“By anticipating the future we thrive in it. Linda and Morag do an outstanding job of helping us see what is coming and then make both organization and personal choices to live and work better. Their ideas are insightful, stories captivating, and recommendations useful.”
—Dave Ulrich, Rensis Likert Professor of Business, University of Michigan Partner, The RBL Group
“The Future-Proof Workplace provides the insights you need to ensure your organization is prepared today for the changes that are already upon us.”
—Margaret M. Keane, Chief Executive Officer of Synchrony Financial
“Linda and Morag share their clear thinking regarding the future-proof workplace. It's a new day in the work world, and to stay alive and competitive, employers and employees must understand and appreciate the myriad factors affecting the workplace at an alarming rate. Staying abreast of how globalization, demographic shifts, and technological advances impact our world are the keys to success.”
—Dale Mason Cochran, President, Concourse Ventures, Inc.
“Future-Proof is a home run! It challenges us to embrace the most important discussion every leader must have—how to future-proof their organization.”
—Jason Jennings, New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Think BIG-Act Small, The Reinventors and The High-Speed Company
“The Future-Proof Workplace highlights a subject other management texts avoid—that the nature of work has changed and yet our approach to work, in many cases, has not. This book is packed with stories and practical approaches and solutions to future-proof your organization.”
—Jean Elizabeth Lee, Principal, PwC Human Capital Consulting
“Recent business and technology shifts have created a workplace that is almost unrecognizable from that of two decades ago. And yet many of our approaches to leadership have remained unchanged. Sharkey and Barrett wake us up—crystallizing the changes and giving us new, values-driven tools for powerful, effective leadership.”
—Jim Ludema, PhD, cofounder and director of the Center for Values-Driven Leadership, Benedictine University
“Linda and Morag have scored a Touchdown! They have challenged each of us to embrace the most important discussion that should be at the forefront of every organization—how to future-proof your organization in the ever-changing landscape of business.”
—Jason Carthen, PhD, The Leadership Linebacker™, “Are You Living Your Destiny?”
“The Future-Proof Workplace provides valuable insights that will help organizations seize opportunities in this rapidly changing landscape, transforming possible vulnerabilities into a competitive advantage.”
—Nazneen Razi, Chief Human Resources Officer, Health Care Services Corp
Cover image: © Volokhatiuk/iStockphoto
Cover design: Wiley
Copyright © 2017 by Linda Sharkey and Morag Barrett. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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ISBN 9781119287575 (cloth); ISBN 9781119287643 (ePDF); ISBN 9781119287742 (ePub)
For Tom, whose love and support made my life sing.
—Linda
For James, Matthew, and Christopher. My future.
—Morag
The focus of my entire career has been to assist leaders who are successful to be even better. This is not just my career, it's my purpose. I am very humbled and proud to have been named a number one leadership thinker in the world by Thinkers50. It is a great honor to be recognized for the work that I'm so passionate about by such an outstanding organization.
That's why I'm excited about the book you now hold. The Future-Proof Workplace puts forward six critical factors that must be addressed for the twenty-first century. These cannot be ignored in these turbulent times. They must be embedded in how you do business every day or you won't survive.
Whitewater rapids are the new normal in business. Many of the lifeboats captained by twentieth-century leaders will capsize. Linda and Morag lay out powerful research and arguments about why we need to embrace these factors now. How we lead and work today is being shaped by massive globalization, seismic demographic shifts, and game-changing technology.
Jobs that used to be the bedrock of the workforce are disappearing. Leaders with self-centered behavior will go the way of dinosaurs. Toxic cultures are being exposed for what they are and no longer tolerated.
I have had the pleasure to meet both Linda and Morag to exchange ideas and things we have learned. Their experience is not only deep but also wide, spanning many industries and public sector organizations.
I've worked with Linda over the years, and we share a common passion for helping shape great leaders. Linda has successfully used the behavioral coaching process outlined in my book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There, in a Fortune 100 company, and in many other organizations.
What most impresses me about this book is that Morag and Linda spell out a winning formula for exactly what leaders need to do to thrive now and continue thriving. They share their vast experience working with Fortune 500 organizations and CEOs to prepare for what is happening tomorrow, today.
The real-life stories and examples they share are fascinating and packed with tips to “future forward” your career. Not only are they serious researchers but they have a wealth of experience as hands-on practitioners.
We are on the cusp of major change. Many of the paradigms that held true in the twentieth century no longer apply. The way we shape and design our workplaces, develop talent and leaders, including our people practices, must be retooled for this century. And it must begin now.
This book is a real pay it forward gift to everyone leading organizations today. Whether you are a CEO, senior leader, team leader, aspiring leader, or human resources professional, this book is a must-read for anyone serious about thriving today—and tomorrow.
—Marshall Goldsmith
Coach, Speaker, Author, and Professor of Management Practice at Dartmouth Tuck School of Business