symposium

The Future of WorkA New Definition

of Success

9th of November 2018 | DeLaMar Theater

The ideal organisation has two goals: creating meaning

and making money.

Alain de Botton

CONTENT

Introduction 7

Programme 8

Keynotes 10

Anna Coote 11

Mariana Mazzucato 12

Alain de Botton 13

Christian Felber 14

Changemakers in Conversation 15

Ynzo van Zanten & Alexandra Heaven 16

Mark Woerde & Lodewijk de Mol van Otterloo 17

Workshops 18

Eva Rovers & Hylke Faber 19

Menno de Bree 20

Extracurricular Activities 22

The School of Life for Organisations 24

Notes 26

The Future of WorkAn event by The School of Life Amsterdam

9th of November 2018 | DeLaMar Theater

6 7

INtroduction: A new definition of success

At The School of Life, we often talk about our fellow travellers: the people who are deeply committed to transforming their organisations into a more emotionally intelligent workplace. Because, after all, only if we succeed in creating a place that is safe, collaborative and engaging, will we succeed in bringing out the best in our colleagues and ourselves. We feel honoured to receive so many of our fellow travellers here today!

At last year’s symposium, we investigated how we can flourish in the 21st century. There was a strong consensus that to make our organisations future proof, we need to instill a high sense of autonomy and entrepreneurship into our people.

Bringing this about is not easy. We will need to establish a culture of trust and allow people to take risks and make inevitable mistakes. But in an environment that is traditionally geared towards making profit and increasing shareholder value, this is not an easy feat to achieve. In order for profound transformation to occur, we need to ask ourselves how we can define better criteria for success that look beyond the short term and take people, the environment and ethics into account.

This is our ambition for today: to provide you with new perspectives on this challenging question. We hope you take away fresh insights, new actionable steps and most of all that you meet interesting and inspiring fellow travellers!

Frits Philips & Josine Peters

v

programme

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mary dresselhuys zaal glazen foyer diner foyer john kraaijkamp foyer

10:00 - 10:15 Opening

10:15 - 10:45 Anna Coote The 21-hour Workweek

10:45 - 11:30 Mariana Mazzucato The Value of Everything

11:30 - 12:00 Break Break

12:00 - 13:00 Changemakers in Conversation

13:00 - 13:45 Lunch Lunch

13:45 - 14:30 Eva RoversRevolt According to Camus

Hylke FaberUnlearning Fear with Einstein

menno de breeAppreciating Pessimism like Schopenhauer

Philosophical Speed Dating

14:45 - 15:30 Eva RoversRevolt According to Camus

Hylke FaberUnlearning Fear with Einstein

menno de breeAppreciating Pessimism like Schopenhauer

Philosophical Speed Dating

15:30 - 16:00 Break Break

16:00 -16:30 Alain de BottonThe Emotionally Intelligent Office

16:30- 17 :00 Christian Felber Economy for the Common Good

Eng

Eng

Eng

Eng

The Future of Work

10 11

keynotes

Anna Coote - The 21-hour workweek (eng)

10:15 -10:45 Mary Dresselhuys Zaal

The ever-increasing workload in the Western world benefits the

economy, but takes its toll on the individual. At the same time,

Artifical Intelligence and robotisation threaten to take away many

jobs. How can we, as societies, companies and human beings, defend

ourselves against this? According to Anna Coote, Principal Fellow of

the New Economics Foundation, the inevatible solution for our ever-

increasing workload and the ever-growing human ecological footpring is

the 21-hour workweek. Today, Anna will speak about the benefits of the

21-hour workweek and how to overcome the obstacles that stand in its

way.

In addition to being Principal Fellow at the New Economics Foundation

in London, Anna Coote is also a leading social policy analyst and

a writer. She has written on many topics related to social justice,

sustainable development, working hours, public health policy, public

engagement, democratic dialogue, gender and equality.

k e y n o t e s

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Mariana Mazzucato - The value of everything (eng) 10:45 - 11:30 Mary Dresselhuys Zaal

Who are the people that create value in this world? There’s no

doubt that they are the farmers who produce our food and

the teachers who teach our children. But what about the bankers

who created the financial products that caused the housing market to

collapse? And what about the commodity traders who are driving up the

prices of our commodities?

Professor of Innovation Economics Mariana Mazzucato proposes that,

in the 21st century, we need to ask ourselves once again what the actual

meaning of ‘value’ is. Mazzucato is an economist and director of the

Innovation and Public Purpose Institute at University College London.

