CAZENOVIA — The COVID pandemic has left workers and industries worldwide wondering about their futures. The way workplaces respond to COVID changes, how workers can create independent careers, and the opportunities those situations present — as well as the role of lifelong learning and skill development within that scenario — are the subjects of an internationally recognized expert’s talk on the future of work at Cazenovia College on Tuesday, Oct. 12.
Gary A. Bolles will address those issues and present his insights on these worldwide changes at an in-person presentation at the College at 3:30 p.m. at Coleman Hall on the campus. The talk is free and open to the public.
Bolles has just published a new book, The Next Rules of Work: The Mindset, Skillset, and Toolset to Lead Your Organization Through Uncertainty, in which he discusses those change scenarios. The book is the culmination of years of his research and consulting focused on the seismic changes in work, careers, and organizations. In it, the author discusses how organizations, teams, and workers can thrive while dealing with a world that is undergoing exponential change, particularly in light of COVID-19’s acceleration of that situation.
Bolles writes and lectures extensively on topics such as the future of work, learning, and organizations, the impact and opportunity presented by “exponential technologies,” understanding disruption in industries and economies, creating a culture of innovation and inclusion, empowering entrepreneurs, and creating entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Calling the COVID-19 pandemic “the great reset,” Bolles contends, “The arc of our lives is changing. It’s gone from three boxes of life: learning, work, and leisure — to a constantly shifting landscape of learning, work, and leisure.” He contends that since “no job is safe anymore, preparing young people and older people to continue developing a portfolio of work is essential.” He says educators “need to spark a love of lifelong learning and a constant process of continually acquiring new learning to help people to prepare and train for that. We need to teach not just the love of learning but learning how to learn, equipping people with the skills of problem solving, adaptability, creativity, and empathy.”
Bolles has nine courses on LinkedIn Learning and around 900,000 learners. He lectures and consults around the world to organizations such as Google, Carrefour, Novartis, The World Bank, and the United Nations. As former editorial director for five technology publications, including Interactive Week, Yahoo! Internet Life, and Network Computing, he also serves as the on-screen host of TechTV’s “Working the Web.” A former consulting producer for events such as Google Zeitgeist, Google Think Cloud, Google Innovation for the Nation, Noka Ideascamp, and Yahoo Bonfire, he has also advised dozens of startups and currently serves as an adviser for Drawdown.org and for the Innovation Collective. Additionally, he is chair for the Future of Work at Singularity University, a partner for Charrette LLC, and co-founder of eParachute.com.
Innovation Collective and Cazenovia College are partnering in bringing Bolles to the campus for this speaking engagement.
Cazenovia College is an independent, co-educational college near Syracuse, N.Y., offering graduate and bachelor’s degree programs in the liberal arts and professional studies plus a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. All are provided in an exceptional community environment with academic and co-curricular programs devoted to developing leaders in their fields. Cazenovia has been named a Best College by U.S. News & World Report for eighteen consecutive years and is rated #2 among regional colleges in the North as a Best Value and for Student Social Mobility. It also has been recognized by Money and Washington Monthly as a Best Value institution. For more information, visit cazenovia.edu.
Innovation Collective creates ecosystems that activate human flourishing. Through curated events, mentorship, skills training, corporate partnerships, placemaking, and software to help individuals start and grow some of the world’s most innovative businesses. We do all of that in a community that become vibrant places to work, live and create.
