2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A world in transition, December 29, 2007
This review is from: Nine Shift (Paperback)
Drawing a comparison between the period 2000-2020 and 1900-1920 when the US underwent a major change from an agrarian to an industrial economy, the authors describe the changes that are already happening or they expect that will happen in the next coming years. The role that the car industry played in the early 20th century is played nowadays by computers and Internet. Although not much is new (other books such as "The Third Wave" have explored similar changes), the book is worth reading because we have not really absorbed many of these changes and we are only half way through this important transition period.
As many books and reports written by consultants the main ideas are reiterated, so one could glean the essence of them with a book half its length.
Some of the ideas are controversial. As a European that is in some aspects already in the future described by Draves and Coates (we have universal health care service and we have relatively good trains and even high speed trains, but we are still building freeways) the announced demise of the car industry is hard to swallow. Also, proposing the Segway as a vehicle for taking us to the train station and doing errands in the neighbourhood is not, I believe, a good solution. A scooter (and there are electric ones) can take two people seated and there is room between the driver legs to put your groceries. And saying that the only popular invention the car industry has made since 1984 is the cup holder is a gross understatement.
Another thing that surprises an European is that many Americans (according to the authors) are now not capable of reading cursive. Well, handwriting is not going to disappear in the world, so is the US creating a generation of computer literate, but handwriting illiterate, people?
There are some apparently contradictory statements. The authors say that a college degree will be needed to find good employment, only to tell us later that computer savvy boys, even if they are high school dropouts, are offered seven jobs when they are looking for one. Some explanation about this would be appreciated.
It is clear that the school system (as the political system and many other of our institutions in the Western world) needs a profound review. There are good ideas in the book, but a deeper discussion of what school system the authors propose would be also appreciated, although there are some hints in the last chapter. They claim, anyway, that it is not the students (particularly the boys) that are failing, but it is the school system, still geared to educate the perfect 8 to 5 employee of the industrial age, that is failing. And they suggest that what was formerly thought as cheating should be emphasized: students should help and learn from each other. Cheating becomes collaboration. But another (apparent) contradiction appears here. In page 249 the authors claim that education is leading the business sector in becoming web based only to tell us in page 259 that secondary schools nowhere come near expectations for their students in the 21st century.
Looking back one hundred years (as the authors do) also is an exercise of humility for the West. The situation of women then was not that different of their situation today in Saudi Arabia. A certain degree of patience is needed if we want that a modern democracy be instilled in much of the Arab world.
In the old times companies were focused on products, now they are focused on customers. Decisions have to be made by frontline employees and they have to be made fast. Workers must have all the information to make these decisions. Technology is changing very quickly. The typical pyramidal organization that has functioned so well during centuries (remember the Church and the army) is no longer valid. Pyramidal organizations will be transformed into real and virtual networks, some of them only for the duration of a project. We know this is already happening for Hollywood movies, so, if you are an entrepreneur or businessman, you should read the book and think how all these changes will affect your company. The authors recommend that you do not invest in buildings (there are already too many in place and Government is due to vacate quite a few). Besides, companies have to invest substantial amounts of money in technology and people, so there are less resources for buildings which are hardly needed for telecommuters. You should also pay your people not for their time, but for the outcomes of their projects. Companies will be divided into small units with dedicated tasks (customer service would be an example). Business units will be internet connected to other business units and each business unit will have to report to the others. By extending the workspace to cyberspace, you will be able to use talent (perhaps in a temporary basis) that would not be available in your hometown or region. One of the key leadership skills of a manager will be to find talent. The activity of a company will gravitate around teams that will work on projects. These teams will disassemble when the project is finished and new ones will be formed. The structure of the companies will be highly flexible, dynamical, constantly evolving. A project like the ipod from Apple would, I believe, be an example. The value of a new member of a team will be in great part his network of connections.
Another example of apparent contradiction: businesses will not be interested in long term investments in workers education, since, at least, knowledge businesses will be organized into short term projects and, once finished, people will move on (page 198). But in page 199, when discussing the interesting idea of Individual Learning Accounts, Draves and Coates tell us that businesses will be interested in investing in these accounts. It is a little confusing and would deserve an explanation.
To sum up: this book will open your eyes and brain to the spectacular changes that are already happening, of which, many of us are not fully aware. I would recommend to the authors a revised version due in 2010, when we will be half way into the critical period they are trying to describe.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An insightful book that's a pleasure to read!, March 2, 2006
This review is from: Nine Shift (Paperback)
If you haven't had the opportunity to hear and see Bill Draves speak about Nine Shift, then please read the book. The same energy and passion that Bill brings to his presentations seeps out from between the pages and infects you with his vision of the 21st century!
My community was fortunate to have Bill Draves join us on January 17th, 2006 to talk about Nine Shift in general and how it applies to our community, Rutherford County, NC, specifically. Bill brings to life a lively description of how some 75% of life changed in the first 20 years of the last century and insightfully points out the eerie similarities in the first years of the 21st century.
The book, like his presentations, is full of interesting stories that help to illustrate the changes that occurred 100 years ago and the changes that we are experiencing today. And while I may never visit Manhattan, Kansas, I've been there in spirit thanks to Bill's delightful recollections of his visit.
Read the book and discover how some 75% of our daily lives is in the process of changing. Read the book and discover the nine major shifts that are occurring right now as you read this. Read the book and come explore the excitement of the 21st century!
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