She is the author of the highly influential book The Entrepreneurial State:

debunking public vs. private sector myths (2013), which appeared on the

Financial Times’ list of best books of the year 2013. She also advises a

wide range of important policy makers around the world on growth and

innovation.

Her new book The Value of Everything (2018) analyses the underlying

causes of growth and inequality. Her ideas force us to evaluate our age-

old beliefs about the economy and review who actually benefits from

these beliefs. Mazzucato asks what value actually is and where it comes

from. Who creates it and who cream it off? How can we stimulate the

increase of value? And who should take charge?

Alain de Botton - The emotionally intelligent office 16:00 - 16:30 Mary Dresselhuys Zaal

Philosopher and founder of The School of Life Alain de Botton will

share his ideas about the future of organisations via a live video link.

What role will emotional intelligence play? What are the biggest

challenges in the age of artificial intelligence? And how can we come to

a better definition of success? Alain is known for his thorough analysis

and original vision of what it takes for organisations to flourish in the

21st century.

De Botton uses the best and most valuable ideas from the past to

take our professional and personal lives to a higher level. He is often

praised for his clear and attractive style, both when speaking and when

writing. He has published in hundreds of magazines, has written

many bestsellers and has spoken at festivals and in stadiums, both for

companies and for individuals worldwide.

This month, The School of Life will publish the book The Emotionally

Intelligent Office which was written by De Botton and his team.

(eng)

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Christian Felber - Economy for the common good 16:30-17:00 Mary Dresselhuys zaal

In today’s capitalist economy, the success of a company is generally

measured by one single yardstick: profit. This pushes back the

questions that are at least as important: To what extent is the company

harmful to the climate? How fair are they treating their employees?

What effect does the company have on increasing inequality of wealth?

We all know intuitively that the profit a company makes is not the only

valuable measure, and that if we focus only on this, our society won’t

survive in the long run. Bestseller-author and internationally renowned

speaker in the field of business ethics Christan Felber is the initiator of

the Economy for the Common Good (ECG). This is a blueprint - and

now a movement - for a humane economic model in which, in addition

to profit, general welfare is taken into account. According to Felber, it

makes much more sense for companies to create a so-called ‘common

good balance sheet’ than a financial balance sheet. The balance sheet

of the general interest shows the extent to which a company adheres to

values such as human dignity, solidarity and economic sustainability.

According to Christian Felber, this new way of thinking is the future.

The only question that remains is who will take the lead in this.

Christian Felber studied Spanish, Psychology, Sociology and Political

Sciences in Madrid and Vienna and, in addition to the bestseller Change

Everything: Creating an Economy for the Common Good, he has also

written the following books: 50 Suggestions for a Fairer World, Money -

The New Rules of the Game, New Values for the Economy, and Let’s Save the

Euro!

c h a n g e m a k e r s i n c o n v e r s at i o n

Josine Peters Managing Director

The School of Life

&

Frits Philips Head of Professional Programmes

The School of Life

moderated by

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If we have the ambition to transform our organisation, it can be useful to

learn from those who are doing the same. That’s why we have invited four

changemakers to share their insights with us. In an intimate conversation we

will ask them how we can get our organisation on the right track? How do we

create a shared vision on success? And how do we deal with resistance from

employees, shareholders and other stakeholders?

Ynzo van Zanten Chief Choco Evangelist at Tony’s Chocolonely

According to Ynzo van Zanten, success means pairing a popular and

profitable brand with social and environmental responsibility. Ynzo is the

Chief Evangelist of Tony’s Chocolonely and was responsible for launching

Innocent Drinks in Europe. Ynzo also advises organisations in the field of

communication and corporate responsibility.

Alexandra HeavenB Corps Director at Danone

Alexandra Heavan is giving direction to Danone’s project to transform its

divisions on a global scale with the aim of obtaining B-Corp certifications. A

B-Corp certification is given when a company has proved to be committed to

working in a socially responsible and environmentally friendly way.

Changemakers12:00-13:00 Mary Dresselhuys zaal

Mark WoerdeFounder Lemz and Letsheal

Mark Woerde made headlines early last year with a video in which

he brought together 22 great religious world leaders to show people

the importance of friendship. Now he is the director of the non-profit

organisation Letsheal. This organisation provides insight into how to make

brands more meaningful and pro-social.

Lodewijk de Mol van OtterlooDirector of Strategy of the Volksbank

Lodewijk de Mol van Otterloo wants to bring the human dimension back

to the financial sector. Banking should be a profession that is practised

between people, but it has drifted too far away from this ideal. As Director

of Strategy, his mission is to transform the organisation’s ambitions into a

clear and inspiring course that brings the Volksbank back where it belongs:

at the heart of society.

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W o r ks h o p sPlease go to the workshop of your choice.

If maximum capacity has been reached, you

will be kindly asked to choose another workshop.

Every session is held twice.

Revolt according to Camus by Eva Rovers Mary Dresselhuys zaal

According to the French philosopher Albert Camus, rebellion is the most

powerful human trait and the first condition for change. During this

workshop with Eva Rovers you will learn how you can cause a transition

in your organisation by injecting rebellion into the corporate culture.

This spring Eva Rovers published the book Praktivisme; een handboek voor

heimelijke rebellen.

unlearning fear with Einstein by Hylke Faber Glazen Foyer

Einstein had the courage to question our most deeply rooted beliefs about

reality. It has changed the future of mankind. In this workshop by executive

coach Hylke Faber we will investigate how we can bring up the courage to

question our own assumptions in order to make better choices. Hylke Faber

is executive coach and author of the book Taming Your Crocodiles; Unlearn

Fear & Become a True Leader.

workshops13:45-14:30 First session | 14:45-15:30 Second session

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Appreciating pessimism like Schopenhauer by Menno de Bree Diner Foyer

In this workshop about Schopenhauer Menno de Bree teaches you the value

of pessimism. The pessimist is calm, takes things as they come and has a

deep sense of the absurdities and ironies of work and the world. This pays

off, both in professional relationships and in professional decision-making.

Menno de Bree is a philosopher and writes the weekly column ‘Imperfecties’

for Het Financieele Dagblad.

tuesday 11th of december 2018 | 10:00-12:00 | circl amsterdam

theschooloflife.com/amsterdam

get tickets online now

Hylke FaberLeading Without Fear

coming soon

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Philosophical speed date13:45-15:30 John Kraaijkamp foyer

Networking is often awkward. An obligatory opening,

some uncomfortable silences and eventually a not very

interesting conversation. During the philosophical

speed dates at this symposium you can meet people and

immediately have an in-depth conversation through the

help of philosophical questions. You might meet a new

colleague, an interesting business partner or a like-

minded person you will never see again. In any case,

there won’t be annoying cliché chitchat but you will have

encounters full of interesting insights.

ThinkerstownSpread around in the foyers

In small streets and avenues you will discover some of

the most courageous, rebellious and interesting thinkers

this world has known. Take a leisurely stroll through

Thinkertown and learn how these extraordinary people

changed the world around them.

E x t r a c u r r i c u l a r a c t i v i t i e s

extracurricular activities

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PersuasivenessEloquence Empathy Objectivity

PlayfulnessResourcefulness Diplomacy Innovation

CreativityCalm Confidence Communication

SupportivenessEffectiveness Purpose Self Awareness

AdaptabilityDecisivenessEntrepreneurship Resilience

20 WORKSHOPS ON CORE EMOTIONAL SKILLS FOR HIGHER SELF-AWARENESS, BETTER

COLLABORATION AND GREATER IMPACT.

The School of Life for organisations

The School of Life offers unique and intelligent programmes that help

organisations and professionals in their development. Our workshops, talks

and courses focus on furthering self-knowledge, improving relations and

increasing impact.

When we ask ourselves what makes someone successful in work, we often

overlook the most important thing. Namely that it is a human being. And

that humans are more than the sum of the knowledge and functional skills

we find on their CVs.

We are beings with countless qualities that are difficult to measure. We can

reassure others and give them confidence. We can inspire colleagues when

they are unhappy. We can give customers the confidence that they are at

the right place. We can break open a discussion that threatens to get stuck,

by saying exactly the right thing at the right time. We can dream of a better

world and we are also able to make those dreams come true.

It is often these qualities, much more than our education and professional

skills, that make us successful. But training emotional skills is usually seen

as a luxury that is only considered when everything else is in order. In reality,

they are at the basis of any future success.

The School of Life offers workshops, talks and courses that help

organisations improve the most elusive aspects of their work. We do not give

you any preconceived answers, rules or dogmas, but we present a range of

useful ideas and perspectives that stimulate, challenge and inspire.

CONTACT us for more information >E: zakelijk@theschooloflife.com

T: 020 737 2806

www.theschooloflife.com/amsterdam

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CONTACTThe School of Life Amsterdam

Frederiksplein 54

1017 XN Amsterdam

Follow us > /theschooloflifeamsterdam

@theschooloflife.amsterdam

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/company/the-school-of-life-amsterdam/

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You can subscribe at theschooloflife.com/amsterdam/professional

notes notes

36

What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what

kind of difference you want to make.

jane goodall

The Future of Work 9th of November 2018 | DeLaMar Theater