Phil Simon
“A canny, insightful, and very readable take on the brave new world of work.”
—Kirkus Reviews
The Nine
The Tectonic Forces Reshaping the Workplace
Book IV: The Future of Work
The Nine
The Tectonic Forces Reshaping the Workplace
Book IV: The Future of Work
About the Book
Publication Date: April 6, 2023
Formats: Hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook
Page Length: 284 pages
Publisher: Racket Publishing
As COVID has receded, companies such as Apple, Amazon, Google, Salesforce, and Twitter have severely restricted or even eliminated remote work. Ditto for countless, less iconic firms and small businesses. At a high level, executives and managers at these organizations are trying to turn back the clock to 2019.
There’s just one problem, though: For a bevy of reasons, they won’t succeed.
In many ways, the workplace of 2023 already differs from its pre-pandemic counterpart. In some cases, it’s downright unrecognizable. What’s more, this gap will only intensify in the coming years. Blame—or thank, if you like—powerful economic, societal, geopolitical, and technological forces. They include generative AI, automation, dispersed workforces, blockchain, immersive technologies, employee empowerment, and the return of systemic inflation.
Brass tacks: The workplace is undergoing a massive, irrevocable shift. The only question for business leaders is, What should you do about it?
The workplace of 2023 already differs from its pre-pandemic counterpart.
In The Nine: The Tectonic Forces Reshaping the Workplace, I answer that question in spades. I peer into the dizzying and chaotic future of work. In the process, I slice through the hype surrounding nascent trends and newfangled technologies.
Insightful, timely, and essential, The Nine clearly explains what’s really happening, why, and how business leaders can navigate the dramatically different workplace of the future.
The Nine is the fourth installment in my series on the future of work.
BUY THE BOOK
About the Book
Publication Date: April 6, 2023
Formats: Hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook
Page Length: 284 pages
Publisher: Racket Publishing
As COVID has receded, companies such as Apple, Amazon, Google, Salesforce, and Twitter have severely restricted or even eliminated remote work. Ditto for countless, less iconic firms and small businesses. At a high level, executives and managers at these organizations are trying to turn back the clock to 2019.
There’s just one problem, though: For a bevy of reasons, they won’t succeed.
In many ways, the workplace of 2023 already differs from its pre-pandemic counterpart. In some cases, it’s downright unrecognizable. What’s more, this gap will only intensify in the coming years. Blame—or thank, if you like—powerful economic, societal, geopolitical, and technological forces. They include generative AI, automation, dispersed workforces, blockchain, immersive technologies, employee empowerment, and the return of systemic inflation.
Brass tacks: The workplace is undergoing a massive, irrevocable shift. The only question for business leaders is, What should you do about it?
In The Nine: The Tectonic Forces Reshaping the Workplace, I answer that question in spades. I peer into the dizzying and chaotic future of work. In the process, I slice through the hype surrounding nascent trends and newfangled technologies.
Insightful, timely, and essential, The Nine clearly explains what’s really happening, why, and how business leaders can navigate the dramatically different workplace of the future.
The Nine is the fourth installment in my series on the future of work.
Excerpts
Trailer
FAQ
Will there be an audiobook?
Yes. It dropped a few weeks after the paperback did.
Press, Podcasts, and Interviews
- Quartz: How will AI impact work? 4 questions we should be asking
- Fast Company: Here’s how workers at companies like Accenture and Walmart are using virtual reality
- Inc: 7 Signs That We Have Entered the Age of Empowered Employees
- Economics for Business podcast
- Being Human pod
- The Forces Reshaping the Workplace With Kevin Eikenberry
- How Tectonic Forces Are Reshaping the Future of Work
- DisrupTV Episode 321 (I’m the third and final guest on the show.)
- Allwork.Space Future of Work podcast
- Accidental Creative podcast
- American Banker podcast
- Not Your Parents’ Training: Immersive Tech Goes Prime Time
- The Rise of The Fractional CXO
- The Globe and Mail: Forget Moneyball. Analytics can be unhealthy, so watch how you measure
- Behind the Cover podcast
- Beyond The To-Do List podcast
- Porchlight Books: Will Generative AI Replace Us?
