Stretch: How to Future-Proof Yourself for Tomorrow’s Workplace by Karrie Willyerd and Barbara Mistick
Staying Relevant in Our Work Lives
Ask yourself these two questions:
With whom do you live?
With whom do you work?
According to the author, the choice you make in answering these two questions shapes the person you will become. The book focuses on the second question, advocating that work matters, stressing the importance of staying relevant and engaged in order to be part of the future workplace.
I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Karie Willyerd during a speaker series at work which made the book come alive with fresh insights and perspective. Below are my notes and key learnings from both the lecture and from reading the book.
- In the US, 40% of work positions are becoming obsolete, causing concern about the future
- This is also the number one concern of employees around the world – their position changing or their skills being eliminated
- 47% of jobs are highly likely to be computerized in the next 10 years
- We have to think about a re-inventory of our business models for the future
- Stretch means the incremental steps you can take all the time to stay current
3 Imperatives to Stretch
- It’s all on you
- You need options
- You have dreams – for what to do next
5 Practices for Stretch
- Learn on the Fly
- Be willing to learn and keep learning in any situation
- Be Open
- Open your thinking to a world beyond where you are now
- Build a Diverse Network
- Seek experiences that will prepare you for tomorrow
- Be Greedy about Experiences
- Connect with people who will help make your future happen
- Bounce Forward
- Stay motivated through the ups and downs within a career
Practices Map to Imperatives
- It’s all on you
- Learn on the fly
- Be open
- You need options
- Build diverse networks
- Be greedy about experiences
- You have dreams
- Bounce forward
Learn on the Fly
This is the key section of the book for me. I thrive in the quest to learn and grow. For the author, learning is about practicing, and she goes on to say that “we must all learn a living.” (p. 36)
It is on each of us to learn, grow, and develop our career, and to keep growing in knowledge throughout our career. We are responsible for developing our selves.
- What does excellence look like?
- Excellence matters if you want your voice to be heard
- Strategies for learning on the fly
- Adopt a growth mindset – be an active learner
- Mindfully observe – practice mindfulness
- Cultivate curiosity – helps avoid complacency and disengagement
- Set aside time to reflect – keep a journal by writing down your insights and learning along the way (handwriting is like strength training for the brain)
- Know when to unlearn – identify habits that you may need to unlearn/change
- We tend to remember what we practice
“What got you here won’t get you there.” – Marshall Goldsmith
More Tips from Dr. Willyerd:
- Apply on 30% of the feedback you receive
- There is no relationship between confidence and competence
- Confidence does not equal competence
- Do it scared!
- Be sure to have the feeling of being in over your head at least once every three months
- Ask your boss, “what do you hope I will learn from this assignment?”
- Seek deep, functional experience and emotional intelligence
- Being a deep functional expert along with collaboration will help one navigate through the politics of an organization
- Also recommend a T-shape career – deep, functional experience with a breadth of knowledge (able to go sideways across an organization if needed)
Network – Network – Network
- Important to hang around smart people to remain current and to build your network
- Best network to leverage in your career are the “loose ties” or “weak ties” (e.g. work friends, neighbors, online friends, hobby and activity friends)
- 150 – the maximum number of relationships a person can maintain
Five to Thrive
This is the best advice in the book (p. 115). Who are five people who inspire, teach, motivate, and help make you the best person you can be? The author recommends finding your five people, your “five to thrive,” and meet with them approximately four times per year (once a quarter). Over time, develop a small community from your “five to thrive” people.
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