Book Mission Statement

On a recent podcast episode I shared an update on my next book, which I have been working on for the past year or so, mainly conducting interviews and research. Now that writing has begun in earnest however, I am thinking more about why I am writing the book. Especially since it’s never been easier to simply provide a lot of data and have your book generated for you by AI.

Cue this “mission statement” for the project:

• Why another book? This book is about what happens at the intersection between human beings, technology and work, which is the space I am interested in. Whether fully remote, hybrid, or blended on campus and in offices, the way we work continues to evolve, and we negotiate the full spectrum of technology as we do so, from analogue to AI. This book brings together leadership perspectives in order to explore how we, as human beings, can shape the future of work.
  
• Why now? Work is politicised and contested, from companies forcing employees to return to the office full-time claiming that collaboration “can’t be done online” to the threat of automation and AI taking over jobs. Add to that a cross-generational workforce with very different needs and expectations, and things get even more interesting. This book is designed for leaders and managers seeking to navigating these uncertain times.
  
• Why a book? Because I love books, I love reading them and writing them and it feels like best format for getting to think about the things I am interested in, i.e. the right format (length, familiarity) to explore these ideas in appropriate depth. Also, you can print a book and I found it extremely helpful to have a printed format of my first book instead of only digital resources.
  
• What about AI? I am intentionally not using AI in the creation process, but if you find it helpful to get you thinking and reflecting, then by all means go ahead and create an AI summary or an AI podcast. My choices reflect what process works for me and my reasons for writing the book in the first place. It also reflect the values I hold about the importance of human creativity and human labour. This book is my endeavour by choice, not because there weren’t easier or quicker ways out there.
  
• Why open? This second book, like the first, will be openly licenced under Creative Commons. Most of the work the book is based on is already in the open domain, and I want my work to be as widely available as possible. You’ll be able to purchase a printed edition. I believe in open knowledge creation, and I hope this book will be a useful resource for emerging and established leaders across sectors.

Listen to the podcast episode