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The Next Rules of Work: The Mindset, Skillset and Toolset to Lead Your Organization through Uncertainty
Organizations, managers and workers still have an Industrial Era mindset towards work. How can leaders guide individuals and organizations to solve the increasingly complex work challenges of tomorrow?
As traditional jobs give way to new work roles and software and robots perform the repetitive tasks formerly done by humans, the work of today is no longer guaranteed to be here tomorrow. The Next Rules of Work helps leaders understand why traditional notions about work inhibit the organization's ability to address new problems and how they can successfully equip their organizations to manage constant change. By first developing a new mindset to help themselves and their teams become more agile, leaders can then co-create the organization's "next mindset" by answering five key questions that help them establish constantly adaptive strategies. Finally, leaders develop agile learning practices to ensure that workers will continually have the skillsets and toolsets they need to solve organizational problems today.
By redefining the fundamental nature of work, teams and the organization, The Next Rules of Work goes beyond offering advice and predictions and provides organizational leaders with a guide to create truly agile organizations that can respond to perpetual change.
As traditional jobs give way to new work roles and software and robots perform the repetitive tasks formerly done by humans, the work of today is no longer guaranteed to be here tomorrow. The Next Rules of Work helps leaders understand why traditional notions about work inhibit the organization's ability to address new problems and how they can successfully equip their organizations to manage constant change. By first developing a new mindset to help themselves and their teams become more agile, leaders can then co-create the organization's "next mindset" by answering five key questions that help them establish constantly adaptive strategies. Finally, leaders develop agile learning practices to ensure that workers will continually have the skillsets and toolsets they need to solve organizational problems today.
By redefining the fundamental nature of work, teams and the organization, The Next Rules of Work goes beyond offering advice and predictions and provides organizational leaders with a guide to create truly agile organizations that can respond to perpetual change.
280 pages, Paperback
Published August 31, 2021
4 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 24, 2021
The Future of Leadership!
This book combines a practical leadership "how to" book with the social, technical and business context needed for understanding and leading during workforce transitions. Concisely written. Packed full of business knowledge, relevant social context and actionable advice. Each topic honed to a clear laser-focused point. The combination of mindset, toolset and skillset is incredibly powerful and insightful.
If you only have a few minutes, open the book randomly, read a page-or-two, then put it down until later. Each time I do this, I walk away with yet another new epiphany changing how I work. And I'm eager to come back for more. Interestingly, if you can sit for a focused block of reading time (a rare luxury), Gary's writing style makes this book a real page-turner... although you should probably keep a highlighter nearby.
The highest recommendation I have for a book is that my copy is already dog-eared and I've started giving copies to others. After you read this book, I suspect you will too.
This book combines a practical leadership "how to" book with the social, technical and business context needed for understanding and leading during workforce transitions. Concisely written. Packed full of business knowledge, relevant social context and actionable advice. Each topic honed to a clear laser-focused point. The combination of mindset, toolset and skillset is incredibly powerful and insightful.
If you only have a few minutes, open the book randomly, read a page-or-two, then put it down until later. Each time I do this, I walk away with yet another new epiphany changing how I work. And I'm eager to come back for more. Interestingly, if you can sit for a focused block of reading time (a rare luxury), Gary's writing style makes this book a real page-turner... although you should probably keep a highlighter nearby.
The highest recommendation I have for a book is that my copy is already dog-eared and I've started giving copies to others. After you read this book, I suspect you will too.
September 3, 2021
If you hear people talk about the 'future of work' and don't really understand what they're on about, or if you're really interested in solutions for addressing the changes in work in the future, pick up this book. Written in a conversational easily understood style, this book outlines the old way of work, changes of the future, and what we need to do to address it - individually, across organisations and across society. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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July 28, 2022Help shape the future by developing the Next Rules of work.
Since the dawn of the Machine Age, we humans have worried about the future of our work. But it’s not technology, as such, that impacts work – it’s the pace and scale of change. These two forces combined really determine what the future of work holds.
