New ideas on collaboration, creating value & purpose. Talk by Alain de Botton, Westerkerk Amsterdam, 13 april 2016 A collection of quotes & personal interpretations based on this talk. By Muriel Maas.

1. THE FUTURE
OF WORK
New ideas on collaboration,
creating value & purpose.
TALK BY ALAIN DE BOTTON
Westerkerk Amsterdam
13 april 2016
A collection
of quotes & personal
interpretations
based on this talk.
By Muriel Maas

2. Alain de Botton is a world-renowned
philosopher and founder of The School
of Life. His books attract millions of
readers all over the world and he is
well-known for his witty, passionate and
eloquent talks.
The School of Life is devoted to
developing emotional intelligence
through the help of culture. They offer
a variety of programmes and services
concerned with how to live wisely and
well. They address such issues as how
to find fulfilling work, how to master the
art of relationships, how to understand
one’s past, how to achieve calm and
how better to understand, and where
necessary change, the world.
ABOUT
ALAIN DE BOTTON
& THE SCHOOL
OF LIFE.

3. ABOUT
OUR MADNESS

4. AN OFFICE
IS A MADHOUSE
WITHOUT A PSYCHO
THERAPIST

5. We are
people pleasers,
manipulators,
defensive perfectionists...
We have IT departments
& logistics. But where’s
the psychology
department?
WE ARE ALL
LUNATICS,
EVERYBODY
IS CRAZY.

6. To be happy you
should know yourself,
talk to yourself.
But we don’t like
doing that.
FOR A HAPPY MIND
AT WORK YOU NEED
PSYCHOLOGY

7. IN REALITY
Work teaches you to
listen to others, become
a richer and more
developed person.
Work teaches you
about yourself.
WE THINK
work
skills development
life
psychological
development

8. We should try to
raise the emotional
level at work and
become emotionally
mature in the
workplace.
TALKING ABOUT
EMOTIONS AT WORK.
THAT’S NOT EASY.
IT’S NEW & WEIRD.

9. This is expensive.
But hiring & firing
employees is
expensive as well.
IN A HIGH
PERFORMANCE
WORK ENVIRONMENT
YOU NEED
PSYCHOLOGY

10. When the
culture changes
the conversations
change.
TRY TO CREATE
A CULTURE WHERE
EVERYBODY’S CRAZINESS
AND VULNERABILITY IS
A GRACE, IS NORMAL.

11. ABOUT
MEANING

12. We want to
reduce suffering
or improve pleasure.
Serve somebody else.
We love serving over
self-fulfillment.
NR 1 PROBLEM:
MY WORK IS NOT
MEANINGFUL

13. SPECIALISATION
IS A PROBLEMWe work in big
machines.We don’t see
our contribution anymore.
Fantasy jobs are running a
cake shop or B&B.You see the
direct impact, the difference
you make in somebody
else’s life.

14. THEN
work
pays the bill
marriage
raise children
pass on land
NOW
work
should give satisfaction/
fulfillment
marriage
brings happiness

15. It is not
about intuition.
Telling stories helps
& keep repeating it.
Who am I?
What gives satisfaction?
What is meaningfull?
TO CHOOSE
A JOB WELL
YOU HAVE TO KNOW
YOURSELF WELL

16. WE DON’T SEE
THE CONNECTION
WITH WHAT WE CARE
ABOUT AND WHAT’S
MAKING MONEY
What we make
money off is at the bottom of
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Marketing is selling it with
higher needs. Buying a car
promises freedom,
buying liquor promises
wonderful nights
with friends.

17. It’s a challenge
tomake money with
things we genuinely need.
Example: Facebook is worth
billions. It makes money
on friendship &
connection.
WE SHOULD
MAKE MONEY FROM
THINGS WE NEED:
BELONGING, MEANING,
CONNECTION.

18. Their will be new work
that meets the need to make
work more meaningfull.
Business models around real human
daily problems, improvements of
other peoples lives. Because we
are creatures of service.
So capitalism is not a bad thing,
but we have to reinvent
the business models.
WE WILL GET
A NEW FORM OF
CAPITALISM.

19. ABOUT
SUCCES

20. A lot of people suffer
from a Napoleonic complex;
a high standard of a heroic icon
of yourself you cannot meet.
We see examples of people
leading fantastic lifes. They have
lots of money, are in the news all
the time. But most of us will lead
a mediocre life.
THEIR IS A GAP
BETWEEN OUR
EXPECTATIONS
AND REALITY

21. THEN
being poor
unlucky
unfortunate
NOW
being poor
you are a loser
of a fair game

22. THE IDEA THAT WE
COULD WIN THE LOTTERY
We apply that idea on a lot of
aspect of our lives. But the
chances it will happen to us
are not big.

23. BE REALISTIC.
WE HAVE TO REDISCOVER
THE MEANING OF
ORDINARY WORK.

24. ABOUT
COLLABORATION

25. We have no training.
You are not going to fly an
F16 without any training,
without knowing what
all te buttons are for.
FEEDBACK
SESSIONS
ARE OFTEN
RIDICULOUS

26. Who’s gossiping
about what?
A boss should know.
That’s extremely
commercial information.
Create a gossip
chart.
GOSSIP
IS REALLY
IMPORTANT

27. THEN
For 3.000 years we were
servants and slaves with
no opinion.
NOW
Everybody should
think as the boss.
The real life Downton Abbey by Paul Townsend is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

28. Admitting
mistakes is a committent
to improve. Giving critique
is meant to let grow.
We give critique out of
love not hatred. But we
don’t learn when in fear
or humiliated.
WE THINK
ADMITTING MISTAKES
WILL LOWER THE
STANDARDS.

29. CORPORATES
BELIEVE EMPLOYEES
CANNOT TAKE
THE TRUTH
Don’t
sugar coat everything.
In case of an
emergency....
Let’s say you might
go bankrupt.
Just admit there
is a problem.

30. Working hard = body at desk.
But our bodies are really good
at hiding what we are doing.
We look at a spreadsheet but
think about something else.
We still value productive output
and office presence as if
we are factory workers.
How do we value
good thinking?
WE HAVE
BIZAR WAYS
OF MEASURING
OUTPUT

31. But how do
we think best?
We often get
the best ideas under
the shower or during
walking.
MOST JOBS
ARE THINKING
JOBS
Photo: www.myaquanotes.com

32. A MONASTERY
IS DESIGNED FOR
THINKING ABOUT
GOD.

33. MAP IDEAS
What time of the day
do ideas occur?
In what context?
For what incentive?

34. An environment
for personal growth,
a company of self
improvement, acceptance
of vulnerability, failure,
being fragile and
‘everybody being mad’.
AN OFFICE
THAT IS LOVE

35. DRINKS AT
THE END OF THE
WORKING DAY ARE
PART OF THE
WORK.

36. Muriel Maas
Yes! We Connect
www.yesweconnect.nl
Programs & tools
for connection.
The School of Life
www.theschooloflife.com
Alain the Botton
www.alaindebotton.com
For further reading on ‘Work’
www.thebookoflife.org/
category/work/