part of what makes us happy, fulfilled and on the path to personal and professional growth. I’ll speak more about the book in my next post, but The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick M. Lencioni is a terrific read.
Another podcast on my morning walk list is Beyond the to Do List by Erik Fisher. Described as the podcast that “explores all aspects of productivity and the true end goal of productivity: living a meaningful life.” This one has had a real impact on my approach to work. After listening to Charlie’s Gilkey’s appearance on talking about his book Start Finishing, I decided to try to limit myself to five projects for any given time period.
Earlier this year, my friend and former colleague Daisy Powell-Chandler interviewed Victoria McKenzie-Gould, Director of Corporate Communications at Marks and Spencer for her podcast “Why Everybody Hates You”. A recurring theme in Daisy’s podcast is what businesses can learn from politics. I especially enjoyed this episode as the women discuss why retail is a lot like working in politics and other leadership lessons from the pandemic.
I hope you all enjoy these podcasts and books as much as I have. Stay tuned for future themed round-up posts on topics like digital organising and negotiations.