In his book, The Next Rules of Work, Gary Bolles offers three possible scenarios for the future of work.
Future one is dominated by robots. In this scarcity scenario, the amount of available work is reduced as a result of technology – which basically means tons of unemployment.
Future two is an abundance scenario. There’s a lot of employment – assisted by robots. Here, technological advances have created so much work that there aren’t enough humans to do it all.
Future three was predicted by Shoshana Zuboff in her book In the Age of the Smart Machine. Disruptive technologies result in both scarcity and abundance: a jobs dystopia and utopia simultaneously. There’s lots of work – but also lots of under- and unemployment. The people who adapt to change thrive; those who can’t, or don’t, adapt quickly enough fail.
In this book, we’ll explore how our actions can help shape which future we cocreate – preferably a future where “no human is left behind.” We’ll study what Bolles calls the “three legs of the stool for tomorrow” – your mindset, your skillset, and your toolset. But first, let’s take a quick look at the old rules of work and find out why we need not just a new set of rules, but the next rules of work.
---
Ensure no human is left behind.
We started our journey by talking about three possible futures. Let’s conclude The Next Rules of Work by examining what we can do to ensure we get the future we all want – a future where no human is left behind.
The world of work is complex. Issues are so intertwined that data can be twisted to support almost any perspective. But maybe, if we see all the issues through a lens that distills them into just four domains, we just might get a handle on what the core problems actually are.
As individuals, our core concern is whether we can either find or create a meaningful job that’s well paid and stable. For organizations, it’s how to find talented workers who’ll solve problems and create value for their stakeholders. At a higher level, for communities, it’s whether they can function as a thriving, inclusive ecosystem. And at a higher level still, countries need an inclusive economy.
There should be a symbiotic relationship between workers and organizations – and their interdependence should be defined by their goals. Unfortunately, that’s currently not the case. Individuals who are continually learning have a good reason to ask for better pay and conditions. But shareholders want to reduce costs and increase profits. In our competitive world, that often means paying workers less – or worse, shifting them to gig work.
So how can this be balanced? Perhaps AI governance is the answer to making the working environment more transparent. Or maybe new forms of collaboration – like freelancer unions or reinvented worker cooperatives – could increase the power of individuals.
But there’s a simpler solution: leaders should actively encourage collective action and representation. Workers who receive group-negotiated salaries and benefits won’t just become more engaged with an organization’s mission; they’ll also be more effective problem-solvers. In turn, this creates value for the organization, its customers, and other stakeholders. It’s a win-win.
Organizational leaders also need to increase their commitment to an authentic purpose – specifically, one that’s related to social impact, environmental stewardship, or internal governance.
Organizations operate within one or a number of communities. They also have a responsibility to help those communities flourish. Providing employment isn’t enough. There needs to be a mutuality where organizations partner with community members to understand negative external factors they might be contributing to – for example, rapid gentrification of a neighborhood. Together, they can then create solutions enshrined in commitment.
Leveraging the Next Rules of work will help us solve problems both today and in the future. But remember, this is a journey. As new problems emerge, things will change – and so will our rules.
The Next Rules we’ve cocreated will evolve to meet future challenges. But we need to make sure they remain human-centric. In doing so, we can create a more inclusive work future where no human is left behind.
COMPLETE NOTES https://notes.io/qixAJ
Since the dawn of the Machine Age, we humans have worried about the future of our work. But it’s not technology, as such, that impacts work – it’s the pace and scale of change. These two forces combined really determine what the future of work holds.
In his book, The Next Rules of Work, Gary Bolles offers three possible scenarios for the future of work.
Future one is dominated by robots. In this scarcity scenario, the amount of available work is reduced as a result of technology – which basically means tons of unemployment.
Future two is an abundance scenario. There’s a lot of employment – assisted by robots. Here, technological advances have created so much work that there aren’t enough humans to do it all.
