THE FUTURE OF WORK

New ideas on collaboration,creating value & purpose.

TALK BY ALAIN DE BOTTONWesterkerk Amsterdam

13 april 2016

A collection of quotes & personal

interpretations based on this talk.

By Muriel Maas

Alain de Botton is a world-renowned philosopher and founder of The School of Life. His books attract millions of readers all over the world and he is well-known for his witty, passionate and eloquent talks.

The School of Life is devoted to developing emotional intelligence through the help of culture. They offer a variety of programmes and services concerned with how to live wisely and well. They address such issues as how to find fulfilling work, how to master the art of relationships, how to understand one’s past, how to achieve calm and how better to understand, and where necessary change, the world.

ABOUTALAIN DE BOTTON

& THE SCHOOL OF LIFE.

ABOUT OUR MADNESS

AN OFFICE IS A MADHOUSE

WITHOUT A PSYCHO THERAPIST

We are people pleasers,

manipulators, defensive perfectionists... We have IT departments & logistics. But where’s

the psychology department?WE ARE ALL

LUNATICS, EVERYBODY IS CRAZY.

To be happy you should know yourself,

talk to yourself.But we don’t like

doing that.

FOR A HAPPY MIND AT WORK YOU NEED

PSYCHOLOGY

IN REALITY Work teaches you to

listen to others, become a richer and more developed person. Work teaches you

about yourself.

WE THINKwork

skills development

lifepsychological development

We should try to raise the emotional level at work and

become emotionally mature in the workplace.

TALKING ABOUT EMOTIONS AT WORK.

THAT’S NOT EASY.IT’S NEW & WEIRD.

This is expensive. But hiring & firing

employees is expensive as well.

IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE

WORK ENVIRONMENTYOU NEED

PSYCHOLOGY

When the culture changes

the conversations change.

TRY TO CREATE A CULTURE WHERE

EVERYBODY’S CRAZINESS AND VULNERABILITY IS A GRACE, IS NORMAL.

ABOUT MEANING

We want to reduce suffering

or improve pleasure.Serve somebody else. We love serving over

self-fulfillment.

NR 1 PROBLEM: MY WORK IS NOT

MEANINGFUL

SPECIALISATION IS A PROBLEMWe work in big

machines. We don’t see our contribution anymore. Fantasy jobs are running a

cake shop or B&B. You see the direct impact, the difference

you make in somebody else’s life.

THENwork

pays the bill

marriageraise childrenpass on land

NOWwork

should give satisfaction/ fulfillment

marriagebrings happiness

It is not about intuition.

Telling stories helps& keep repeating it.

Who am I? What gives satisfaction?

What is meaningfull?

TO CHOOSE A JOB WELL

YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOURSELF WELL

WE DON’T SEE THE CONNECTION

WITH WHAT WE CARE ABOUT AND WHAT’S

MAKING MONEY

What we make money off is at the bottom of

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Marketing is selling it with higher needs. Buying a car

promises freedom, buying liquor promises

wonderful nights with friends.

It’s a challengetomake money with

things we genuinely need. Example: Facebook is worth

billions. It makes money on friendship &

connection.

WE SHOULD MAKE MONEY FROM THINGS WE NEED:

BELONGING, MEANING, CONNECTION.

Their will be new work that meets the need to make

work more meaningfull. Business models around real human

daily problems, improvements of other peoples lives. Because we

are creatures of service. So capitalism is not a bad thing,

but we have to reinvent the business models.

WE WILL GET A NEW FORM OF

CAPITALISM.

ABOUT SUCCES

A lot of people suffer from a Napoleonic complex;

a high standard of a heroic icon of yourself you cannot meet. We see examples of people

leading fantastic lifes. They have lots of money, are in the news all the time. But most of us will lead

a mediocre life.

THEIR IS A GAP BETWEEN OUR EXPECTATIONS

AND REALITY

THENbeing poor

unluckyunfortunate

NOWbeing poor

you are a loser of a fair game

THE IDEA THAT WE COULD WIN THE LOTTERY

We apply that idea on a lot of aspect of our lives. But the

chances it will happen to usare not big.

BE REALISTIC.WE HAVE TO REDISCOVER

THE MEANING OF ORDINARY WORK.

ABOUT COLLABORATION

We have no training.You are not going to fly an F16 without any training,

without knowing what all te buttons are for.

FEEDBACK SESSIONS ARE OFTEN

RIDICULOUS

Who’s gossiping about what?

A boss should know.That’s extremely

commercial information.Create a gossip

chart.

GOSSIP IS REALLY

IMPORTANT

THENFor 3.000 years we were servants and slaves with

no opinion.

NOWEverybody should think as the boss.

The real life Downton Abbey by Paul Townsend is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

Admitting mistakes is a committent

to improve. Giving critique is meant to let grow.

We give critique out of love not hatred. But we

don’t learn when in fear or humiliated.

WE THINKADMITTING MISTAKES

WILL LOWER THE STANDARDS.

CORPORATES BELIEVE EMPLOYEES

CANNOT TAKE THE TRUTH

Don’t sugar coat everything.

In case of an emergency....

Let’s say you might go bankrupt.

Just admit there is a problem.

Working hard = body at desk.But our bodies are really good at hiding what we are doing. We look at a spreadsheet but think about something else.

We still value productive output and office presence as if we are factory workers.

How do we value good thinking?

WE HAVEBIZAR WAYS

OF MEASURING OUTPUT

But how do we think best? We often get

the best ideas under the shower or during

walking.

MOST JOBS ARE THINKING

JOBS

Photo: www.myaquanotes.com

A MONASTERY IS DESIGNED FOR THINKING ABOUT

GOD.

MAP IDEASWhat time of the day

do ideas occur?In what context?

For what incentive?

An environment for personal growth,

a company of self improvement, acceptance

of vulnerability, failure, being fragile and

‘everybody being mad’.

AN OFFICE THAT IS LOVE

DRINKS AT THE END OF THE

WORKING DAY ARE PART OF THE

WORK.

Muriel MaasYes! We Connect

www.yesweconnect.nl

Programs & tools for connection.

The School of Life www.theschooloflife.com

Alain the Bottonwww.alaindebotton.com

For further reading on ‘Work’ www.thebookoflife.org/

category/work/