The Shift becomes best seller in Japan
Book examines what work will look like in 2025. The Shift by Professor Lynda Gratton, professor of management practice at London Business School and founder of The Hot Spots Movement, has sold over 34,000 copies Japan in less than 2 months and is its 5th print.
Commenting on The Shift’s success in Japan, Gratton says “It is really interesting that Japan has become the country where most copies of The Shift have been sold. We have received many very personal messages from readers who are grateful that the book shows them that there is an alternative way of working, and that each individual has a choice. I think this reflects several challenges faced by Japanese corporations where concepts such as work-life balance perhaps aren’t considered part of the employer’s responsibility, nor in their interests.”
Gratton’s book, The Shift, examines what work will look like in 2025, both from a corporate and individual perspective.
The Shift takes as its lead the idea of what work will look like in 2025, and how we need to adapt to meet this radically different environment. Gratton says that there are five forces that will fundamentally change the way we work: globalisation; society; demography; technology; and energy.
She explains: “The forces of globalisation and technology can lead to fragmentation, loneliness, isolation and a feeling of exclusion from the global talent pool. So, how do we turn this change into a positive, in order to lead great lives, filled with creativity, productivity and excitement?”
Gratton is quick to remind us that, if we do not adapt our working ways, the workplace of the future could be a very lonely place. She explains: “Work is a defining, all-consuming part of our lives. The book details key shifts that we, as individuals, can make to prepare ourselves for this fast-moving world of work.”
The findings in The Shift are based on the findings of two first two iterations of Gratton’s research consortium, The Future of Work, organised and led by The Hot Spots Movement, Gratton’s team that examine innovation and team work in the workplace. Over the first three iterations of the consortium of which the fourth will commence late September, more than 80 companies from around the world came together in this co-creational research project that bridges academia and business.
