Alexandra Levit - Humanity Works

Hold on tight. Alexandra Levits Humanity Works will rocket you and your company into the business world of 2030, showing you a complex and ambiguous environment while reassuring you that with the right preparation, it is absolutely possible to thrive. MARSHALL GOLDSMITH, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF TRIGGERS AND WHAT GOT YOU HERE WONT GET YOU THERE

For too long, management practices have been stuck in a 20th-century model where workers largely report to an office every day and stay with one company for decades. But businesses no longer operate this way, and leadership needs to catch up with 21st-century realities and prepare for the rapidly changing nature of when, where and how work gets done. In Humanity Works, Alexandra Levit does a phenomenal job of combining future-of-work theory, research and real-world examples to provide managers and leaders with the information and tools they need to prepare successful 21st-century teams. SARA SUTTON FELL, FOUNDER AND CEO, FLEXJOBS, REMOTE.CO AND 1 MILLION FOR WORK FLEXIBILITY

Humanity Works reminds leaders that the future doesnt happen to us; we can create it. And, with this book as our guide, we can build the future smartly, thoughtfully and effectively. DOUGLAS CONANT, FOUNDER AND CEO, CONANTLEADERSHIP, FORMER CEO, CAMPBELL SOUP COMPANY

Humanity Works takes you on a journey from past to present to future in a way thats both inspiring and educating. Let Alexandra Levit help prepare you for the future of work, prevent your job from being automated and help you grow your company. Humanity Works reminds us that despite the rise of new technologies, its our basic humanity that will keep us employed and fulfilled long term. DAN SCHAWBEL, PARTNER AND RESEARCH DIRECTOR, FUTURE WORKPLACE

As a baby boomer leader, I am always looking for new strategies to ensure my companys competitiveness and profitability in a business world thats constantly changing. Alexandra Levits Humanity Works is an essential guide for understanding the critical role human talent will play in the age of smart machines and evolving workplace norms. KARYN SCHOENBART, CEO, THE NPD GROUP AND AUTHOR OF MOM.B.A.

For leaders who want to understand how business will evolve in the years to come, Humanity Works is a must-read. Alexandra Levit shows us how we can prepare for rapidly changing circumstances and thrive amidst disruption. DORIE CLARK, AUTHOR OF ENTREPRENEURIAL YOU AND REINVENTING YOU, AND PROFESSOR, DUKE UNIVERSITY FUQUA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

In our work with entrepreneurs, weve observed that the most successful leaders dont just react to current trends. They see them coming and take proactive steps to adapt their businesses and their mindsets. Alexandra Levits Humanity Works should be in the hands of every person who wants to stay several steps ahead in the workplace of the future. SCOTT GERBER, CEO, YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR COUNCIL

Contract workers that operate in swarms. Virtual teams meeting in virtual reality. Personal bots that keep an eye out for you. In Humanity Works, Alexandra Levit clearly shows she has her finger on the pulse of tomorrows workplace. RICHARD YONCK, AUTHOR OF HEART OF THE MACHINE

The future of work offers both promise and peril. Those who successfully navigate it will have more opportunities than ever before, but only if they make the right choices. Humanity Works is your ideal guide to this hopeful world. CHRIS GUILLEBEAU, AUTHOR OF SIDE HUSTLE AND HOST, SIDE HUSTLE SCHOOL

With the rapid expansion of technology, our world has changed drastically. This has altered our relationships, education and workplace. Humanity Works is the guidebook to transform with these changes in order to shape the future that we want. ERICA DHAWAN, CO-AUTHOR OF GET BIG THINGS DONE AND CEO, COTENTIAL

While theres no refuting that robots and automation will take centre stage in the workplaces of our not-so-distant future, how companies respond, whether they are proactive or reactive, agile or constrained by outdated thinking and behaviour, is more questionable. In her groundbreaking book, Humanity Works, trusted thought leader on the future of work Alexandra Levit illuminates the necessary path forward for organizational leaders committed to choosing relevance and global success. ALEXIA VERNON, AUTHOR OF STEP INTO YOUR MOXIE: AMPLIFY YOUR VOICE, VISIBILITY AND INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD

Finally, a definitive, clear-headed survival kit for integrating people, technology and change and then working smarter. Alexandra Levit illuminates the levers that transformational leaders must pull to outthink bias and shortsightedness, harness womens strengths and amp up trust at work. Humanity Works is the definitive guide on the future of work. SELENA REZVANI, VICE PRESIDENT, BE LEADERLY

Organizational change is accelerating rapidly with trends like automation, AI, outsourcing and globalization affecting all of us. Robots may be coming, but humans are still the heartbeat of any thriving enterprise. In Humanity Works, Alexandra Levit shares vital research and strategies for how we can design roles and teams that allow us to do what we do best: build the future. JENNY BLAKE, AUTHOR OF PIVOT: THE ONLY MOVE THAT MATTERS IS YOUR NEXT ONE

Merging Technologies and People for the Workforce of the Future

Alexandra Levit

Publishers note

Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publisher and authors cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or any of the authors.

First published in Great Britain and the United States in 2019 by Kogan Page Limited

Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses:

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c/o Martin P Hill Consulting

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India

Alexandra Levit, 2019

The right of Alexandra Levit to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

ISBN 978 0 7494 8345 6

E-ISBN 978 0 7494 8346 3

Typeset by Integra Software Services, Pondicherry

Print production managed by Jellyfish

Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY

Dedicated to all of the global professionals building meaningful and fulfilling careers in the future workplace.