Work Disrupted

If you only read one book on the future of work, Work Disrupted: Opportunity, Resilience, and Growth in the Accelerated Future of Work should be that book.

The future of work swept in sooner than expected, accelerated by Covid-19, creating an urgent need for new maps, new mindsets, new strategies— and most importantly, a trusted guide to take us on this journey. That guide is Jeff Schwartz. A founding partner of Deloitte Consulting’s Future of Work practice, Schwartz brings clarity, humor, wisdom, and practical advice to the future of work, a topic surrounded by misinformation, fear, and confusion. With a fundamental belief in the power of human innovation and creativity, Schwartz presents the key issues, critical choices, and potential pitfalls that must be on everyone’s radar.

If you’re anxious about robots taking away your job in the future, you will take comfort in the realistic perspective, fact-based insights, and practical steps Schwartz offers.
If you’re not sure where to even begin to prepare, follow his level-headed advice and easy-to-follow action plans.
If you’re a business leader caught between keeping up, while also being thoughtful about the next moves, you will appreciate the playbook directed at you.
If you’re wondering how Covid-19 will change how and where you will work, Work Disrupted has you covered.

Written in a conversational style by Schwartz, with Suzanne Riss, an award-winning journalist and book author, Work Disrupted offers a welcome alternative to books on the topic that lack a broad perspective or dwell on the problems rather than offer solutions. Timely and insightful, the book includes the impact of Covid-19 on our present and future work. Interviews with leading thinkers on the future of work offer additional perspectives and guidance.Cartoons created for the book by leading business illustrator Tom Fishburne bring to life the reader’s journey and the complex issues surrounding the topic. Told from the perspective of an economist, management advisor, and social commentator, Work Disrupted offers hope—and practical advice—exploring such topics as: How we frame what lies ahead is a critical navigational tool. Discover the signposts that can serve as practical guides for individuals who have families to support, mortgages to pay, and want to stay gainfully employed no matter what the future holds. The importance of recognizing the rapidly evolving opportunities in front of us. Learn how to build resilience—in careers, organizations, and leaders—for what lies ahead. Why exploring new mental models helps us discover the steps we need to take to thrive. Individuals can decide how to protect their livelihood while businesses and public institutions can consider how they can lead and support workforces to thrive in twenty-first-century careers and work. “Jeff’s marvelous book is a roadmap for the new world of work with clear signposts. His insights will help readers discover opportunities, take action, and find hope in uncertain times. The ideas are fresh, beautifully crafted, and immediately applicable. This is not only a book to be read, but savored and used.“ —Dave Ulrich, Rensis Likert Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Partner, the RBL Group; Co-author Reinventing the Organization

Author Biography

JEFF SCHWARTZ is the founding partner of Deloitte Consulting’s U.S. Future of Work practice and the global editor since 2011 of its Global Human Capital Trends report. Jeff has led research on the evolution of work, workforces, and workplace practices and advised clients around the world on workforce transformation. A global consultant, Jeff has lived and worked in the United States, India, Russia, Belgium, Kenya, and Israel. A graduate of the Yale School of Management and Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, Jeff currently resides in New York City.

SUZANNE RISS is a storyteller, content strategist, and the author of two previous books. During her tenure as editor-in-chief of Working Mother, the magazine received four Folio awards for excellence. Her expertise in work/life trends has been tapped for interviews with The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, and CNN. Suzanne has held marketing and communications roles at JPMorgan Chase and, currently, at Knopman Marks.

TOM FISHBURNE, Illustrator: From a student cartoon strip at Harvard Business School, Tom Fishburne’s Marketoonist cartoon series has grown by word of mouth to reach a few hundred thousand readers a week. Tom draws (literally and figuratively) from 20 years of marketing roles at HotelTonight, Method, General Mills, Nestl??, and his own agency. Tom currently works with businesses to tell stories with cartoons and help drive organizational change through humor.