My Earliest Experience with the Future of Work
This year, it will be 80 years young. My father was part of it before he enlisted to serve under General Patton. I was too from 1970 to 1973 — including getting caught foolishly inscribing my initials on the victory cup.
Four generations in a tiny suburban town on Long Island have experienced self-organized leadership and structures, goal-setting, team-building, project-creation and skill-building.
For 80 years, during a six-week period from February through mid-March, these ninth- through twelfth-graders have experienced what all the gurus say 21st century workplaces will look like:
• Trust-based
• Project-based
• Fluid leader/doer relationships
• Network/relationship-based
• Learn by doing
• Co-creation through agile and fail-fast, fail-forward practices
• Abundance… That anything is possible
• Dreams laying the foundation to build realities
• and much more
The Future is Rock Rivalry
Rock Rivalry is not merely a class competition. All the usual high school cliques that will, on a normal day, have nothing to do with each other,
bond together under a common purpose and shared passions —creating something amazing, that’s theirs and theirs alone. Almost entirely
self-directed and self-managed. (For obvious reasons, occasional adult check-ins are required.)
Jocks contribute to the shared mission through volleyball, relays, tug of wars, and more — all scored on sportsmanlike behaviors. Shop gearheads, chemistry and physics wonks, and artsy types contribute to backdrops, scenery, special effects and the construction of a refreshment stand. Performers, musicians and the entire class compose and perform an original 30-minute play. Even dorky, dweeby loners (OK… me) could be chairman of creating a 9’ x 12’ mural. Even weirdos (OK… me) could perform an original poem about death set to Black Sabbath music while Pluto took Persephone into the underworld. (Ye Gods won that year!!) Rock Rivalry is a holistic learning/working/creating/leading project that fully integrates every person’s participation and talents.
(A fellow Rock Rivalrier reminded me that this project has always perfectly integrated Howard Gardner’s seven distinct intelligences long before the Harvard professor conceived that multi-pronged learning theory.)
And when those of us from this tiny town get together 10, 20, 30, 40 years later, and talk about the one thing that formed our views and values on leadership, teamwork, personal accountability, and more: It’s Rock Rivalry.
- [ East Rockaway Rock Rivalry 2016 Rules here… 2016 Schedule here…
2016 Teacher-Coordinator Mr. Cimorelli email]
Dear Futurists: We Lived It
So when…
• Bonnitta Roy writes, in Manifesto for Open Participation, that the future of work will be based on Reciprocity, Commitment and Consistency, and Social Proof…
• and when Nick Hanauer and Eric Beinhocker state that our 21st century economic prosperity must be driven by solutions…
• and when John Battelle says that a job is table stakes — that to win talent, companies must compete on purpose, authenticity, and organizational structure…
• and when Maria Konnikova writes about how people learn to become resilient…
• and when Astro Teller writes about the secret to making moonshot projects work…
• and when Netflix created an enviable 21st century culture…
… We, who competed in Rock Rivalry, experienced all that when we were 14–18 years old.
The Future of Work is Personal
Yes, the future of work will be driven by AI, robotics, analytics and a complete shift in how we work… and those challenges will be daunting. But at the end of the day, it will come down to how people come together to boldly and brilliantly get shit done for a cause they believe in.
And, yes, that will require rethinking how we approach leadership, company structures, workforce participation and more…
But what Rock Rivalry taught me, and all my classmates, and can teach all of today’s corporate leaders is this…
An Amazing Future of Work is Here, Now…
Easily attainable by any leader, teacher or teammate.
Start small, start now, start boldly: Create the space for projects and teams that are totally self-organized… Provide mentors, guides and a support network… Give them freedom and accountability to moonshot thinking — to create something magical…
Then get the hell out of their way.
You will be amazed by the results.
Will you sponsor the future of work revolution?
Now?
From wherever you are?
> > > >
— Bill Jensen owes so much to his fellow Rock Rivalry classmates.
Thank you!! #NewWaytoWork #FutureOfWork
Jensen Site, Twitter, FB, LinkedIn
Bill’s latest book, Future Strong, is about the five deeply personal choices each of us must make to be ready for all the disruptive tomorrows heading our way.
