The Future-Proof Workplace

Chapter 8LearningCurious Learners

The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

—Alvin Toffler

Alvin Toffler wrote his seminal book, Future Shock, nearly 40 years ago. In it he proposed the high pace of change would cause people to recoil and experience “future shock.” Essentially he posited that too much change happening in too short a period of time overwhelms a population.

If you hope things might slow down, don't hold your breath. The pace of change has moved from a gentle walk during the first Industrial Revolution, trotted through the second Industrial Revolution, moved to a canter with the impact of electronics and IT during the automation of the third revolution, and into a gallop with the digital revolution.

Hold onto your hats ladies and gentlemen; the ride is only getting faster.

When it comes to navigating the creation of a future-proof workplace, the skill of unlearning and relearning becomes even more paramount. The future-proof workplace requires that we:

• Fundamentally change our approach toward learning and talent development.
• Modernize our people, processes, and approach to talent management.
• Rethink our attitude to work, and, as a result, the design of workspaces.

We'll cover the third point in the following chapter, but for now we must future-proof your approach to learning, in your company and career.

The Hare and the Tortoise

The irony is that the industry of ...