Work Disrupted. Jeff Schwartz

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Maps That Matter

Since the first maps were carved into cave walls in 16,500 BC, we have relied on these pictures and navigational tools to explore new terrain and make our way through the world.³³ Maps tell stories. Maps are knowledge. Maps provide context. As author Reif Larsen noted, “A map does not just chart, it unlocks and formulates meaning; it forms bridges between here and there, between disparate ideas that we did not know were previously connected.”³⁴ A road to the right, a river to the left, a steep drop ahead. As an avid traveler, I am in awe of the power of great maps to help us condense and visualize data so that we can take on complex routes and challenges, whether hiking up a mountain or finding our way to a new restaurant. Maps allow us to make more informed decisions.

      Maps have kept me from getting lost countless times in the more than 75 countries I have visited and worked in throughout my life. I remember going on summer road trips with my parents, sister, and brother when I was growing up, flipping through a huge paper atlas map to help my father navigate unknown roads to new destinations. Today, GPS apps on our smartphones, from Google Maps to Waze, offer near-instantaneous options for getting from one place to another. They provide real-time information on traffic flows and accidents, rerouting us to keep us going safely and quickly in the directions we choose. Though we have mapped just about every corner of the physical world, we are just starting to map the future world of work.

This is a story about the value of mapping, the importance of direction setting, and the need to create new maps and mental models when traveling in unchartered terrain. We need to understand not only the path but also the changing conditions along that path. The 1996 Mount Everest climbing disaster illustrates the tragic consequences of misjudging the conditions along a chosen route. Eight people perished while attempting to descend the mountain during a blizzard. After several unexpected delays, many of the climbers had not yet reached the summit by 2 p.m., considered the last safe time to turn around to reach camp before nightfall. By midafternoon, snow started to fall, and the light was diminishing. Soon, the climbers found themselves in a full-on blizzard. Visibility was reduced and fixed ropes were buried under snow. Some climbers developed frost bite, others fell unconscious.³⁵

      Much as Sherpas did for me in traversing mountain paths and basecamps in the Himalayas, I hope to help you make your way through the noise and confusion surrounding the twenty‐firstcentury landscape of the future of work, jobs, and careers in a way that clarifies your options.

      Lives were lost due to the sudden onset of a severe storm that caught the mountaineers by surprise and, perhaps most importantly, the decision to exceed the normal turnaround time back down the mountain. The climbers failed to realistically view the environment and their ability to change the forces of nature. My goal is to help travelers in the new world of work understand new routes and the changing conditions they are likely to encounter along the way. Your understanding of what's ahead and your choice of partners on your travels are critically important to your future success.

A Twenty-first-century Sherpa

      At this critical juncture in our work history and our economy, I am eager to share what I have learned, set realistic expectations, and guide readers so they can craft action plans for themselves. Much like a Sherpa or travel guide, I hope to help others navigate a landscape that can feel intimidating.

      I met many highly skilled Sherpas after college when I lived in Nepal for two years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, teaching math and science in a rural village. When I decided to hike part of the challenging Annapurna Circuit, a 128-mile trek winding through some of the world's tallest mountains and most extreme climatic zones, I knew I needed an experienced guide. That's when I learned the difference between a mountain climber (me), a porter, and a Sherpa. A mountain climber generally scales a particular mountain once. A porter carries your belongings and gear in a basket up the mountain (for which we are all very grateful). Sherpas, from an ethnic group in Nepal who live in the Himalaya Mountains, are known for their superior strength and endurance, and for knowing the terrain and environment better than anyone else.

Among the most famous Sherpas was Tenzing Norgay, who in 1953, along with Sir Edmund Hillary, were the first two men to reach the peak of Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain.³⁶ The Sherpa on my trip to Annapurna base camp told me what to bring, what to expect, and the best routes to take. He was calm in the face of challenges, including predators, or finding the usual paths obscured. He was able to adapt and make adjustments. He knew when the clouds swirled in a particular way that a storm was approaching and the best places to seek shelter. He also helped me feel confident and encouraged about the journey ahead.

Much as Sherpas did for me in traversing mountain paths and basecamps in the Himalayas, I hope to help you make your way through the noise and confusion surrounding the twenty-first-century landscape of the future of work, jobs, and careers in a way that clarifies your options rather than promotes a sense of anxiety about what's to come. The future of work calls for intentionality. This is not the time to leave matters to chance but to take deliberate action. The questions before us are too consequential; they cannot be relegated to technologists alone or financial pundits with a short-term focus on substitution and cost cutting. Indeed, organizations and business leaders are poised to shape what ultimately becomes the future of work. They have the chance to be thoughtful about how they redesign jobs and teams, redefine work itself, and find new ways to facilitate learning and development. Individuals will face decisions about how to gain new skills and capabilities as their jobs change or are phased out. As a society, we need better ways to help people gain new work skills and transition through multiple careers. We also need new laws to protect workers, especially those in the growing gig economy, who often lack minimum wage protection or health and social benefits.

      Jeff, on left, in Nepal, with US Peace Corps 1982

New Technology Has Always Created More Jobs

Whether it's a client at a business meeting or an acquaintance at a cocktail party, the first question I am always asked when the topic of automation comes СКАЧАТЬ