- 9 Forces That Will Reshape the Workplace
- SAP Insights: Going to the Office Every Day Is Over
- You Can Make It So podcast
- The Remarkable Leadership Podcast
- Josh Bernoff wrote a complimentary post on the book
- Fast Company: What oddly shaped conference room tables tell us about the future of work
- Reshaping the Workplace
- Breakthroughs: Smart Strategies for Career/Business Growth
- Appearance on The Modern Banker pod
- Office Hours With David Meltzer
Praise & Recognition
The book was a finalist in the Business: Technology category for the International Book Awards. Read the press release here.
“In The Nine, Phil Simon adroitly lays out the current landscape of emerging technologies. Readers will quickly grasp the importance and effects of today’s most essential trends.”
—Jeremy Bailenson, Thomas More Storke Professor of Communication, Stanford University and author of Experience on Demand
“A must-read for every leader in every company. The Nine is a timely, realistic, inspiring, and sometimes scary book about the new world of work. Read it and weep (or reap)!”
—Jay Baer, coauthor of Talk Triggers: The Complete Guide to Creating Customers with Word of Mouth
“The past few years have been a blur of confusion for leaders and employees. Fortunately, Phil Simon cuts through the clutter and points out the few signals in the workplace you can’t afford to dismiss as noise.”
—David Burkus, author of Best Team Ever and Leading From Anywhere
“The Nine is a dynamic and essential book on the future of the workplace, deftly navigating the implications as a wave of new technology crashes into decades of tradition.”
—Alex Kantrowitz, host of the Big Technology podcast and author of Always Day One: How the Tech Titans Plan to Stay on Top Forever
“Technology, economy, business models … In The Nine, Simon pushes you beyond the five or six issues you likely have on your radar. You’ll gain a clearer view of the forces coming together and see new opportunities—and risks. Be prepared. Be ahead.”
—Terri Griffith, Keith Beedie Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Simon Fraser University and author of The Plugged-In Manager
“In an increasingly complex world, Phil Simon does us a great service by simplifying the sources of the seismic shifts we see all around us. I dog-eared the crap out of it for future reference.”
—Karin Reed, CEO of Speaker Dynamics and coauthor of Suddenly Hybrid: Managing the Modern Meeting
“Never before has the workplace been as confusing and dynamic as it is today—and things will only intensify in the years ahead. Simon provides much-needed analysis, synthesis, and guidance.”
—Gerald C. Kane, C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry chair in business administration at the University of Georgia and co-author of The Technology Fallacy
“With The Nine, Phil Simon makes it clear that going back to normal isn’t feasible. He highlights the key forces driving the chaos that is upending how we work, from generative AI to automation. It can be tempting to yell, “Stop the ride, I want to get off.” But by cataloging each force and separating the hype from the substance, Phil also makes an optimistic case to embrace these forces, even though it means completely rethinking where we go from here.”
—Tom Fishburne, Creator of Marketoonist and author of Your Ad Ignored Here
“Provocative, bold, and insightful. The Nine is nothing short of a tour de force. Business leaders who ignore Simon’s latest creation do so at their own peril.”
—Brad Feld, partner at Foundry, co-founder of Techstars, author, runner, reader, and hermit
“Trying to make sense of emerging technology is like throwing a dart at a moving target. With The Nine, Phil Simon hits the bullseye—not just once, but nine times. Read this book and your future self—and your future employer—will thank you.”
—Simone Stolzoff, author of The Good Enough Job
Custom Editions of the Book
Learn more here.
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Errata
Whoops.
Page 118 (Fixed, 04.06.2023)
Is: That number presents more than 80 percent of Alphabet’s annual revenue.
Should be: That number represents more than 80 percent of Alphabet’s annual revenue.
Page 138 (Fixed, 07.21.2023)
Is: When the commercial arrived…
Should be: When the commercial web arrived…