Future three was predicted by Shoshana Zuboff in her book In the Age of the Smart Machine. Disruptive technologies result in both scarcity and abundance: a jobs dystopia and utopia simultaneously. There’s lots of work – but also lots of under- and unemployment. The people who adapt to change thrive; those who can’t, or don’t, adapt quickly enough fail.
In this book, we’ll explore how our actions can help shape which future we cocreate – preferably a future where “no human is left behind.” We’ll study what Bolles calls the “three legs of the stool for tomorrow” – your mindset, your skillset, and your toolset. But first, let’s take a quick look at the old rules of work and find out why we need not just a new set of rules, but the next rules of work.
---
Ensure no human is left behind.
We started our journey by talking about three possible futures. Let’s conclude The Next Rules of Work by examining what we can do to ensure we get the future we all want – a future where no human is left behind.
The world of work is complex. Issues are so intertwined that data can be twisted to support almost any perspective. But maybe, if we see all the issues through a lens that distills them into just four domains, we just might get a handle on what the core problems actually are.
As individuals, our core concern is whether we can either find or create a meaningful job that’s well paid and stable. For organizations, it’s how to find talented workers who’ll solve problems and create value for their stakeholders. At a higher level, for communities, it’s whether they can function as a thriving, inclusive ecosystem. And at a higher level still, countries need an inclusive economy.
There should be a symbiotic relationship between workers and organizations – and their interdependence should be defined by their goals. Unfortunately, that’s currently not the case. Individuals who are continually learning have a good reason to ask for better pay and conditions. But shareholders want to reduce costs and increase profits. In our competitive world, that often means paying workers less – or worse, shifting them to gig work.
So how can this be balanced? Perhaps AI governance is the answer to making the working environment more transparent. Or maybe new forms of collaboration – like freelancer unions or reinvented worker cooperatives – could increase the power of individuals.
But there’s a simpler solution: leaders should actively encourage collective action and representation. Workers who receive group-negotiated salaries and benefits won’t just become more engaged with an organization’s mission; they’ll also be more effective problem-solvers. In turn, this creates value for the organization, its customers, and other stakeholders. It’s a win-win.
Organizational leaders also need to increase their commitment to an authentic purpose – specifically, one that’s related to social impact, environmental stewardship, or internal governance.
Organizations operate within one or a number of communities. They also have a responsibility to help those communities flourish. Providing employment isn’t enough. There needs to be a mutuality where organizations partner with community members to understand negative external factors they might be contributing to – for example, rapid gentrification of a neighborhood. Together, they can then create solutions enshrined in commitment.
Leveraging the Next Rules of work will help us solve problems both today and in the future. But remember, this is a journey. As new problems emerge, things will change – and so will our rules.
The Next Rules we’ve cocreated will evolve to meet future challenges. But we need to make sure they remain human-centric. In doing so, we can create a more inclusive work future where no human is left behind.
COMPLETE NOTES https://notes.io/qixAJ
October 10, 2021
This is a great book is for anyone who thinks about how they work, where they work, why they work and how they can achieve fulfillment in what they do. It is the perfect post-pandemic book about what individuals and organizations can do for one another, for their communities and the planet. First of all, it’s a fantastic read, extremely accessible, with real-world anecdotes, case studies and observations throughout. The author has so much knowledge, expertise and experience about the subject, I was constantly engaged trying to figure out where he would go next. The book takes you on a journey that is clear and logical, yet each step along the way is full of surprises. In terms of what the Next Rules are and what they mean, it really opens your eyes to what is possible for individuals and organizations.
