Tag: trends

Latest Read: Power to the Middle

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date September 11, 2024

Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work by Bill Schaninger, Bryan Hancock and Emily Field.

Bill holds a PhD in Management from Auburn University. He is a Senior Partner Emeritus at McKinsey focusing on organizational culture and change. Bryan holds a JD from Harvard University and is a Partner at McKinsey specializing in talent management and organizational development. Emily holds a BA in Political Science from Georgetown University and is a Partner at McKinsey focusing on data-driven organizational strategies.

Power to the Middle is one of the best books to read if you’re organization is even thinking of cutting midlevel managers in the new world of work. The real goal is to help leadership understand “Middle manager” in a post pandemic, AI driven world. The term is from our industrial era.

Yet Bill, Brian and Emily certainly reveals how this outdated term needs to change as our digital future demands it. They are also revealing how middle managers are closer to your workforce, and understand how to link them to your company strategy while also having the skillsets to engage your senior leadership.

Tags Education, Innovation, tipping point, trends

Artificial Intelligence Blockchain Education Innovation Reading Technology

Latest Read: Unsupervised

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date August 24, 2024

Unsupervised: Navigating and Influencing a World Controlled by Powerful New Technologies by Daniel Doll-Steinberg and Stuart Leaf.

Daniel holds a BS in Engineering from The University of Manchester UK and Honorary Senior Research Associate from University College London. He is a lecturer at The Wharton School. He is co-founder and partner at EdenBase. Advisor to the UK Government and European Commission on innovation, growth, and education policy. Stuart holds a BA in Economics and MBA from Stanford. He is co-founder of the Cadogan fund.

Written by experienced technology fund managers, Daniel and Stuart are addressing the broad range of powerful new technologies which are disrupting and transforming everything. In fact their message is simply now is the time that you must act and adapt. This book was named a Bloomberg Best Book of 2023.

At first glance you may consider the focus upon Unsupervised Machine Learning, but that is way off base. Daniel and Stuart are providing an overview of how a core set of disruptive technologies have been developing at an accelerating pace that most of the world is not accustomed to seeing. They also question who is in fact in control of these technologies, and are emphasizing that these have developed for the most part without any supervision.

Tags Artificial Intelligence, Innovation, tipping point, trends, unsupervised

Education Reading Technology

Latest Read: The Attention Merchants

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date May 13, 2023

The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads by Tim Wu. He holds an undergrad in biophysics from McGill University and a JD from Harvard Law School. He served as Special Assistant to the President for Technology and Competition Policy. Today he teaches at Columbia Law School.

So, do you know how Madison avenue hijacked the web? Ever consider a time when you searched online for a product, a lawn mower for example. And before you realize that it was only minutes before your facebook feed started popping lawn mower ads into your feed?

Perhaps a Youtube channel is promoting a certain lawn mower vendor is a link pushed into your social media accounts? How many times have you noticed an online brand working into your internet life? In fact, have you even noticed that family, coworkers and friends are also falling victim to the attention merchants? Look deeper with your social media links to and from family and friends.

Tim is revealing for some the very idea that your internet life is under assault. He believes that American business actually depends on how much attention you pay to their messages. From advertising, branding, and even sponsored social media profiles.

Their focus is to gain your attention and put your eyes and mouse clicks on their internet sites. All to sell you that lawn mower.

Tags advertising, culture, data brokers, Tim Wu, trends

Education Reading

Latest Read: Invisible Walls

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date October 3, 2022

Invisible Walls: How to Create Deeper Connections Through the Purity of Experiences by Stephanie Zorn-Kasprzak. Stephanie holds a degree in Written Communication and Master’s Organizational Leadership from Lourdes University.

Today Stephanie is Executive Director of the Monroe County Opportunity Program in La Salle Township, Michigan. In addition, Stephanie is a part time professor at Eastern Michigan University. And most importantly Stephanie is my sister in law.

Stephanie is working to show readers how the pandemic shifted the world and not for the better. However the last two years have taught her that true, lasting bonds will be the key relationships and our own character.

The first Chapter starts boldly with a lesson one cannot forget. Stephanie shared the sudden passing of her older brother Tim. This included a passage how her Dad attempted to revive his son. This was so overwhelming for me to read. In fact, Mr. Zorn is a wonderful man that I have known for twenty years, so visualizing this event was very painful.

And yet, Stephanie makes this a powerful lesson: do not wait to live your dreams. This reminded me of Daniel Pink’s latest book The Power of Regret. In a later chapter in recalling a trip to Germany, Stephanie shares how visiting the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp created a life long impression.

Tags change, culture, Invisible Walls, Stephanie Zorn-Kasprzak, trends

Education Reading

Latest Read: The Coddling of the American Mind

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date September 4, 2022

The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff. This book is the result of their very popular article in The Atlantic magazine.

Jonathan is a social psychologist and professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business and he is focusing on the psychology of morality and moral emotions. Greg is an author and activist and is currently serving as President of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

Jonathan and Greg reveal how the following ideas became established after 2013: students’ feelings are always right, students should avoid pain and discomfort, and finally students should look for faults in others and not themselves.

They also address three specific untruths that are part of a larger philosophy in which students are certainly portrayed as fragile who must be protected and supervised by adults.

However, by setting aside all good intentions, they indicate untruths actually harm students by teaching them the opposite of the basic foundation of wisdom.

Admittedly, much of this is driven by social media. In fact, look at our recently finished mid term elections. In fact, candidates for public office actually campaigned stating students were identifying as cats and brining litter boxes to school.

Tags campus free speech, culture, Education, Greg Lukianoff, Jonathan Haidt, The Coddling of the American Mind, trends, trigger warnings