Journal by getabstract - Your Daily Dose of Lifelong Learning

CURRENT AFFAIRS

And Related Compressed Knowledge

FOCUS: Artificial Intelligence

“When You Talk to People About Fairness, the Conversation Immediately Becomes Political” — Michael Kearns and Aaron Roth

Computer scientists Michael Kearns and Aaron Roth research how computer programs can affect our lives. Even when written without malice, algorithms have the potential to treat people unfairly or violate their privacy. How do you get algorithms to be decent?

The Future of Work

As the world strategizes on what the “New Normal” should look like, Vlatka Hlupic argues that humane, social-minded companies will survive in the post-pandemic world. How can we become part of a company that is a force for good?

Q&As

“How Do I Use Data (Science) to Solve Real-World Problems?”

It sounds complicated. It is. But with these five steps, you can do it.

Yes. And here is everything you need to know to be successful (even after a pandemic) – whether as an organization, manager or employee.

“How Do I Ensure That My Business Continues?”

In these times, nothing is certain – right? Let’s prove that wrong!

Recent Articles

“How Do I Use Data (Science) to Solve Real-World Problems?”

Evolution Has a Thing for Wackos

“When You Talk to People About Fairness, the Conversation Immediately Becomes Political”

Design Your New Normal

“That Normal Does Not Exist Anymore.”

Denmark Ranked Least Happy Country (in 1603)

“Performance Reviews: How Do I Give the Right Feedback in the Current Exceptional Situation?”

“Is Remote Work Here to Stay?”

Ain’t Nobody Here

Exploring the Wonderland of Child-Led Learning

“How Do I Lead Inclusively?”

Columns

Why people prefer conspiracy theories and mystical tales to rational science.

Now is the time to evaluate what you have learned under the extraordinary pressure of the last weeks – and use that knowledge to influence the future of your organisation.

Knowledge Containers

Digital Transformation

Leadership

New Frontiers

Coronavirus

Making Sense of Today

Maxwell Strachan

You’re Not Going Back to Normal Office Life for a Long, Long Time

Those now working from home may never return to the office.

Vice News

Zusammenfassung lesen

Lisette Sutherland and Kirsten Janene-Nelson

Work Together Anywhere

Remote work was once just another option. Now it’s a matter of life or death.

Wiley

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Kristin A. Sherry

Your Team Loves Mondays...Right?

Gallup found that 50% of 7,200 associates who quit their jobs left because of their managers.

Black Rose Writing

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Keenan

Gap Selling

“Gap selling” helps salespeople overcome errors and improve results.

Zusammenfassung lesen

Hal Gregersen

Questions Are the Answer

Bold questions can lead to great innovations and are essential to human progress.

HarperBusiness

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Thomas Piketty

Capital and Ideology

According to economist Thomas Piketty, all regimes try to legitimize inequality through ideology.

Belknap Press

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COLUMN

What's New In "New Work"

Related Channel

Corporate Culture

Your organization's atmosphere, culture and communication affect its success. They shape engagement, productivity, drive and collaboration. Today’s high fliers – Google is the most famous example – build their image on these factors. How can you make your culture good – and how good can you make it?

Zum Channel

New

Now is the time to evaluate what you have learned under the extraordinary pressure of the last weeks – and use that knowledge to influence the future of your organisation.

May, 11 2020 by Anja Wyden Guelpa

Recent Episodes

People First!

The New New

EXPERT WEBINAR

Under Pressure: Working Under Extreme Conditions (and as Remote as It Gets)

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Basics, Insights and Answers

What's Next?

Retaining flexible workplace practices in the post-pandemic era

How the Pandemic is Accelerating Digital Transformation

The coronavirus pandemic and the need to avoid person-to-person interactions has pushed us further into a digital world. The crisis will have lasting effects on the way we work, do business and interact with each…

April, 22 2020 by Sara Küpfer

All About AI – Part I: What is AI, Anyway?

There’s a lot of talk about artificial intelligence these days, but what is AI exactly? Does a spellchecker qualify as AI? What about your voice assistant? Or the chess computer that can easily beat any…

March, 9 2020 by Hendrik Dietrich

Q&A

“What Is the Secret of Remote Working?” — Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash

The coronavirus pandemic is currently forcing many companies to advise employees to work from home. Here are four steps to help make this organizational crisis a success.

March, 16 2020 by Patrick Brigger

“How Do I Use Data (Science) to Solve Real-World Problems?”

“Is Remote Work Here to Stay?”

“What Does It Take to Become a Digital Leader?”

“As a Manager, How Can I Learn a ‘Hands Off’ Approach?”

“How Can I Combat Loneliness as a Remote Worker?”

“How Do You Make Remote Learning Fun and Successful?”

How to Lead Remote Employees in the Wake of COVID-19

More...

Deep Dive

Interview

"Many people are underestimating the pace and scope of change and aren’t thinking correctly about how it will appear this time." (Richard Baldwin; Photo by Tmi Kimmo Räisänen) — Richard Baldwin by Tmi Kimmo Räisänen

Economist and bestselling author Richard Baldwin believes that many business leaders and politicians continue to grossly underestimate the impact of digital change. Here, he explains how to position yourself correctly in competition with “Globots.”

#getTogether

Quick Fix

“What Does It Take to Become a Digital Leader?”

One abstract to rule them all.

See Full Knowledge Container

COLUMN

The Most Important Decisions in Life Should Not Be Taken Alone. We're Here to Help!

Meet Julia, 26, software developer

“What Is the Most Enjoyable Version of Lifelong Learning?”

Meet Bob, 74, retired telephone man

Meet Carl, 48, designer (and part-time artist)

#getTogether

Our Online Reading Club

TAKE A BREAK!

On the road to curating good books for our readers, we’ve learned a bit about bad ones. Click here for the abstract.

CORONAVIRUS

Relevant Knowledge About COVID-19 and the Effects of the Pandemic

Updates

FOCUS: 2019-20 Coronavirus Outbreak — (c) GettyImages

Where does the virus come from? How dangerous is it? How can you prevent contracting it? And when will a vaccine be available? Here are the daily updates.

After the Lockdown

Here’s how to get back on track after a business interruption.

Ain’t Nobody Here — You want your employees to feel comfortable on their first day back in the office? Well, here, consider to go in with dumpsters, crowbars and chainsaws.

Currently, many offices are empty. This will soon change. Did your organization use the time to bring the place up to date? Did you, as a leader, realize long-cherished office dreams or at least make small optimizations? If not: Here are a few tips on how to make your employees happy when they return.

Half of US Workers Have Become Home Office Converts

After weeks of being confined to their home offices, how do US office workers feel about going back to a traditional work setting? getAbstract has conducted a survey to find out – and its results are surprising.

The COVID-19 outbreak will not only have a direct impact on our lives and economies now – the consequences will continue to preoccupy us for several years, if not decades.

Best Practice

Feature

Exploring the Wonderland of Child-Led Learning — Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash

The many hours of lockdown-induced downtime offer an opportunity for your children to let their natural curiosity take them places they may otherwise not have discovered.

Stay Fit

Two cornerstones of a physically and mentally healthy life are healthy eating and exercise habits. In the current crisis, especially if you’re working from home, paying proper attention to them can be a struggle. Take heed of these insights from our library to stay healthy and fit.

Coping With Isolation

Of Viruses, Vulnerability and Superheroes

Isolation highlights the need to reach out.

“Locked Up: How Do I Prepare My Family and Myself for a Coronavirus Quarantine?”

You can still make the best out of this period of isolation.

March, 18 2020 by getAbstract

“How Can I Cope With a Possible Loss of Control in My Professional or Private Life?”

Sometimes things don’t go as planned. No matter!

March, 30 2020 by Iris Peters

“How Do I Overcome Fears and Get Ahead?”

Fear is a bad adviser. Fortunately, there is good advice to get rid of it.

March, 24 2020 by getAbstract

“How Can I Combat Loneliness as a Remote Worker?”

Admit to and be pro-active about your feelings of loneliness.

March, 16 2020 by Sara Küpfer

“How Do You Make Remote Learning Fun and Successful?”

It’s just you and a computer screen. Yes, you can learn this way, but you will need fellow travelers to keep you on track.

March, 16 2020 by Sara Küpfer

Related Summaries

Politico Magazine

Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently. Here’s How.

As with Sept. 11, 2001 and the 2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic will change how people live.

Politico Magazine

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Cassie Kozyrkov

Smarter COVID-19 Decision-Making

As the world panics over the COVID-19 pandemic, how can you remain rational and make the right decisions?

Medium

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Emily Bazelon

Restarting America Means People Will Die

The coronavirus pandemic makes it difficult to consider America’s future.

New York Times Magazine

Zusammenfassung lesen

Alanna Shaikh

Why COVID-19 Is Hitting Us Now – and How to Prepare for the Next Outbreak

COVID-19 won’t be the world’s last outbreak, so governments need to be ready for the next one.

TED Conferences LLC

Zusammenfassung lesen

Lisa Rabasca Roepe

What Does the Coronavirus Pandemic Mean for Your Job Search?

Can your job search survive the coronavirus pandemic?

The Muse

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More...

SPOTLIGHT

Says Who?

IN CONVERSATION

With Leading Scientists in Their Field

Jared Diamond, American historian and anthropologist, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and UCLA professor, playing piano in the living room of his home in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles; photo by Damon Casarez /Redux/laif

Interview

“We Lead the World in Science, and We Also Lead the World in Opposition to Science”

Jared Diamond, world-famous historian of societal crises and collapses, currently lives in self-imposed quarantine in California. When he’s not writing papers on the birds of New Guinea or playing Beethoven sonatas on the piano, he is concerned about the effect the current pandemic will have on his country and the world. What gives him hope?

“The Emergence of Liberty Is Perhaps Even More Surprising than Economic Growth.”

To get an idea of the political construction of the world of tomorrow, one has to travel back in time – sometimes a few thousand years. Renowned MIT economist Daron Acemoğlu talks about the making and the most interesting findings of his new book.

“Public Attention Is Not Awarded Rationally. It Has To Be Carried by a Story” — Robert J. Shiller, Kai Nedden/laif

In his new book, economist and Nobel laureate Robert Shiller argues that he and his fellow dismal scientists need to look beyond the usual data point: Stories are what really drive decisions to spend, save or speculate.

SPECIAL: CLASSIC ADVICE

The Greatest Books of All Time (And Their Collected Knowledge for Everyday Life)

It is an odd comfort to know that the human species has survived plagues, pestilence, wars and sundry other disasters for as long as humankind has walked the Earth. Here are 5 lessons on how to move forward!

Denmark Ranked Least Happy Country (in 1603)

William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet Or: Why Revenging Your Dead Father Could Damage Your Health

Kafka’s The Metamorphosis Or: How Not to Wake Up Feeling Like a Pest

Henry David Thoreau’s Walden Or: How to Escape the Rat Race (and Make Peace with Woodchuck Cravings)

We are asked this question again and again, especially by business customers. So, we’ll give the answer in a monthly column – and with one of the greats of literature.

February, 5 2020 by getAbstract

SELECTED CHANNELS

Compressed Knowledge on the Latest Topics

2019–20 Coronavirus Pandemic

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious viral respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), also known as “novel coronavirus.” Reports in December 2019, from Wuhan, China, first cited the disease, which has spread globally, resulting in the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic that affects people and businesses worldwide.

Zum Channel

Working from Home

Remote work has been a trend long in the making, and indeed the current Coronavirus pandemic has forced many to work from home. The advantages for employees, companies and society are plentiful: save time commuting, cut greenhouse gas emissions, relieve traffic congestion, increase employee satisfaction, increase workforce diversity, save money on office space and much more. But remote work also comes with its challenges – for leaders as well as employees. Learn how to structure your day, organize your communication, build trust and foster team spirit.

Zum Channel

Innovation

Innovation is arguably the most crucial and, at the same time, the most elusive skill to master for any business. Systematically developing novel products, services and processes to stay ahead of the competition requires concerted action on virtually all levels of your organization. Join the vanguard!

Zum Channel

LEADERSHIP

Wanna Grow a Leader?

Related Channels

Leadership

One for all and all for one: This strategy only works if you set a good example as a leader. Learn how to stimulate your employees so they perform to the best of their abilities.

Zum Channel

Crisis Management

If your organization faces a crisis – whether a public health emergency, a natural disaster, or a public relations or product calamity – you often can make it better or worse for your people by how you manage it before, during and after. Eventually, a crisis will hit. You won’t be able to prevent it, but you can prepare for it, overcome it and emerge stronger.

Zum Channel

getTogether

The "New Normal"

“Performance Reviews: How Do I Give the Right Feedback in the Current Exceptional Situation?” — Performance reviews: Make a directional decision - or at least cause one. There are in fact more than only two ways to proceed. / Photo: Jon Tyson at Unsplash

You have three options.

Q&As

“As a Manager, How Can I Learn a ‘Hands Off’ Approach?”

(without having my anxiety go through the roof in the process).

Well, strictly “top down” still may work in website menus, but not in digitalized business-structures.

In these times, nothing is certain – right? Let’s prove that wrong!

One abstract to rule them all.

Top Summaries

Robert J. Anderson and William A. Adams

Mastering Leadership

This can be your leader development book for life. It’s a bold promise, but this work delivers.

Wiley

Zusammenfassung lesen

John C. Maxwell

Leadershift

John C. Maxwell says leaders can deal with baffling new challenges by making important “leadershifts.”

HarperCollins Leadership

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Steven G. Rogelberg

The Surprising Science of Meetings

Save time and energy by facilitating better meetings. (Hint: the best ones are 48 minutes long.)

Oxford University Press (USA)

Zusammenfassung lesen

Gretchen Anderson

Mastering Collaboration

Formal collaboration inside organizations seldom works. Here’s what does.

O’Reilly Media

Zusammenfassung lesen

Stephen R. Covey

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

To be highly effective, just initiate, focus, prioritize, connect, cooperate, improve yourself and let others win. Whew.

Free Press

Zusammenfassung lesen

Jean Dahl

Leading Lean

Deloitte’s lean management expert Jean Dahl explains how to use lean processes to create lean leaders.

O’Reilly Media

Zusammenfassung lesen

In Conversation

A millennial herself, Crystal Kadakia provides globally relevant insight into her generation in her book, The Millennial Myth. Here, she shares some of her thoughts on how to attract millennial talent.

getTogether

Related Abstract

Patrick Hollingworth

The Light and Fast Organisation

To deal with the VUCA world, apply the “alpine style” to your organization.

Wiley

Zusammenfassung lesen

See Full Knowledge Container

TOP TEN

Time to highlight some of the most successful titles from our library!

>> NEW FRONTIERS

Series: Ten Big Questions That Will Preoccupy Public Dialogue

We live in revolutionary times – at once deeply unsettling but also filled with the potential of transforming human lives for the better. This series introduces you to ten big questions that will preoccupy public dialogue of the near future.

ONE: Is Capitalism at a Breaking Point?

TWO: The Next Society

SKILLS UPDATE

Unusual Superheroes (And Their Hidden Super Powers)

The more vulnerable you feel about something, the harder it is to talk about. Yet you should do so anyways.

It’s an open secret that The New Yorker is one of our favorite magazines. Sometimes, however, the great articles are just the beginning of a learning path. For example, when it comes to the improvement of home office skills and habits.

“How Do I Use Data (Science) to Solve Real-World Problems?”

“Is Remote Work Here to Stay?”

“How Do I Lead Inclusively?”

“What Does It Take to Become a Digital Leader?”

Your “Back to the Office” Guide

“How Do I Ensure That My Business Continues?”

“As a Manager, How Can I Learn a ‘Hands Off’ Approach?”

“How Do I Organize Myself When I Pursue Further Education Alongside My Job?”

“How Can I Personally Contribute to a Positive Company Culture?”

“How Can I Cope With a Possible Loss of Control in My Professional or Private Life?”

“How Do I Overcome Fears and Get Ahead?”

“What Is the Secret of Remote Working?”

“How Can I Combat Loneliness as a Remote Worker?”

“How Do You Make Remote Learning Fun and Successful?”

“How Do I Convince My Relatives and Colleagues to Take Social Distancing Seriously?”

“How Do I Work Without Being in the Same Room With My Colleagues?”

More...

QUICK FIX

Your Solution, Only Two Clicks Away

“How Can I Get My Financial Life in Order?”

In need of a financial road map, but no idea where to start? There you go!

March, 6 2020 by getAbstract

“How Do I Gain Energy and Enjoy Better Health?”

No Sweat: Find your motivation and set goals!

March, 6 2020 by getAbstract

“How Can I Improve My Ability to Remember?”

Implement a seven-step program to control and optimize your memory!

March, 6 2020 by getAbstract

FEATURES

FOCUS: Climate Change — Female lion walking in Savannah field in Nairobi national park, Kenya.

Perhaps this year, after all the attention garnered by climate strikes in 2019, will be the year of practicable proposals for climate solutions. The effects of lockdowns, such as hugely improved air quality in many countries, could contribute to this debate.

Invisible women, 25 pairs of shoes, and the long-awaited end of unnecessary meetings – here are this year’s reading recommendations from different departments at getAbstract.

December, 19 2019 by getAbstract

TALKS

DEMOCRACY

NEW WORK

“People Who Don’t Feel Respected Will Not Want to Show Up Every Day and Contribute to Your Organization.”

INNOVATION

Efosa Ojomo, Clayton M. Christensen and Karen Dillon

In one of his last interviews, economist Clayton M. Christenen, who passed away in January, argues that only innovation can lift nations out of poverty.

January, 31 2020 by Michael Wiederstein

CHINA

Kai Strittmatter, Foto Anton Turovinin (Piper Verlag) — Kai Strittmatter by Anton Turovinin (Piper Verlag)

The "Middle Kingdom" is back. But not the way one had imagined in the West: While the Chinese economy is growing, the freedoms of the population are dwindling, says China expert Kai Strittmatter.

November, 21 2019 by Michael Wiederstein

WORKPLACE

In his book Open to Think, Dan Pontefract offers strategies for cutting through the clutter, thinking more clearly and making better decisions. His prescription: be more deliberate with your time.

ECONOMICS

“You Can Watch the March of Ideas from the Minds of Economists and into Our Lives.”

After decades of free-market policies in the United States and Britain, working-class voters are in full revolt. In The Economists’ Hour Binyamin Appelbaum surveys the last half-century and sees an obvious path from the economics of Milton Friedman, Arthur Laffer and others to today’s disgruntled masses.

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