Читать книгу Work Disrupted - Jeff Schwartz - Страница 21

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