As I was reading, I thought about how many of us are striving to carve out new roles and rules for ourselves in a pandemic-influenced world, whether we are leaders or potential leaders in organizations, or whether we are just seeking more joy and fulfillment in what we do. I thought about how organizations are coming to grips with workplace changes and how concepts such as efficiency, alignment, involvement, growth, creativity and empathy are becoming differentiators. I thought about a family member who recently graduated college with a degree in dance—through her own passion, mindset, enthusiasm, social skills and easily available tools such as social media, how she has carved out a completely unconventional “job” that not only never existed before, but is bringing joy and excitement to her customers. I thought about my own career in corporate environments and how much better life and work would have been if we had been aware of the Next Rules. And I thought about my current life and work and how I can be adaptive and creative to make my partners more efficient and empathic, and how I can contribute to making life better for the people in my sphere and for the world at large.
It is no surprise that the author, Gary A. Bolles, is the son of Richard N. Bolles, the author of the definitive life/work book of the last part of the previous century, What Color is Your Parachute. The Next Rules of Work is a worthy companion and successor to Parachute, but a book that could only have been written in a post-pandemic world where, as the author says, the pace and scale of change are redefining everything we think about work. What Parachute did for individuals in its time, Next Rules does for individuals and organizations in our time: Creating a new way to think about how we balance work and life. By following the “Next Rules,” each of us has an opportunity to play a role in not only redefining leadership and work, but in making sure that we do so in ways that are positive for ourselves, our organizations, our communities and our planet.
As I was reading, I thought about how many of us are striving to carve out new roles and rules for ourselves in a pandemic-influenced world, whether we are leaders or potential leaders in organizations, or whether we are just seeking more joy and fulfillment in what we do. I thought about how organizations are coming to grips with workplace changes and how concepts such as efficiency, alignment, involvement, growth, creativity and empathy are becoming differentiators. I thought about a family member who recently graduated college with a degree in dance—through her own passion, mindset, enthusiasm, social skills and easily available tools such as social media, how she has carved out a completely unconventional “job” that not only never existed before, but is bringing joy and excitement to her customers. I thought about my own career in corporate environments and how much better life and work would have been if we had been aware of the Next Rules. And I thought about my current life and work and how I can be adaptive and creative to make my partners more efficient and empathic, and how I can contribute to making life better for the people in my sphere and for the world at large.
It is no surprise that the author, Gary A. Bolles, is the son of Richard N. Bolles, the author of the definitive life/work book of the last part of the previous century, What Color is Your Parachute. The Next Rules of Work is a worthy companion and successor to Parachute, but a book that could only have been written in a post-pandemic world where, as the author says, the pace and scale of change are redefining everything we think about work. What Parachute did for individuals in its time, Next Rules does for individuals and organizations in our time: Creating a new way to think about how we balance work and life. By following the “Next Rules,” each of us has an opportunity to play a role in not only redefining leadership and work, but in making sure that we do so in ways that are positive for ourselves, our organizations, our communities and our planet.
October 21, 2025
The Next Rules of Work by Gary Bolles is a must-read for anyone navigating today’s fast-changing workplace. It goes beyond surface-level advice, offering practical insights on the mindset, skills, and tools needed to lead confidently through uncertainty. Gary emphasizes emotional intelligence and adaptability alongside technical skills, with clear examples and actionable strategies. Whether dealing with remote work, digital shifts, or team challenges, this book provides a solid roadmap to innovate and lead boldly. Essential for anyone aiming to stay ahead in a world of constant change.
October 22, 2021
In "The Next Rules of Work," Gary Bolles has cracked the code on the ways that work has been transformed in the pandemic era. His topics are echoed in today's headlines, and his solutions give people a roadmap to catalyze companies into what he calls "next" organizations. Not only is it a great read, you'll come away with actionable insights for your own work, and for the transformation of your team and your organization.
July 27, 2022
The author touches upon "three legs of the stool for tomorrow" to thrive in the new world of work. These are the mindset, the skillset, and the toolset. The author advocates for a human-centric approach to developing the new world of work. The author envisions a world where disruptive technologies are utilized to benefit workers, communities, organizations, and the broader society.
March 6, 2024
An interesting for ways of working post-pandemic, but I found it lacked engagement and I honestly started losing interest towards the end of the book. Some good takeaways on the "next" things related to work nonetheless.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews