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Finding Genius Podcast

The Future of Work and Digital Economy with Gary Bolles of Singularity University

Finding Genius Podcast

Richard Jacobs

Medicine, Health & Fitness

4.41K Ratings

🗓️ 23 April 2020

⏱️ 37 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Gary Bolles discusses work concerns and opportunities, especially with the work-from-home dynamic that's grown from virus precautions.

He addresses

  • Ways the pace of change is accelerating in terms of tech, the digital economy, and what we are asking people to do,
  • Some of the most important elements in effective company constructs, including an emphasis on alignment (communicating goals), and
  • Some key specific strategies to follow in the face of the economic downturn to maintain the best in ourselves and our work life.

Gary Bolles is the Chair of the Future of Work at Singularity University. He begins the podcast by specifying that the discussions about the future of work starts with addressing present concerns. He reminds listeners that change is accelerating, but also the spread of change is expanding—the skill set demands ask for much bigger switches than in the past—for example, consider the difference in going from a coal mine to computer science.

He provides some modern examples of organizational innovations such as the manager-less company and distributed teams. He provides company examples for each and discusses ways these innovations may succeed and fail, but emphasizes what potential each innovation offers. 

As he acknowledges ways the virus has changed our work life, he advises that as we return to more interactions, it shouldn't be an either/or picture: in fact, a digital economy and technology allows us to build connections faster. Yet it's in-person when we really cement these relationships and can talk with less structure, and that holds creative value.

He offers three strategies to follow: be a curious, life-long learner; maintain effective teams; and practice alignment, which means make sure people know what the company goals and priorities are. 

For more, find Gary Bolles' lectures on LinkedIn Learning and read his article in Techonomy called "Welcome to the Great Reset".

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Forget frequently asked questions.

0:02.0

Common sense, common knowledge, or Google.

0:05.0

How about advice from a real genius?

0:07.0

95% of people in any profession are good enough to be qualified and licensed.

0:11.0

5% go above and beyond. They become very good at what they do, but only 0.1% are real Jesus.

0:18.0

Richard Jacobs has made it his life's mission to find them for you. He hunts down and interviews geniuses in every field,

0:25.0

sleep science, cancer, stem cells, ketogenic diets, and more. Here come the geniuses.

0:30.3

This is the Finding Genius Podcast.

0:33.0

That is Richard Jacobs.

0:35.0

Hello, this is Richard Jacobs.

0:38.0

Hello, this is Richard Jacobs with the Finding Genius Podcast.

0:41.0

I guess today is Gary Bullitt.

0:43.0

He's the chair at single and the university talking about the future of work, how we work, where we work,

0:49.3

with whom we work, etc.

0:50.3

And obviously this is going to be very relevant with the coronavirus nightmare and it's changing how everyone has to work ongoing. Who knows? So that's what we're going to ask Gary about.

1:01.0

Again, he's at Singularity University. All the guests

1:04.3

have had from Singularity are really top people that have a lot of projects

1:08.6

going on and they always provide great info. So Gary, thanks for coming.

1:12.8

Absolutely. I appreciate the invitation.

1:14.8

Yeah, tell me about what does that mean that you're the chair of the future of work?

1:18.8

What do you typically do with singularity? What do you think about?

1:21.6

So just to make sure that I'm sure

...

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