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Convergence: Technology, Business, and the Human-Centric Future
What does it mean to be human-centric?
The Convergence is here. Each day the human race becomes more connected and interdependent. There is no longer a choice in the matter. There is no turning back.
All aspects of human life are rapidly converging at an intersection of people, business, and environment. With potential for either a historic integration or catastrophic collision, leaders have two clear remain committed to profits above all else; or shift to a human-centric approach that embraces this convergence.
Author Deborah Westphal, a leader in future-focused strategy, leverages her experiences working with some of the world's most innovative business leaders, to show how the interests of people (as human beings, not customers), overlap with those of companies in ways never before seen. Convergence charts the path forward for those leaders―particularly in business―who seek to shift to a human-centric mental model. This approach addresses realities from our converging world not necessarily related to a company's business operations, often integrating a tangible response with a change in the company's core values. Simply put, to be human-centric prioritizes the success of people and redefines success for a company.
"Westphal's Convergence is a call to action to create the future of humanity rather than stand by. Her words of wisdom and lessons shared cannot be more timely than in this very moment when humanity is in crisis. In the midst of COVID-19, environmental disaster, and ever accelerating technological change, Convergence makes the case for authentic leadership and challenges us to rethink our primary purposes of doing to serve humanity." -- Diana Rau, Chief Experience Officer & Cofounder, twine.nyc Forbes 30 Under 30
The Convergence is here. Each day the human race becomes more connected and interdependent. There is no longer a choice in the matter. There is no turning back.
All aspects of human life are rapidly converging at an intersection of people, business, and environment. With potential for either a historic integration or catastrophic collision, leaders have two clear remain committed to profits above all else; or shift to a human-centric approach that embraces this convergence.
Author Deborah Westphal, a leader in future-focused strategy, leverages her experiences working with some of the world's most innovative business leaders, to show how the interests of people (as human beings, not customers), overlap with those of companies in ways never before seen. Convergence charts the path forward for those leaders―particularly in business―who seek to shift to a human-centric mental model. This approach addresses realities from our converging world not necessarily related to a company's business operations, often integrating a tangible response with a change in the company's core values. Simply put, to be human-centric prioritizes the success of people and redefines success for a company.
"Westphal's Convergence is a call to action to create the future of humanity rather than stand by. Her words of wisdom and lessons shared cannot be more timely than in this very moment when humanity is in crisis. In the midst of COVID-19, environmental disaster, and ever accelerating technological change, Convergence makes the case for authentic leadership and challenges us to rethink our primary purposes of doing to serve humanity." -- Diana Rau, Chief Experience Officer & Cofounder, twine.nyc Forbes 30 Under 30
- GenresBusiness
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 21, 2021
About the author
Deborah Westphal
2 books4 followersDeborah Westphal is the author of The Pulse of Tomorrow: How Future Shock Still Shapes Our World, which tells the story of Alvin and Heidi Toffler, the people behind their influential ideas, how their thinking developed, and why their way of understanding change remains relevant today.
Personally recruited by Alvin Toffler, Westphal worked alongside Alvin and Heidi from 1999 until Alvin's death in 2016, first as a consultant and later as CEO of Toffler Associates. Their close personal and professional relationship gave her a rare understanding of the people behind the ideas and how those ideas were tested and applied in the real world.
Over nearly four decades, she has advised governments, military leaders, and Fortune 100 companies on navigating technological, economic, political, and social change.
Today, Westphal is CEO of the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust, host of the Research Renaissance podcast, and publisher of The Pulse Report. Her curiosity has taken her to more than 60 countries, often with a camera in hand.
Personally recruited by Alvin Toffler, Westphal worked alongside Alvin and Heidi from 1999 until Alvin's death in 2016, first as a consultant and later as CEO of Toffler Associates. Their close personal and professional relationship gave her a rare understanding of the people behind the ideas and how those ideas were tested and applied in the real world.
Over nearly four decades, she has advised governments, military leaders, and Fortune 100 companies on navigating technological, economic, political, and social change.
Today, Westphal is CEO of the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust, host of the Research Renaissance podcast, and publisher of The Pulse Report. Her curiosity has taken her to more than 60 countries, often with a camera in hand.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
March 8, 2023
Deborah Westphal makes a strong case for building human-centric organizations in this book. With lots of interesting and relevant examples, she presents varying attempts of making technology and business more human.
Unfortunately, I didn't find this book very practical in presenting strategies to effect this philosophy.
While she introduces 6 mental models of time, change, chance, connectivity, constellations, and conflict in the final chapter, these were only given light touches.
Unfortunately, I didn't find this book very practical in presenting strategies to effect this philosophy.
While she introduces 6 mental models of time, change, chance, connectivity, constellations, and conflict in the final chapter, these were only given light touches.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review